I just finished reading Working Well – Twelve Simple Strategies to Manage Stress and Increase Productivity.

Author Stephanie Berryman shares the goal of this book is to change your relationship to stress and improve your productivity. I really enjoyed how Stephanie shared her many lesson learned in harmonizing her life personally and professionally while raising a young family. Each chapter closes with a summary, questions and actions.  The tools shared offer great strategies to experience life with greater ease highlighted in digestible actionable bits. I highly recommend this book capturing so many gems finding exciting ways to choose how we respond to stress.

If you feel you are too busy to add one more book to your reading list, consider, carving out 30 minutes several times a week to read one chapter of “Working Well”.  The ideas shared will have you looking at how you can manage your stress with new eyes.

A few of the ideas shared to change our relationship with stress.

• Make self-care a priority.
• Practice Gratitude, Meditation and Mindfulness
• Consider the five balls. Work is like a rubber ball, if you drop it, this ball will bounce back.  Keep work in perspective. We are so much more than the work we do.
• Manage your mental and emotional state. Remember to let go and question your thinking.
• Build Positive Working Relationships by replacing judgement with curiosity and compassion.
• Find new ways to manage your distractions and change your relationship with your phone and e-mail.
• Be present and stop multi tasking.
• Consider your strengths. In the book “Nine Lies about Work” written by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall speak to strengths.

• Embrace ways to slow down.  Make rest and downtime a priority.
• Invest in relationships and resolve conflicts by first, listening to understand.
• Move away from the badge of busyness.  Create space to build in thinking time.
• Move from the urgent to the important and embrace your imperfections.
• Create positive habits and rituals.

“Positive habits of thinking and responding to stress are going to lead to good results. Stephanie Berryman

 

Be inspired, stay curious and keep learning.  Be nourished in all you do.

Sharon

Photography by Sharon K. Summerfield

At The Nourished Executive we coach business professionals and share strategies to invest in wellbeing, manage stress and prevent burnout. Our founder, Sharon K. Summerfield,  is a holistic nutritionist and certified breath coach, with an extensive business background.  We have a strong commitment to giving back, investing in local community creating space for all students to consider careers in construction, science, technology, engineering and math