Top Ten Ways to Bust Stress in Ten Minutes or Less

As a 'recovering workaholic', I am constantly on the lookout for ways to lessen stress in my work and home life. Here are the top ten ways I've developed so far - including a bunch that work in 10 minutes or less.

1.) Take a walk - around the building, to the coffee / break room, around the block, as long as you're moving for at least 5-10 minutes, you'll feel better afterwards.

2.) Stretch / shrug / roll your shoulders.

Humped over the computer, it's easy to get stiff and sore. One sure way to test your stress level is by the height of your shoulders - the closer your shoulders are to your ears, the more stress you're experiencing. Shrugging, rolling your shoulders back in circles, and grabbing door frames above your head and continuing to walk forward a few steps - all relax your shoulders and stretch your muscles. (Hint: If you're embarrassed to do this sitting at your desk, go to the rest room and do the exercises behind closed doors.)

3.) Deep breathing - anytime it feels like the "OMG - what if???" heebie-geebies are taking over is a good time to take a deep breath and HOLD it for a count of three. Then let your breath out slowly, and repeat. It's amazing how just concentrating on your breathing for a few seconds will clear your mind and ease your stress.

4.) Do a "Hard Times" with yourself or a friend. This trick is taught by Barbara Sher, author of seven best-selling books and famous career counselor and speaker. Take your worse fear and magnify it: "I'm going to stand in front of the audience in this stupid flowered dress and look fat."

Then kick it up a notch: "Yes, in the entire history of men, no one will have ever looked as fat as you will in that awful dress. Don't worry about the audience looking at you, because when they hear it's you speaking, they will all turn around and go home."

The sillier or more exaggerated you can make it, the better. Pretty soon you'll be laughing at yourself and all will be well. (Thank you, Barbara. You are a genius!)

5.) A small piece of Dove chocolate, slowly melted in your mouth and savored does wonders on several levels. Enough said. Limit it to one piece - only once in a great while.

6.) Take 'time out' while you look like you're still working. Read the news, look at Amazon.com for five minutes, do a Google search or three, write an email to your significant other (but be aware if you're at work that it may be seen by the systems administrator), do some mindless fling -- anything that allows you to take a 'mental vacation'.

7.) If you have enough privacy, pull out your stash of favorite photos or images to recharge your mind / refresh your soul. I love pottery, and rarely have time to do it, but I have a world-class collection of images of pottery that I've collected and put on my laptop. Just looking at them for 5 minutes reminds me that there is beauty in the world.

8.) Give yourself fresh flowers. Silly, but true. Anything that is still alive and beautiful can cheer you up, and make you feel special - even if it isn't your birthday!

9.) Go out to lunch. Whether you work at home or at an office, get up and physically leave. Go someplace else. Be waited on. Gulping down a sandwich while you continue to type isn't helping your health at all. Take a break.

10.) Take a mental health day. When my kids were still in school, I allowed them one mental health day a semester, when they could say they were sick. Food poisoning is good - you're too sick to come to work, but you'll be fine tomorrow. Go to a park, feed the ducks, or organize that closet that's driving you crazy. Make a nice homemade meal, if that relaxes you, or treat yourself to a fabulous restaurant meal out. Maybe delivery would feel wicked. Go to a bookstore and read all their magazines for free while you drink coffee.

It's your day - do whatever fills your soul with happiness.

Then you'll be ready to get back to work.

And your body will thank you for the lack of stress for one more day.