Stressful Day? How to Unwind

Everyone is affected by stress at some point in their life. Stress can be caused from issues in your life such as marriage, divorce, deaths, and even a bad day at work. Many illnesses are associated with chronic stress. What can you do to unwind after a stressful day? You need to start each day out with a clean slate.

I start my day out with positive thoughts:

• Today is going to be a good day.
• Today will be productive.
• I am going to close that big sale today.

Starting off your day with positive thoughts brings positive into your world. If you go through the day thinking negative, you will get negative. You will find others that are filled with negative energy. It is good to steer clear from them the best that you can. If it is a co-worker, it is difficult, but try not to let the negative energy come your way.

I worked with someone that was negative about everything. It made it difficult to keep my thoughts clear and to think positively. As a matter of fact, I was popping Tylenol each and every day from the constant headaches of listening to the ranting. After experimenting, I found that turning the co-workers negative attitude into positive ideas made the co-worker think twice. I was then considered too nice. There is almost always a positive aspect to every situation. I found that being nice to others brightens their day. I can speak gruffly on the phone and get the same attitude back, or I can speak nicely on the phone, have a pleasant conversation and build trust with the customer. We both hang up happy in the end.

Use negatives as a learning experience. Rather than getting upset because you did not close that big deal and lost it to the competition, ask yourself if there was anything that you could have done differently. I use my drive home as time to reflect on the day. Could I have done anything differently to make the sale happen? Each situation is different so you will find that you can ask yourself the same question each and every time and come up with a different answer. You just have to realize that you cannot land every deal and that you have learned from it.

It is tough to find time for yourself but you may need to set boundaries. When I arrive home from work, the first thing I hear is, "Mom, what's for dinner? We're starving." It is almost always the same question but they know that I am not going straight into the kitchen to cook dinner. I use the first 30 minutes at home to relax and unwind. If you just cannot seem to take that time, consider a nice hot bath later on. Either way, you need to make time for yourself.

Keep positive and never let anyone get you down. You should always remember one thing: God doesn't throw anything at you that you can't handle. Use the power of prayer and read God's word.