4 Ways to Reduce Stress in the Workplace

Some stress is good for us; it keeps us on our toes, allows us to think outside the box and come up with new, innovative ideas on occasion. However, a recent survey on work-related stress, anxiety and depression (the Labour Force Survey 2016) found that the number of days lost in 2016 due to stress-related issues was 11.7 million days, equating to 45% of all working days lost to ill-health.

Let's look at four areas where there can be stress in the workplace.

- Stress and your work. Do you feel that you understand what is expected of you, that you've been trained well enough? Perhaps you feel that your work is mundane, that your boss doesn't pass on the interesting or challenging tasks, preferring to keep them for him or herself. Those employees who have no responsibility or autonomy can become increasingly stressed, bored or frustrated.

A lack of recognition and appreciation can also result in people feeling stressed. What can be done about it, are there ways to resolve this matter? You could suggest team meetings, social events or group training exercises, especially if you're part of a business that works part-time, varied shift patterns or random hours.

Could you speak to the human resources department? Does your company have a staff appraisal scheme to monitor and motivate staff? If so, you could use this as an opportunity to flag up your desire for more training or greater challenges and responsibility.

- Stress and your colleagues and co-workers. Many people make good friends at work, on the basis that they spend more time there than anywhere else. But sometimes bosses, colleagues and co-workers can be the source of much stress. Personalities and egos can run amok in a work environment, causing anger, frustration and sleepless nights.

Sometimes it's important to step back from our work relationships and assess what they really mean to us, how much of ourselves we're disclosing, compromising or perhaps selling ourselves short. It's interesting that when an ex-colleague returns to visit there's frequently little to discuss beyond the initial pleasantries; work relationships can be transient.

If your relationships at work are stressful try to deal with the underlying reasons. If someone's attitude is bullying or aggressive decide to keep a log of their behaviour, along with dates and times. This evidence can support any complaint you may choose to make in the future and help you to feel more in control.

If you find your co-workers to be an impenetrable clique that you can't or don't want to join, find positive ways to entertain yourself during breaks. Or perhaps you're stressed because you're regularly given the unpleasant, boring or thankless jobs. Find ways to address this by speaking up, becoming more assertive or finding an ally.

What about times when you feel isolated and alone in the workplace? An increasing number of people work by themselves, either from home or as consultants, perhaps frequently commuting away from home. It can be stressful and lonely at times. Finding a shared or co-working, hot-desking office to work from can add companionship and support.

- Stress and Sunday nights. 25% adults struggle with Sunday night insomnia, stressed about Monday's commute to work, finding a parking space or what to expect during the coming week. The workplace can become less stressful by introducing advance planning, perhaps taking thirty minutes on a Sunday afternoon to check emails, plan your diary and run through an overview of the forthcoming days. Then if new, unexpected items arise, you'll have a clearer idea of how and where to fit them into your schedule. And you should sleep better, too, on those Sunday nights.

- Stress and your work/life balance. It can be tough to focus on work if you've distractions at home or in your personal life. If you've got issues with your partner, children, close friends or elderly relatives it can be hard to concentrate on doing a good job, especially if you feel unsupported, unappreciated or that your work has little real value or relevance.

Communicate your concerns. Partners will usually understand if you discuss how you're feeling. Bosses at work may be sympathetic if you share that you're going through a difficult, short-term problem. Consider ways to manage the situation. Might it be valid to work part-time for a while, occasionally work from home or ask for more support?

Learning to be more assertive about your free and personal time may enable you to find ways to enjoy some stressfree fun and relaxation. Then you can share your time with the people who matter, doing what you enjoy.

In spite of everything it may be that you feel the best option is for you to change your job. Yes, some stress can be good for us; it tests us, pushes us to greater endeavours, but as a long-term way of life stress becomes harmful and damaging to our mental and physical health.

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Message From the Universe: More Obstacles in Your Life to Come - Get Ready!

"Ironically, had it not been for every disappointment, setback, and detour in the road of your life, you wouldn't have come so far.

Nice strategy.

