More Answers... (5/4/25 Newsletter): Stress at Work -- Exhaling, Throat-Stretching, Laughing...
The "More Answers..." Newsletter
Hi Everyone,
Each Sunday-- around the time some might feel the "Sunday Blues"creeping up-- those on my mailing list will receive a friendly boost from me offering ways to setup your workweek, reframe a common challenge or workplace issue, andbrowse a few new resources that will not only entertain you, but refresh you, restore you, relate to you... and maybe offer something you can use when you encounter a stressor or strain in the workplace.
You're on my show's website-- and THANK YOU for reading the newsletter here. Remember to sign up for the newsletter for bonus material, though!! (https://www.askchrista.com/newsletter/)
We're in this together!
Keep your questions coming, and feel free to offer feedback and requests for topics of interest! I'm a business strategist by trade, and an utter, deeply apologetic business geek who places the highest value on people, so I'm eager to LIFT YOU UP, support you, and be with you throughout your workdays.
And remember, if you have a business challenge or workplace issue-- Ask Christa!
BOOSTERS FOR YOUR WEEK!!!
Question: Stress management at work feels STRESSFUL!!! Can I get a few quick, simple ways I can instantly reduce my stress?
1. Take one meaningful breath a day this week. Let's do it RIGHT NOW. I mean it. If you're reading this, I want you to take one BIG. SLOW. BREATH.then HOLD FOR ONE TWO THREE FOUR, now BLOW IT OUT FAST! We all breathe, but we rarely think to use it as a tool, and WOW, is it a tool. (and not in the 80s vernacular kind of way...). Did you know there's science behind how breathwork works? It's no surprise, then, that your body instantly felt looser, calmer, more still when you forcefully blew out that breath.
Booster 1 for this week is to commit to one meaningful breath everyday this week. Just one. And check out the science:
News-Medical. (2025, April 28). The science behind breathwork and stress reduction. https://www.news-medical.net/health/The-Science-Behind-Breathwork-and-Stress-Reduction.aspx
2. Stretch Your Throat. (what????) Yeah, you read me right. Stretch. Your.Throat. We carry a lot of stress in our throats, and I'm getting A LOT of questions that are related to STRESSFUL workplace issues. Yikes. But it's another good habit to get into to give you a quick boost during your day (refrain if you have any neck issues): sit up straight or stand up straight,drop your head comfortably back, then stretch your head back just a bitmore and breathe deeply. If you start to cough it's likely from tightness... or allergies (d'oh!). Your neck and throat may feel a bit weird afterward, but yeah, stretching something that rarely gets stretched can feel a bit weird at first. This isn't about neck Olympics, so go at your pace and do not over stretch-- and again, refrain if you have neck issues.
Booster 2 is to stretch your throat(!) to reduce anxiety in the moment, OR-- feeling a bit off? maybe a little moody? It can help you re-regulate during those moments, too:
Johnson, J. (2024, January 22). How to relax the throat muscles during anxiety. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-to-relax-throat-muscles-anxiety
3. Laugh. I know, I know-- who has time for that, right? But... laugh, and it's a bonus if it's with friends or co-workers. Watch a show that makes you laugh together. Search for the Friends "PI-VOT!" clip and watch that during a break at work. Watch a funny animal clips or shorts-- whatever it is that makes you laugh, promise to LAUGH every day. Don't just take my word forit:
Stress relief from laughter? It’s no joke. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-manageme...
Booster 3 is to get the giggles or give a good belly laugh: 3x points if it's with a friend, 10x points if it's in a meeting, and 100x points if it's where you probably shouldn't be laughing...
See you next week!!!
With kindness,
Christa
(Helpful? Interesting? Please forward and ask others to subscribe! https://www.askchrista.com/newsletter/)