5 Minute Friday - Issue #9 - Kick Stress In The Rear
Welcome to the 9th issue of 5 Minute Friday from The Backpack CPA! Every Friday I share a short email with tips & resources to get you thinking about your
Professional & Personal Development!
Let's start "growing" through our professional journey instead of just "going" through it!
A few wise words from a wise person...
"No work is stressful. It is your inability to manage your body, mind & emotions that makes it stressful." ~ Sadhguru
💪 Professional & Personal Development
STRESS!!!
This dreaded six-letter word, stress, is something we all hate. I was talking to another accountant last week and we started talking about how we get so stressed around 3/15, 4/15, 9/15 & 10/15.
Over the past few months, I've been studying more about what causes stress and how we can either avoid it or better handle it. If we understand where it comes from/what causes it, then we learn to avoid those things!
Here's a summary of my ongoing research, but I thought 10/16 would be a great time to share some of it with you!
What is stress?
Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension. It can come from any
event
or
thought
that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous.
It's your
body's reaction
to a
challenge or demand
. In short bursts, stress can be
positive
, such as when it helps you avoid danger or meet a deadline. But when stress lasts for a long time, it may harm your health.
Possible causes of stress?
Money problems
Problems at work
Problems at home
Work deadlines
Unrealistic expectations by others
When we compare ourselves with others
Ways to deal with stress?
Breathing exercises, meditation, stretching
Regular exercising
Plenty of rest and sleep
Avoid alcohol, tobacco, drugs, etc (i.e. stuff not good for you).
In summary, if you take care of your body and inner systems, then you are better equipped to handle any stressors thrown at you! It might be hard in the beginning to do these things, but in the long run, it all pays off!
Sources:
📗💡 Learning/Tools
The Power of Your Breath
In keeping up with the theme of kicking stress in the rear, let's chat quickly about the ONE POWERFUL TOOL we all possess in our human toolbox. It's your BREATH! Your breathing sends signals to your brain on how to respond to external triggers; like if you're being chased down & you're panting, breathing fast, then your breath is sending signals to your brain to activate all the internal superheroes needed to fight off the external threat! Likewise, if you're in a cool calm relaxed state, then your breathing is more relaxed and sending your brain signals to just chill and tell the other systems in your body to take it easy!
Do this real quick, take your finger place it under your nose and feel how fast or slow your breath is right now & also see if it's cool or warm! (don't pick your nose).
So how can you use the power of your breath? Deep, long breathing helps you calm your system down and sends signals to your brain to relax and turn off stress-fighting superheroes. Make sense? Try it!
Quick summary on how to use deep breathing:
First, sit down comfortably & place both feet flat on the ground & place your feet roughly hip-width apart.
Let your breath flow as deep down into your belly as is comfortable, without forcing it.
Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Breathe in gently and regularly. Some people find it helpful to count steadily from 1 to 5. You may not be able to reach 5 at first.
Then let it flow out gently, counting from 1 to 5 again if you find this helpful.
Keep doing this for at least 5 minutes.
Note: In the beginning do it for a couple of minutes and build it up.
If you want to chat about anything feel free to send me a message or even book a time to chat https://calendly.com/vbcpa/thebackpackcpa!
Stay inspired & keep growing 🚀,
Vimal (or Vic)
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