Love, love -

The Universe"

If you want to experience success, you need to learn how to accept failure and suffering. Surprisingly enough, how these two different opposite scenarios work in synergy, that one can't happen without the other. You may want to live an easy life but if that is the case, do not expect much happening in your life. You need to sometimes shake things a bit, think outside the box, look into the distant future and see if by doing the things you are doing today, you remain happy. If the answer is yes, then by all means, keep doing it. If you feel there is something missing in your life, something substantial, something meaningful that you wish you could do to better yourself, then what are you waiting for? Go out there and get what you want. The Universe will never meet you full way, it will stretch its arm as much as possible but you will need to do some reach as well. Do not feel entitled that this is how things should happen. In some cases, you may need to go all the way to catch up with what the Universe has in store for you, and with proper determination and desire, you may change the course of time and altering your future. You need to, however, seek for that change or nothing will ever happen. Patience is needed as well so accept that fact. You can expedite the process by working harder than anybody else and focus on the goal but all will happen when the Universe is ready to make things happen. So why stress yourself right? The only reason why people abandon their goals and dreams is because they do not understand the mechanics of the Universe. It doesn't matter how hard you work or how much time and money you invested, things will happen in due time and by doing all the work you need to perform so all your dreams can come true will all depend on how you react to inevitable situation that may occur in your path to success.

Based on the consciousness and existentialism principle as you are ONLY one person, you think only for yourself and you live your life based on your personal development through acts of the will, you are responsible for everything that happens from the time you should be taking responsibilities for your own actions throughout your journey in life. There is no point to start pointing fingers to others as to why you haven't reached your goals or dreams as all of that depends on you ONLY. Man-up and learn to focus on making the changes you need to reach all of your goals and dreams. Everyone else did it, why can't you? I am not saying to compete with everyone else, as not everyone has the exact same dreams, but consider the fact that you are as capable as anyone else to do the things YOU want to do in life. Expect more disappointments, more setbacks, and detour in the road of life because without them, you wouldn't appreciate all your great accomplishments

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A Creative Dent Allows You to Think Outside the Box

            

To think outside the box, and see things differently, is a farce. You are told to comply, and by no means given a framework.

To begin with, creativity is a superpower, which allows the mind to tap into and explore, an unchartered land of emotion, hope, sacrifice, and wisdom.

Although, it is paramount to establish a mechanism to understand how your creative juices begin to flow. The most expedient form of the method is "self-exploration" or an online assessment test. The two sections of your cognitive brain include a logical and an emotional hemisphere. Further, self-analysis is a handy tool to increase your productivity, the end result makes it an incalculable asset. Consequently, this may ensue in an efficacious time management regime or a life changing experience.

The possibilities are limitless, you can be a videographer, artistic director, brand manager, graphic designer, a website designer, or an uninteresting person. The prime focus here is to force a holistic "Dent" on an object, create a unique picture in the mind, and discover the magic of solving complex problems.

Moreover, to create a framework, you will invest time, resources, and efforts into creating a pattern that works for you. For instance, if you are more productive in the morning, you may assign tasks which require a fresh perspective to finish.

Remember, "The steps are pivotal, and lead you to a solution." Creativity is just an extension to the momentous affairs in your routine.

Creativity is a non decrepit terminology, and if you define it in simple words "creativity is anything that differentiates you from others", it even has the potential to monetize your ideas.

The decision makers of today use critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving together, to find solutions that otherwise do not exist. It is the essence of all things, and success depends on your finest creative resolution. Creativity ranges anywhere from an intellectually stimulating article, to a blog post which depicts the raw emotions of a writer. To warn the audience, once hit from a creative enlightenment, and you can never return to your prior reflections and the way of doing things. The key word here is an underlying curiosity, a desire to discover things. To unleash your true potential, it is suggested to analyze the bent, formulate a framework, and start working on things that you love doing. Even if your outcome is not at 100%, you can tweak the process and the results. Finally, wasting a beautiful mind is a soft mental crime.

I leave you with an innocent question, "Would you like to deprive the world from the magic of a capable mind?"

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Mental Blocks, Do You Recognize These 10 Mental Blocks to Creative Thinking?

Creative thinking is necessary in many cases. Whether your trying to solve a tough problem, start a business, or write an article creative thinking is critical. People need to "think outside the box" when it comes to creative thinking. We are such creatures of habit. We don't like to think differently than others because we don't want to be thought of as strange or different. But it's those strange and different people that make a difference in this world.

Here is a list of 10 metal blocks that will keep you from being creative.

1. Trying to Find the "right" answer. One of the worst aspects of formal education is we have been taught to find the right answer. In real life there may be more than one right answer. Many of us form mental blocks when looking for the right answer when more than one answer is available.

2. Logical Thinking. Not only is there more than one right answer, life can be very illogical. If you are a logical thinker it is a mental block to your creativity. Think in metaphors and it will help you communicate the illogical things of life.

