MARCH LET IT GO! For the month of March, we will focus on stress. The following pages contain verbiage, tips, a printable poster and other articles and resources that you can reference and share with your co-workers and employees.

WHAT AND WHY: In today’s hyper-connected world, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. There are never enough hours in the day. We are constantly pulled in a variety of directions, and it can impact your productivity. Stress symptoms can impact your health in a negative way, including headaches, chest pain, fatigue, sleep issues, not to mention being more irritable and perhaps even depressed. It may seem that there is nothing you can do about this stress. But you might have more control than you think. Simply realizing that you are in control of your life is the foundation of stress management. Stress can be defined as the brain’s response to any demand, so this month take inventory of the demands on you and your time. You can either change the situation or change how your reaction. [INSERT INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MONTH’S ACTIVITY, WHERE TO SIGN UP AND HOW TO START.] MORE: Stress management strategies Avoid unnecessary stress: Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate. Alter the situation: If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life. Adapt to the stressor: If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

MORE STRESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES: Accept the things you can’t change: Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change. Make time for fun and relaxation: Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors. Adopt a healthy lifestyle: You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health.

IDEAS FOR ACTIVITIES: Instead of always having a “to do” list, start a “stop doing” list and write down those items that consume a disproportionate amount of your time or a habit you are trying to break. Reminding yourself of these items can help you stay productive and focused on the important things. Try a stress relieving breathing exercise: Start a stress journal to help you identify the causes of your stress, how you feel both physically and emotionally, how you reacted and what you did to make yourself feel better. Awareness is power. Host a lunch and learn using one of these videos: Stress as a positive: Recent research that suggests it has benefits: benefits/ benefits/ The upside of stress: Kelly McGonigal at TEDGlobal 2013: upside-of-stress-kelly-mcgonigal-at-tedglobal-2013/ upside-of-stress-kelly-mcgonigal-at-tedglobal-2013/ How to make stress your friend:

ARTICLES: Mayo Clinic article on stress management: management/basics/stress-basics/hlv http:// management/basics/stress-basics/hlv University of Iowa Healthier Workforce Center for Excellence article on stress management: OTHER RESOURCES: Des Moines Park & Recreation Yoga in the Park: Anxiety Relief & Stress Management – Demonstrating Breathing, Muscular, & Visualization Techniques: How To Relieve Stress – Scientifically Proven Stress Relief Techniques:

THE MORE YOU KNOW! 25 TIPS, TIDBITS OF TRIVIA AND TWEETS ABOUT STRESS. SHARE ONE VIA EACH DAY OR POST THEM NEXT TO THE WATER COOLER. 1.An effective tool to quickly reduce tension, and re-energize efforts to complete the task is humor. 2.Keep a positive, realistic attitude. 3.Learn and practice relaxation techniques. Try breathing exercises, meditation, prayer, yoga, or tai chi. 4.Exercise regularly. You'll feel better and be more prepared to handle problems. 5.Try to manage your time wisely. 6.Say no, where you can, to things that would add more stress to your life. 7.Make time for hobbies and interests. 8.Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful events. 9.Don't rely on alcohol, drugs, or food to help against stress. Ease up on caffeine, too.

MORE TIPS: 10. Spend time with people you love. 11.Foods that are high in carbohydrates stimulate the release of serotonin, feel-good brain chemicals that help induce calm. Crackers, pretzels, or a bagel should do the trick. 12.By now most of us know about the calming properties of chamomile tea. But a steaming cup of catnip, passionflower, skullcap or kava kava also works. 13.It forces you to breathe more deeply and improves circulation, says Dr. Cooper. Step outside if you can. 14.Call a friend, send an . When you share your concerns or feelings with another person, it does help relieve stress. But it’s important that the person whom you talk to is someone whom you trust and whom you feel can understand and validate you. 15.When stress makes you feel bad, do something that makes you feel good. Doing things you enjoy is a natural way to fight off stress. 16.You’ll feel better and less stressed if you just do one thing at a time. This will make it easier to focus and to do a job of higher quality right away.

MORE TIPS: 17. Work for 45 minutes and take a short break. This will help you relax and avoid stress build up during the day. 18. You don’t have to do everything yourself. You don’t have to control or micromanage. If possible delegate and let someone else get that task or project to done. 19. Commit yourself to being 15 minutes early to everything. 20. Examine your schedule and make sure each activity is buffered by several minutes before and after so you can spend that time traveling, resting, eating, and doing other things you need to do between appointments. 21. Release the stress, calm your mind and body down and reconnect with the present moment again by fully focusing on your breathing. 22. Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.

MORE TIPS: 23. Try progressive muscle relaxation or “deep muscle” relaxation. Progressively tense and relax each muscle group in your body. Learn the difference between muscle tension and relaxation. 24. Find a quiet space, close your eyes, focus your breathing, and transport yourself to your happy place for a few minutes each day. 25. Find a quiet space, close your eyes, focus your breathing, and transport yourself to your happy place for a few minutes each day.

APPENDIX: We can’t take all of the credit. In compiling this information, we referenced the following organizations and websites: psychcentral.com