19 Ways to Reduce Stress During the Workday.

Try these simple, effective ways to ease up on life's pressures.

In the early 1960s experts predicted that the workweek would soon be reduced to four days, possibly even three. In the home labor-saving devices would turn housework and home maintenance into simple, easily performed tasks. Some colleges and universities were adding courses under the category of "leisure studies." Those classes would help people deal with the increased leisure time they were about to experience.

However, those predictions have been replaced by this harsh reality: women and men today are working harder and longer than ever! At the turn of the century--before faxes, modems, computers, and cellular phones the average American workweek was 60 hours. By 1970 it was down to 37 hours. In the 1990s the average worker was putting in 46 hours a week at the office and six more at home for a total of 52 hours according to a recent survey. In addition, 40 percent of those surveyed said they'd work up to 10 more hours per week for extra pay. That would add up to 62 hours, two hours longer than in the "horse-and-buggy" days.

The fact is most people experience less leisure and more daily stress as they juggle work and career, family, and friends. In spite of life's demands, there are some simple, effective steps that can be taken to ease up on daily pressures. Here are 19 ways to reduce stress during the workday.

1. Begin the day with a brief prayer and meditation.

Rather than jumping out of bed and rushing to start your day, take a few minutes--from five to 20--to pray, meditate, read a short inspiring passage, think peaceful thoughts, appreciate God's gift of a new, fresh day. Beginning this way gives you a sense of peace that will manifest itself all day.

2. Apply the wisdom of Paul to your daily living.

"Whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable ... think about such things" (Philippians 4:8, NIV).(*) Those words are a reminder to think positively. During the day when you face a crisis, think challenge. When you face a problem, think possibility. When you face an obstacle, think opportunity. Approaching any stressful event positively will boost your energy.

3. Remember, you get to make mistakes.

"Many people start sinking into despair or scolding themselves unmercifully after making a mistake," observes Charlotte Davis Kasl, Ph.D., a psychologist and author of Finding Joy. "It seems like a crime to break a glass, forget a meeting, or mail an important document to the wrong address. The important thing to remember is that everyone makes mistakes ... so ease up on yourself"

4. Give yourself some credit.

Each day take a moment to pat yourself on the back for all the things you do accomplish. This will shift your perspective, helping you appreciate the great balancing act you pull off daily--working, parenting, volunteering, church participation, maintaining a social life, caring for elders, etc.

5. Create peaceful images in your mind.

Several times during your workday, pause briefly to create a peaceful image in your mind. For example, picture yourself gently canoeing on a ca]m, still lake with the sun shining brilliantly. Or imagine yourself sitting quietly on a hillside where you are completely surrounded by beautiful wildflowers. The more you practice this technique, the more easily you will relieve daily stresses.

6. Read.

"Because I'm a single parent of two children and work full-time my life is extremely hectic," says Karen, a Chicago paralegal. "Reading is my way of easing stress. I read while I'm commuting on the train. I read while I have lunch. I read just before I go to sleep. Reading is a total escape that calms and soothes me," she says.

7. Practice hospitality.

Maintain an open-door policy in your heart for everyone you will encounter during the day. Greet everyone with a smile. This will make others fee] good about being with you. In turn, smiling will give you a deep sense of ease, ca]m, and peace.

8. Observe your breathing.

When we are re]axed our breathing is slow and even. However, when we are anxious or upset we tend to breathe irregularly. Pay attention to your breathing. As soon as you notice yourself becoming stressed say to yourself, "Stop." Then as you breathe in repeat the word "peace." As you breathe out, smile. As you do this let your shoulders drop and relax your hands. Repeat this technique several times.

9. Take a brisk walk.

Experts note that exercise is effective in burning off the excess adrenaline that fuels feelings of anxiety and stress. Exercise also releases endorphins--the body's natural chemicals that block anxiety and pain. So take a brisk walk over lunch hour. During office hours, even a brisk walk down the hallway or up a flight of stairs can help.

10. Change your lunch environment.

Get out of the office and enjoy your noon meal in a park. Use this time to be with nature. At least once or twice a week, eat by yourself in silence. Eat slowly. Be thankful for your meal. Enjoy yourself.

11. Walk in someone else's shoes.

Try to see a conflict or difference of opinion from another person's point of view advises Redford Williams, M.D., an authority on heart health and author of The Trusting Heart: Great News About Type A Behavior." By trying to understand another's behavior from their viewpoint, you might gain the same sense of perspective. In most cases, you'll find your anger slipping away."

12. Beware about what you drink.

The caffeinated drinks you drink throughout the day can be a mental-health nightmare. Too much caffeine can cause shaky hands, restlessness, and irritability--all of which increase stressful feelings. Try eliminating it from your routine.

13. Concentrate on the task at hand, not the outcome.

This is another way of ]earning to be less than perfect. If you find yourself fretting about a project, speak gently to yourself, saying: "Here I go again worrying about the future. I'll just give this my best now." Then do that. Remember to leave the future in God's hands.

14. Just say "No."

You don't have to accept every project, every invitation to become involved, every opportunity to attend a meeting. Accept what you need to do and what you want to do, but say "No, thank you" to other requests for your time

15. Make a peace pact with yourself.

As soon as you begin to feel angry, hostile, cynical, skeptical, irritable, or impatient, repeat a word that can offset the negative energy. Some examples include peace, love, hope, faith, joy, patience, etc.

16. Relive a happy memory.

Tap into the power of your memories. In a time of stress, look back and remember a pleasant experience or satisfying moment. "You might choose your wedding, or the birth of your child, or being recognized for an achievement by someone whose opinion mattered a great deal to you," says Anees A. Sheikh, Ph.D., professor of psychology at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "Any scenes of events when you felt secure, elated, or successful will do. And don't merely recall these events to mind--relive them."

17. Let there be music.

The right music can take you from a highly tense state to a relaxed state in a very short time. The right music is generally instrumental rather than vocal and tends to be performed by instruments such as flute, harp, piano, and string ensembles. Many people find the sounds of nature combined with musical harmonies to be very relaxing.

18. Settle for "good enough."

It's amazing how much stress can be completely eliminated when we decide we do not have to have the cleanest house, the most manicured lawn, the most well-behaved children. Look at your life and decide where it is advantageous to be less demanding of yourself.

19. Don't bring work problems home.

Leave your cares behind at the office You will feel better, and you will return to work refreshed, energetic, and more creative. Saki F. Santorelli, Ed D, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, offers these tips: "At the end of the workday ... sit quietly and consciously make the transition from work to homemtake a moment to simply be--enjoy it for a moment. Like most of us, you're heading into your next full-time job--home. When you pull into the driveway or park on the street, take a minute to orient yourself to being with your family members or to entering your home. Try changing out of your work clothes when you get home. This simple act might help you to make a smoother transition into your next `role.'"

Finally, keep in mind that these 19 ways are simply general guidelines. Allow your own sense of possibility and curiosity to evolve as you explore and discover your own unique ways to reduce stress during the workday.

(*) Texts credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright[C] t973, t978, t984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Victor M. Parachin is a writer living in Tulsa, Oklahoma.