3. Following Rules. Rules are very important at times, but they can also be a destructive force and a mental block to creativity. People don't like to think outside the rules. Many celebrate the rebels of life but few are brave enough to emulate them.

4. Being Practical. I am a very practical person. I will not do something if it doesn't have a practical use. This is good sometimes but it can also be a mental block to creativity. Try to approach a problem with "what if" and go out and do the crazy thing instead of being so practical.

5. Play is not work. Allowing your mind to be at play is perhaps the most effective way to stimulate creative thinking. Most people, however, disassociate play from work. You've heard the expression "work hard and play hard." All you have to do as a creative thinker is realize they are the same thing.

6. That's not my job. We live in a very specialized world it is so easy for us to think, "that's not my job." When you are in business for yourself and getting those creative juices flowing everything is your job.

7. Being a "serious" person. I am a very serious person. Sometimes it is a mental block for me. I get too serious and I'm not able to think. If you have to take on the persona of a fool to be creative, then do it.

8. Avoid Ambiguity. We are all ambiguous to some degree. However, we want to divide complex situation into black and white boxes. This can lead to disaster. It's an innate characteristic of the human psychology to desire certainty, but it's the creative thinker who rejects the false comfort of clarity when it's not really appropriate.

9. Being wrong is bad. Because of the way we are taught in school, we hate being wrong. Thomas Edison was wrong 1,800 times before getting the light bulb right. The best thing we can do is learn from our mistakes. But we let being wrong become a mental block and we don't learn from the mistakes we make. Ask yourself, what can happen if I'm wrong? Not much. But great things can happen if you dare to be wrong and learn from your mistakes.

10. I'm not creative. You are denying that you are human if you deny that you are creative. We're all limitless creative, but only to the extent that we realize it. Stop telling yourself that you aren't creative. It's a lie.

Of you want to have success in your life you need to overcome the mental blocks that keep you from that success. Being a creative thinker is one sure way to success.

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Creative Thinking

Have you ever been faced with a problem and not been able to get out of it because there wasn't one of the usual exits you'd see. Many times in situations like these you need to think outside the box, you need to be creative. You may have exhausted one part of the problem and failed to come up with a solution, but if you flip the problem around you might just find a way out. It's only a matter of being creative.

People commonly associate creativity with art, craft, music, dance etc.; those disciplines which help you express yourself to others. That is an important aspect of creativity, but that is not all. Creativity is the ability to see things differently, try new perspectives to make them better than what they already are. A big part of this is to keep yourself entertained too.

What all this means is that you are not born creative or uncreative, it is something that can be learnt. There is as much possibility of making a painting average and boring as there is of making cleaning your house fun and creative.

Creativity is very difficult to cultivate for today's generation because the society has set such definite paths for achieving fame, power, success and money, that people who don't conform to those norms are called 'mad'. But if everyone were to behave the same way, we would be stuck in a rut and never develop. It is because people exist who want to think different and make their independent choices that we can succeed. Everyone has internships, good grades, good presentation skills; but if you are creative in your approach people will remember you and you could get ahead in life.

So if creativity is some quality that can be cultivated, how can one go about it?

It is important to get feedback but don't let it affect you too much. More often than not you might realise that there are people who don't understand your work but think it is okay to have a strong opinion about it. They may not necessarily have bad intentions but it is important for you to not let them get in your way. Your creative process will be especially difficult because not many people understand it. This only means you are different, not wrong.

You are your best critic. Others will point out the flaws in things you do but it won't be as useful as the flaws you find yourself. This is simply because that work is yours, you recognize your potential more that anyone, you know all the hard work you put into something so you will know how to push yourself better. You should definitely seek help from people but ultimately you should always ask yourself how you can improve your work.

If you are aiming for perfection, you will stop growing. Being perfect at something is like hitting an end point in your journey and then you are just stuck there because there is nowhere else to go. While it is very tempting to strive for perfection, it is not only stopping you from growth but it is also impossible to achieve. Perfection is a subjective concept so what you think is perfect maybe completely average for someone else.

You define your creativity, not the other way round. As people we are all multi-faceted. There are things we are good at and things we are not so good at. You must always remember that you will be creative sometimes but other times, especially when you're not feeling good and positive, it might be difficult; but this doesn't mean you are incapable of it.

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Successful People Think Outside The Box

Often times, most successful people rely on their so-called irrational thinking outside the box to follow a course and succeed, even if they are also gifted rational thinkers. They understand beyond reason that they cannot be boxed in if they want to accomplish their vision.

