Regroup. Recharge. Renew.

By Lissa Wohltmann

Regroup. Recharge. Renew. These are words that can help you make it through weeks of never-ending conflicts. Imagine living as if you were continuously running endless numbers of back-to-back marathons. NG—this is Not Good. You will be entering Stress City Central. The only time you’ll really avoid stress is when you leave this planet -- and I’m not talking about becoming an astronaut and zooming off to other planets. Consider the following few ideas that might work in the short run.

• Sweep everything off your desk and start over, but then you may have to get another job which could add to your stress level – no money tends to do that to some people.

• Emit a primal scream in your cubicle or office, but then again the result might be the same (see above).

• Voodoo. This helps only if you know the magic words and the magic placement of those pugnacious voodoo pins. Chanting helps, yet if you don’t chant the right verse, you may just put a spell on your office plant.

• Fantasize about another job, another life, or whatever puts a smile on your face. We won’t go into that – this is a family blog, after all.

If none of the aforementioned appeals to you, then perhaps a proven tactic for long-term effectiveness will work. Rituals and routines. Studies are clear that those who work out in the morning, for example, are much more apt to maintain their regiment. These people have created a routine. It’s like brushing your teeth. That ritual is performed every day without thought.

If you establish a run/walk ritual you won’t need to think about it. You’ll just get up in the morning, don your workout clothes and start moving. Before you actually wake up, you’re half-way through your routine. By that time, you may as well finish it because if you run/walk outside, you’re a couple of miles away and you’ve got to get home.

The question of the day is: what are you going to do tomorrow morning at 4:30? Hint, the answer is NOT sleep. You can always respond below by posting a comment either with your real name or anonymously. Would love to hear from you.