As I write this, I am looking out my office window at the gray sky. What would normally feel like a gloomy day is, instead, full of hope! I am a California girl and gray means the possibility of rain—refreshing, life-giving rain. The promise of Spring is growth and rain comes with the territory. This caused me to remember a meeting I had with several nonprofit executives last month. Noting that we were approaching the end of the first quarter of the year, we were reflecting on the passage of the “new” from the New Year. As we sat in the round over a lunch of sandwiches and sodas, we shared our own strategies for re”new”al. “What do you do to de-stress and refresh?” I asked them. They came up with 10 great practices. Try these out:
- Leave your work space – go somewhere else.
- Be in nature.
- Do something athletic or dance!
- Disconnect from all your technology.
- Download worries to a member of your support system.
- Laugh—watch funny movies.
- Sleep on it – you will have a different perspective in the morning.
- Make lists – get it out of your head.
- Delegate – get help with your email and snail mail.
- Spend 15 minutes doing something you love.
Board members – these will work for you too! So – nonprofit leaders – what do YOU do? Please share so we can all benefit from your ideas and experience!
When the stress gets in the way, I jump in one of our classic cars, always a convertible, and take a 30 min drive on one of our back roads of the Morgan Hill wine country! Wind in the hair, warm sun on your face, it works wonders.
Sounds great to me!
I love to get in a couple games of volleyball. I am learning how to play and when I am playing, all i can think of is VB. It helps me stay in the moment and not think about other things.
Thanks for your comment! This is a great example of how physical exercise really works for stress and other things too!
I love these ideas. I pull out a sheet of paper and spend some time writing what I am grateful for. This shifts my energy from stress to gratitude. Very effective.
You are so right Amari! Gratitude as a daily practice really enriches us!