They consider this way of thinking an asset and a secret weapon. They go after their desires by following their intuition, this gut feeling that overrides any rational thought to hold later on the solution they need.

Without this kind of irrational thinking, our world wouldn't have many of the things we have today.

The space inside the box is limited and in fact very crowded. Many people are doing many of the same things over and over, thus not setting anyone apart. They are just another green marble in a box full of green marbles.

You got the point I am trying to make!

Successful people constantly think outside the box, whether it is in business affairs, marketing or with customers. It is crucial to set yourself apart from those who are thinking inside the box if you want to realize your goals.

The 'Think Outside the Box' Story 

Let me tell you a short story... One day, a person walks into a bank. He asks the loan officer to borrow the sum of $8000 because he is going to travel to an exotic destination for three weeks. The credit officer tells him the bank needs some collateral for the loan.

The person hands him a set of keys and title papers to his new Lamborghini which is in front of the bank. Clearly, a $350,000 Lamborghini is more than enough warranty for the loan, so the bank gives him the $8000 he needed. The person leaves with the loan and the creditor parks the sport's car into the underground parking garage of the bank.

In the course of the next few days, the bank employees are all making fun about this irrational person that provided $350,000 deposit for a miserable $8000 loan. After three weeks, the person comes back from his trip and reimburses his loan, adding in $42 for the interests.

The bank employee thanks the person for her business but then asks: "I am curious. While you were away, I looked and found out you are a multimillionaire. I do not understand why you even troubled yourself with borrowing $8000 when you have plenty of money."

The person then replies: "Where else can I park my Lamborghini for $2.00 a day and expect it to be there when I return?"

What Drives Us 

Each of us is an evolutionary success story and owes our existence to successful generations of ancestors that came before us. We have inherited their passions which led to their survival and success, and then to ours.

But these same passions push us at times, often blindly, through a permanent journey for the struggle for survival, the pursuit of recognition and the hunt for position. It also refers to the emotional ardors that drive us in our quests through life.

We commonly believe that thinking outside the box is a force opposed to reason and rationality. We consider it something that should be tamed or overcome but successful people know that when appropriately grasped, thinking in such a way is a limpid logic and has a precise purpose.

The kind of irrationality I am talking about is fueled by passion; a passion to make a difference, to create something wonderful and to succeed. Without the irrational thinking outside the box, reason would take over which would make the path to success almost impossible.

The Right Balance 

That is why it's critical for successful people, like entrepreneurs or businessmen, to work on something that they love doing and think outside the box. It fuels their drive and keeps them going despite setbacks they are bound to encounter.

A rational person will give up when they believe it's impossible, think they can't go any further, do any more or it is too hard. On the other hand, successful people won't give up no matter the cost, and for most it is such an irrational way of thinking, but not for them.

"I'm not afraid to die on a treadmill. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, but if we get on the treadmill together, there are two things: You are getting off first, or I'm going to die. It's really that simple." - Will Smith

Successful people know how to take breaks and regroup to keep their drive up. You won't see them looking at their phone checking email when they're on vacation or out with friends or spending time with their families. They have learned to let go.

If you observe people in social gatherings, you may have probably noticed that the smartest and most successful person in the room is often doing more listening than talking. It's not that they have nothing to say, but they know they can learn more by listening.

This trait is part of my character since childhood.

The Main Ingredients 

Most successful people have acquired a lot of wisdom on their journey and many of them love to think outside the box. They know that if they want to keep growing, they need to think differently.

They take big pride in this way of thinking and know it is vital for achieving their goals. It is what drives them to do more and be better. It takes a well-grounded person to have such a right balance.

They are committed, irrational or not. They see success as the only option. All of the successful people around us succeeded because of their outside the box thinking, sickening determination and pure passion.

Ability does play a part but ultimately, the main ingredients are 'outside the box' thoughts, irrational passion and persistence.

In conclusion, to think outside the box is some of the irrationality successful people have to maximize their chances of long-term and ongoing success. So whatever we do, let's try to think differently than others. And go after something that we'll enjoy doing every waking hour of every day if we ever need to.

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Message From the Universe: Listen to Your Heart at Times

"Lots of things don't make sense at first when only the physical senses are used.

What does your heart say?

