Practice Management Solutions March/April 2012 : Page 7
OPERATIONS doing something like reading or watching TV. For others it is socializing. Diff erent things are stress relieving for diff erent people. Know what works for you, and be sure to work them into each day. or “Every day in every way I am getting better and better,” or even a little song you enjoy that brightens your mood. The key is to stop the fl ow of negative ideas and replace them with something more positive. Have a positive trigger available. Do you carry a picture of your kids? Do you have a pet you love? Is there a tranquil place you like to go? Do you have a favorite color? Make these positive triggers available somehow. I have a picture on my phone I look at whenever I need a boost. Some people leave pictures on their desk or in their drawer, or maybe you have a mental picture you can conjure. FPA WEBINAR Taking Care of Yourself in Stressful Times . . . . . . In this archived webinar ($19 for FPA members; $49 for nonmem-bers) Marie Swift leads guests Roger Wellington, Sheryl Garrett, Barbara Culver and Ed Jacobson through a discussion of how plan-ners must take care of their own health and well-being before help-ing those around them. 4. Know Your Limits Be careful about what you watch and read that is upsetting. The fi nancial world is fi lled, perhaps overly so, with a constant stream of information. We know clients can suff er from knowing too much, but so can advisers. Under-stand what you need to know to do your job well and to serve your clients or your employees, but don’t subject yourself to more than you can handle. Know your limits. There is a lot within your control, but much of it is out of your control. Limit exposure to the “can’t control” concerns whenever possible. (www.FPAnet.org/Professionals/VLC) PODCAST 5. Learn Calming Techniques Learn in-the-moment calming tech-niques. Whether you are sitting with a diffi cult client, watching the stock market fall or negotiating with an upset employee, you can make choices to de-stress. Here are a few examples: Breathe in a healthy manner. Imagine there is a blue balloon in your stomach. Take a deep breath in through your nose and see that balloon fi lling with air. Now release the breath through your mouth, imagining the balloon defl ates while you do so. Breathe in and out like this for a few moments. The process sends a message to your body to be calm. Employ the “stop!” technique. This involves recognizing you are becoming stressed by something (your trigger) and imagining in that moment that there is a big red “stop!” sign in your mind. Say “stop!” to yourself (or aloud if alone). The act of telling your mind to stop can interrupt the stressful thoughts. It’s most eff ective if you then follow up with a mantra, such as “I am calm. I am confi dent. I am in control.” www.FPAnet.org/PracticeManagement “ 4 Tips for Relieving Stress Today In this audio clip, The Collaborative’s Michael Slemmer off ers tips you can implement right now for relieving stress. Put what you are doing in perspective. It’s diffi cult to share negative news with clients and to watch portfolios disappear, but worrying about it or letting it consume you doesn’t change it. www.FPAnet.org/member/downloads/stress.mp3 ” 6. Get Physical Find some sort of physical activity you can do at your desk or in your offi ce. Shoulder lifts, head rolls, a body shake, stretching, etc., are all very good ways to work out kinks caused by stress. Get outside or take a walk through your offi ce or building; it is often helpful just to break the focus on your work. time, we know that trouble comes and so do good times, but in the end they all pass and are replaced with the next phase—good or diffi cult. Remember each morning to put what you are doing in perspective. It is diffi cult to share negative news with clients and to watch portfolios disappear, but worrying about it or letting it consume you doesn’t change it. Life ebbs and fl ows and so do the markets and the economic times. Yes, things are hard, but it all will pass. Having a plan to deal with it can make the diff erence between getting through it comfortably or having the stress consume you. Beverly D. Flaxington is principal of The Collabora-7. Keep Perspective Make “This too shall pass” your personal mantra. For those of us who have been in the investment industry for a long tive, which, along with its division, Advisors Trusted Advisor (www.advisorstrustedadvisor.com), is a consulting, coaching and training fi rm exclusively serving the fi nancial industry. March/April 2012 | Practice Management Solutions 7
Publication List
Using a screen reader? Click Here