You: Stress Less... Stress-Management Technique 7

AT WORK

70. ASK IF YOU'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE

• intrinsic motivators = doing something for love, genuine interest, and satisfaction
• external motivators = doing something because some outside influence such as salary motivates you
• intrinsic factors are more important and more stable
• self-reinforcing = our built-in desire to attribute causes to our actions
• a test to determine whether you lean more toward internal or external motivators (answer yes or no):
• when you're faced with a difficult problem, is your response "Bring it on, baby"?
• do you prefer to figure out challenges at work by yourself?
• even if you fail at a new project, are you happy that you had a new experience?
• do you feel ambivalent about whether you get recognized for your accomplishments? Does work feel more like recess than work?
• are you able to offer up new ideas and not care what others might think of you?
• more yes answers = the more it is likely that you're motivated by internal factors

71. OPTIMIZE YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT

• if you can make the office an empowering place, you can improve your health and decrease your stress
• Color = room with additional lighting and additional color, there's a 5.5% production improvement
• combination of green and red seems to be the most productive
• white, black, brown (so-called ugly colors) caused a drop in performance even on IQ tests by as much as 12 points in one study
• Light = green light and blue light increase activity slightly, but a yellow light increases activity by about 30%
• Artwork and greenery = keeping plants in the office gives us the feeling of living things, growing things
• plants are also healing, comforting and empowering
• artwork can be edgy in lobbies to set a tone of innovation but shouldn't be edgy in the workplace because you want  people to focus on the work, not on the artwork
• think natural and calming pieces
• Air quality = sick-building syndrome (manifests in such problems as respiratory ailments, allergies and asthma)
• office should have proper ventilation and clean air
• lavender fragrances seem to help relieve stress
• lemon reduces errors
• Temperature = optimal productivity performance is at 72 degrees Fahrenheit
• going too much colder is associated with making more mistakes at work
• Humor = one of the secrets of good office environment is having people who can laugh and have fun
• you should embrace, not scorn, the office clown

72. CONTROL YOUR WORK FLOW

• Map your day = organize your tasks and not leave your day to total chance
• Break often = take a walk for 10 minutes every few hours, have a bottle of water, clear your head. It's all part of energy management. The few minutes you spend away from your desk will make you more efficient when you get back.
• Enlist troops = you'll reduce stress (and save time) by asking for help when you need it
• don't be afraid to delegate or ask others to pitch in when you're overloaded (and offer to do the same for others when they're in tight spots)
• Repurpose your lists = keep a to-do list and an i-hate list
• when something bothers you in your job, write it down. Revisit the list in a week. If it's still bothering you, maybe it's time to aggressively pursue a solution (or another job).

• Stress: The big picture
• Healthy Lifestyle Basics
• Activity
• Relationships
• Manage Pain
• The Softer Side
• In the heat of the moment
• At work
• For the mind and soul

You Stress Management Plan