Isn’t it strange how stress affects us in business?
Recently I have been working to get some balance between renovating and the day to day running of our design studio. Both important tasks for me to focus on but getting the balance is not quite as easy as it sounds.
I have known for years how stress effects me, and indeed many others, you suddenly find yourself, not eating or sleeping and it is amazing how quickly I seem to fall back into my old habits!
Today I stopped long enough to think about my actions and the consequences of those actions and I have realised the only thing that has really changed from my time of feeling in control to now, has been my exercise regime. Isn’t it funny when we get busy our best intentions of personal exercise seem to go out the window!
I can really admit to the fact that as I stopped exercising the more anxious and stressed I started to feel. Finally after 8 years of running RED-i Design, I have come to the conclusion that regular exercise is vital to your mental and emotional well-being especially when in a high stress position.
I did some research into my theory to see if it was true and sure enough I found that ‘the therapeutic benefits of regular physical activity is without rival’. We all know that exercise is important for the body and below are some reasons why it’s vital for our stress levels and emotional state of mind:
Exercise works as a detoxification for stress related compounds, it is a positive outlet for anger and hostility, it provides enhanced feelings of self esteem and self efficacy, it provides opportunities for social support and it improves sleep and rest.
Someone once said that if exercise was a pill, it would be the most powerful medication known to humans.
I know I will be keeping exercise on the top of my priorities from now on! First stop – boxing on thursday mornings. A good friend has told me that pain is just weakness leaving the body and it has taken me until today to realise that is so true! Keep up the exercise, you need it more than you think if you are in a potentially stressful work environment.
The information above was found on Exercise as a Stress Management Modality (http://www.imt.net/~randolfi/ExerciseStress.html)
Yours in Design,
Belinda
