Author: Annemarie Lombard

Stress – our common enemy. How many times this week have you answered “busy and stressed” when someone asked how you are?  Even though we all know how it feels to be stressed, not many of us understand how stress works.  For instance, did you know that there are 2 types of stress?  And that some stress is good for you?  Yes, you get good stress (eu-stress) and bad stress (dis-stress).

• Eu-stress, which is the healthy type of stress, enables you to make quick decisions, manage many tasks at once, plan better and become more productive.
• Distress, which is not good for you, causes you to sleep poorly, get angry and irritable, become forgetful and less productive.

The trick is to move away from distress and into eu-stress. We do this by becoming aware of our bodies and intervening before we become over-stressed and overwhelmed. At Sensory Intelligence® Consulting we are all about being practical. We know you don’t have a lot of time to implement complicated stress release strategies. Our solution to reduce stress includes something you have at your disposal every day – your senses!

Our strategies include using touch, smell, taste, sight and movement to reduce and regulate your stress.  Here are just a few tips, we call this our “Take 5” strategies:

1. BREATHE
   Deep breathing is the fastest, easiest and most accessible way to de-stress the brain. It immediately lowers your heart rate and regulates your body and brain.
2. SIP/SUCK
   Keep a water bottle on your desk and drink water regularly. Water is the best fluid to keep the brain clear and alert. A spout bottle is preferable as the sucking action will further help you to de-stress.
3. MOVE
   Moving the body is one of the most powerful and healthy methods to de-stress and regulate.  Although regular exercise is an ideal stress reliever, just walking to the bathroom, using the stairs and stretching get the brain and body in optimum zone…
4. BLOW
   If you are tired, angry and/or irritable, blow up a balloon. You will be deep breathing, regulating the brain and curbing anger and irritation without even knowing it.
5. FIDGET
   Fidget to focus – by playing/ fiddling with a stress ball, fidget spinner, paper clip, ribbon, pen, etc. or doodling, your brain unconsciously and automatically gets organised, clear and regulated.

Do you see how easy it is?  We encourage you to use the Take 5 strategies whenever you feel stressed this week. We guarantee it will make a difference.

But why stop there?  Contact us for an online workshop for your team. You see, managing stress levels is not a “one-size-fits-all” approach. We use neuroscience principles to show each person how they should deal with their stress, based on their sensory thresholds.  All our workshops are customised to fit your and your company’s needs. Contact us to find out more.

Remember to Take 5 this week!

You can’t sleep, because your mind is racing. You have constant butterflies in your stomach. You can’t focus on one thing at a time. You forget someone’s name as soon as they introduce themselves. The slightest extra task reduces you to tears…

You know what I’m talking about it. We are all too familiar with the big S. Yes, I’m talking about STRESS.  Stress is currently one of modern society’s biggest health concerns. Stress affects our physical wellness, our mental capacity, our relationships, our productivity and much, much, more. It’s a silent killer.

Unfortunately, very few of us can afford to retire and live a stress-free life sipping cocktails on the beach and reading all day. The fact of the matter is that stress is something we need to learn to manage in our everyday lives. Stress is an everyday reality for most of us and we need to learn to manage it, otherwise it will consume us.

But fortunately, at Sensory Intelligence Consulting® we’ve made it our business to help you manage your stress in a healthy way. We use easy and practical tips and tools to help you reduce and manage your stress levels. Today we want to share a few of our “life hacks” to beat stress with you. These may seem simple, but they are tried, tested and trusted.

TIP 1: MOVE!
Sitting is the new smoking. Many people spend 8 hours or more sitting each day. As human beings, we are designed to move our bodies, and if we don’t, our physical and emotional stress increases. Get up and go to the bathroom, make a cup of coffee, use the stairs, go for a short walk after work, do some stretches before work… regular movement will drastically change your stress levels. You will start to notice an improvement in your mood and a decrease in your stress after you move. It is a quick and easy way to access your body’s natural relaxation response and feel refreshed when you return to your desk.

TIP 2: CONNECT!
Most of us have the natural inclination to become less connected and more task-centered when things get busy. We spend evenings checking mail and weekends frantically trying to manage tasks on our to-do lists. All the while our stress increases. At Sensory Intelligence Consulting® it’s about quality, not quantity. It’s about being fully present in the moment with your friends and loved ones. Research shows that people who connect with others as little as once a day, have lowered stress levels. The trick is, it has to be real connection- not via WhatsApp or sitting in the same room watching television. To facilitate real connection, we use the technique of STOP, LOOK and LISTEN

• STOP – Put down your phone. Let go of your frantic thoughts. Simply stop and be present for the person you are with.
• LOOK – Look someone in the eyes. Really take in what you see. That’s where real connection happens
• LISTEN – We tend to listen to respond, rather than truly listen to the other person’s experience. What would happen if you just listened without needing to respond? Just be open to what the other person has to say.

TIP 3: BOUNDARIES!
Setting healthy boundaries is a way of protecting your own time and prioritising what is really important. For everything you say ‘yes’ to, you are also saying ‘no’ to something else. Spend some time thinking about how you spend your time. How many things are you doing that is not a priority and increase your stress levels? What are the things you can say ‘no’ to in order to say ‘yes’ to something else? Do you need to maybe say ‘no’ to a birthday party of someone you don’t know that well, in order to say ‘yes’ to spending time with your children? Do you need to say ‘no’ to work this weekend, in order to say ‘yes’ to go for a run? The reality is, you cannot be all things, for everyone, all the time. Decide what’s important and use boundaries to protect what’s important.

TIP 4: PLAN!
Write your to-do list using pen and paper. Using your touch and visual sense, means you are solidifying the task in your brain and increasing your chances of getting to your to-do list. Spend each morning writing down the biggest 3 tasks for the day – our brain works in 3’s. Focus on that and let go of less important, time-wasting tasks. Return at the end of the day and congratulate yourself on your tasks well done!

Now over to you …

• Do you have any creative hacks to manage stress? Please share them with us.
• Do you want to take stress management to the next level? Do your Sensory Matrix™ assessment and receive a personalised wellness guide to keep you productive, healthy and happy!
• Do you want to take stress management to the next level in your company? Contact us to book a workshop for your team.