Too Busy for Your Own Good (23 page)

I know, I know, “If it's going to be done right, I need to do it myself.” In some instances, though, this attitude can be
really unhealthy. When you have a big project, it's better to decide what only you can do and where your strengths will be best put to use, and then assign the other tasks to somebody else. You
can't
treat every aspect of every project as a high priority that only you can take on—you end up doing a mediocre job that way. If the project suffers because you did everything on your own and rushed it out, you might also stress over how you could have done better—if you only had the time. That is exactly what delegating does: it saves you time so you can get the job done right. As an added bonus, delegating shows that you have faith in your coworkers, which leads to higher morale around the office and a less stressful atmosphere all around.

Use your common sense and simple solutions by trusting your gut instincts more. Be wary of fancy solutions when a simple, from-the-gut strategy will do. Lee Iacocca turned around an ailing Chrysler Corporation by tapping into his own experience with what worked and listening to his gut when making decisions. You haven't made it this far in life by weighing and pondering each and every decision. Try making more quick decisions based on the information you have at the time. You won't always be right, but you'll save yourself the stress of worrying over every detail. You might be surprised how often you
do
get it right when you learn to trust your instincts.

When I was in college, we marched and protested just about everything and anything; giving equal weight to the large and small causes. An end to war and a demand
for colder milk in the cafeteria were both argued for with intensity because, being young and idealistic, everything was a battle.

After you've been in the work world, though, you realize that fighting for everything you believe in takes more energy and time than it's worth. Sometimes being right just isn't worth the stress it takes to get there. Choose your battles wisely and don't waste your time and energy on things that are out of your control. The next time you are in a situation the outcome of which you want to influence, ask yourself the following questions:

What camp is this going to put me into? (complainers, etc.)

Will this serve me well?

Is it possible?

What are realistic chances of success?

Get started on that project or task as soon as possible. The sooner you start, the more time you will have to let your brilliance percolate. You'll also see potential roadblocks in time to do something about them. If it's a report, do a brain dump (BD)—a first draft—and put it away in a file. (Be sure to save it and back up.) When you read the BD later, your creativity will naturally take over. When you aren't burdened with the immediacy of being up against a deadline, you tend to come up with ideas and examples that remain elusive during a caffeine-induced all-nighter. Procrastination only creates more stress, whereas the multistep process lowers your stress and actually makes the end product better. (Believe me, you wouldn't want to read my BD on this chapter!)

All of the advice in this chapter can help you avoid a lot of unnecessary stress in your life. Some degree of stress is inevitable, though—especially at the office. And that, my friends, is why you need to learn how to perform “silly desk yoga,” the latest way to soothe jangled nerves and loosen up stressed muscles. These simple yoga stretches, exercises, and tips offer you an opportunity to make your working hours more productive, your body healthier, and your mind revitalized.

You can use silly desk yoga whenever you're by your-self—at your desk during a conference call, teleseminar, or webinar, or when you're trapped in a traffic jam. A lot of times throughout the day, there is little else you can do but sit there, so why not use the time to refresh yourself?

A very important part of my transformation into a recovered control freak involved learning how to relax with simple yoga techniques. I've put together this collection of exercises and tips so you too can learn how to get instant relaxation. You don't have to buy into a complete make-over of your psyche or commit to hours at the gym or yoga studio. All you need is the desire to loosen the tightness in your neck, back, and shoulders or to avoid having to bite your tongue at a meeting or in a traffic jam.

These movements come from many diverse relaxation and exercise experiences—stretching, Pilates, yoga, and therapeutic horseback riding. They weren't designed for you to look cool or like an exercise expert. In fact, some of the movements are downright goofy looking, but
they work
!
Yes, you'll feel strange while making funny faces at your desk, but
they work
! Your coworkers might whisper that you're getting weird(er), but you
will
be less stressed.

Warning
: Don't do any exercises that cause you pain. If you are currently under medical care, check with your health-care provider before doing these movements.

It is important that you do the “Head Check” before you begin your silly desk yoga movements. It provides you with an opportunity to experience the difference in your body, and this will support your muscle memory. The more you use the Head Check, the more aware you'll be of how well the movements are working for you. All these exercises and movements are best when done in the following order shown. They should be done slowly and smoothly—don't rush, jerk, or sweat it. Begin by sitting balanced with your back in a relaxed-but-straight position, both your feet flat on the floor.

The Head Check for your current range of motion of your head, neck, and shoulders follows:

1
. Sit straight in a chair with your hands on your thighs and both feet flat on the floor.

2
. Keeping your head level, turn it
slowly
and
smoothly
in one direction. Keep your chin parallel to the ground and avoid rotating your head diagonally backwards. Turn only as far as you can comfortably without force or strain.

3
. Notice how far behind your shoulder you can see. Mark the farthest place you can spot on the wall. These markers will be referred to as your “spots.”

4
. Return your head slowly to the starting point and repeat to the other side. (One side is usually “tighter” than the other.)

5
. Hold three fingers (index, middle, ring) like the “Scout salute” and insert them gently into your mouth (wash hands first, please).

6
. Note the tightness in your jaw and the ease—or lack thereof—of inserting your finger.

Remember your spots on the wall and the amount of tightness in your jaw. Your initial Head Check will be used as a reference point for later comparison.

Stress tends to manifest physically in certain areas of your body. For many people, the head and jaw are the main locations in which stress reveals itself. The slightest change in the comfort of your head and jaw will affect the rest of your body.

Jaw movements
. Move your jaw
slowly
side to side eight to ten times and then jut your lower jaw forward and backward
slowly
eight to ten times. Be careful if you have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems. Do not grind your teeth; leave your jaw loose.

Tongue movements
. Stick your tongue
out
and
down
to the right, move it to the left, and back again; repeat eight to ten times. Stick your tongue
out
and
up
to the right, then move it to the left and back again; repeat eight to ten times.