Boom, 

The Universe"

There is more to the world than what the eyes can see. It is important to think outside the box when it comes to living your life. You can't be following what the crowd does, you need to be different, unique and always look to make a difference to the world. I know it can be difficult as there is so much hate, racism, terrorism, bigotry and everything else that goes with it. So how can you be different among all of this? That can be a difficult to answer this question. Your mind will say: "If everyone is treating people like this, who am I to make that change? What can I do to stop of all of this hatred?". So if everyone thinks the same, which they do, this is one of the reason why we are not saying any changes happening in our world today. It is and will get worst and worst, day after day, week after week. How to get away from this Black hole of hatred? Start thinking with your heart and look into what you think it's right to do. By helping one person at a time, you are really helping humanity. It might not be anything drastic, but it is something.

In relationships, we always deal with the matter of the heart. Love is based on emotion towards your significant other and the feelings for that person cannot be described as you are ready to do anything and everything for that person. Sometimes, thinking with the heart ONLY can also bring you in trouble. There should always be a balance when it comes to thinking with the heart and mind. Like anything in life, using both is better than using only one. When you look at people getting married and then going through a nasty divorce shortly after, you wonder how love can become hate combined with debilitating anger towards that person that you used to love and admire. It can be tough to describe the process in which people go through these changes to eventually decipher the reasons as to why someone's heart can be filled with so much love for a person and so much hate for that same person. Human nature is difficult to understand and even more complicated to change. Always learn to work with human nature and never against it. It is a battle you will always lose.

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Ask The Question "Why Not"?

Adventure: 10 Ways to Adventure Daily

Daily Adventure Tips:

1. Ditch Technology.

I know you don't like this one but the truth is you can't be in the moment, enjoying your life, if you're checking your cell phone every 5 seconds to see who 'liked' your post. Let it go. Not only will you feel more relaxed, you'll actually listen and be available to anyone you talk to and you might even want to adventure outdoors for a walk or hike. Don't get crazy now!

2. Talk to Strangers.

Yeah, I know your parents said not to but grow up already. The more people you talk to today, the happier you'll be. Why? Because connecting with others releases happy chemicals that make you feel better. Also, you might have a little laugh, learn something new, or even make a friend that takes you on all kinds of adventures. You never know.

3. Take a New Route to Work.

Don't you ever get tired of the same old drive? Try a new route to work and see what else is around you. You might see a new restaurant you'd like to try, a park you think would be an awesome lunch get-a-way, or even discover that you've been taking the longest route to work for 10 years.

4. Take Your Lunch.

Stop sitting at your desk, gobbling your food down during your lunch break. Get out of that office! Put the work aside and take a breather. In fact, lunch breaks are a great time to meet up with friends, do a little window shopping, or take a walk somewhere new. (Notice the theme of 'new' here? That's what adventure's all about).

5. Start Saying Yes.

At the risk of sounding like a Tony Robbins fanatic, (I do love the guy), start saying YES more often. Maybe you 'think' you don't want to go to that friend's party, meet up for breakfast, or get to know your in-laws, but instead of turning everything down, be more open. You never know what good can come out of saying yes.

6. Get Outside.

This seems obvious but too many people reject the great outdoors. It doesn't have to be anything scary like trekking through bear-laden trails by yourself. (Though, that can be fun). Just walk outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. Take a little walk through the trees, sit on a peer by the water. If you really like to adventure, play woods paintball, go ice climbing, mountain biking, or surf the highest waves you can find! Okay... back to weekday adventure.

7. Dare to Be Silly.

It's okay to stand up on the shopping cart and ride it to your car. No one will arrest you. Dress up for Halloween, sing karaoke, turn up the music and dance with friends. You don't have to be business all the time. You can actually have a little fun, you know.

8. Plan Your Next Adventure

While this doesn't sound too adventurous, you can actually feel amazing looking forward to an adventure.Take the time to think about what you really want to do besides lying on a beach drinking a margarita. If you want to have more adventure, you'll need to create the environment for it. Google, "adventures."

9. Read.

Again, kind of odd, but reading adventure books, stories, and blogs can give you an idea of what you want to do. If you're only going to work, cooking dinner, and then watching Law & Order before bed, you likely won't be inspired to think outside the box to get adventurous.

10. Do Something Alone.

How often do you find yourself doing whatever someone else wants to do? When you take a little time for yourself, you can veer off in whatever direction you like. There are no set plans, no rules, and no one to argue over what to do next. It's great if you have someone that loves to adventure with you but if not, don't let that keep YOU from adding adventure into your own daily life.

So, now that you've seen some simple ways to add a little adventure into your day, what will you do now? How will you wake up tomorrow morning full of enthusiasm and passion about what the day might hold?

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