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PositionMarketing News - Stress management tips for employees

Slow economic growth often translates into pinched marketing budgets--and fewer workers with fewer resources to handle the same volume of work. The bottom Line is increased stress on existing workers, according to Joe Piscatella, author of "Take a Load Off Your Heart: 109 Things You Can Do to Prevent, Halt or Reverse Heart Disease" (Workman Publishing, January 2003).

"It is not possible to remove the stressors from modern life and business because stress is a natural by-product of change, and change is constant," notes Piscatella. "That is why smart companies and leaders provide workers with the tools they need--not to eliminate change and stress--but to handle stress effectively."

Piscatella offers the following suggestions to help your employees (and yourself) manage their stress levels:

* Take time out for a walk. The key to handling stress lies in learning how to produce a relaxation response to offset the stress response. Anything you can do to relax your mind and body on a regular basis will enhance your chances of managing stress in your life. Take a walk, read a book, listen to music--the list of ideas goes on and on.

* Focus on concerns, not worries. While a worry is immune to direct action, a concern is a problem that can be addressed or a situation that can be changed. For example, if an employee is habitually late for work, it can be a concern. It's a problem, but it can be addressed with a simple action such as encouraging the employee to set the alarm clock for 15 minutes earlier.

* Expect the unexpected. Build a cushion into your day for the unexpected. Instead of a cramming your schedule, fill it 80 percent, leaving 20 percent for...

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