Nuts & Volts - January 2006

compensate for stress. You'll find dozens of books ranging from aerobics to Zen. All of them work for somebody. None of them work for everybody. Remember that stress is intensely personal. Additionally, certain compensation methods work better for certain types of stress. You will have to find what is best for you. The only way to find out is to try them and see what happens.

Anger and frustration are often purged with physical activity of some sort. One method that I have found very useful (and others who have tried it agree) is to hit golf balls. It's quick, easy, fairly inexpensive, and effective. Simply imagine the ball as being the stressor and hit it as hard as you can. After 50 or 100 whacks at the driving range, you will find most of the anger and frustration has dissipated. Pounding the living daylights out of something is very good at relieving anger and frustration.

You can try hitting baseballs in a batting cage. But that takes more skill

and concentration. You might also try racquetball or tennis. These are somewhat less effective and more complicated because you have to find a partner/opponent and locate a place to play. There are many other related ideas. Splitting firewood for example. But be very careful with the maul! Anger and frustration can make you careless.

One very effective technique is "totem-destruction." A friend had a boss who was, by all standard measures, not rational. Working for him was like doing a polka in a hammock — impossible and painful. However, a few years earlier he had given everyone in the department a large ceramic animal. We took this ceramic monstrosity and made a totem out of it. Adorned with rubber cement, spray paint, gobs of cat hair, and lighter fluid it was first set on fire (safely). Then the sledgehammer was employed. First into large pieces and then into smaller ones. The baseball bat whacked the

remains into a vacant field. The whole procedure took about two hours and was very cathartic. Later, at work, when the boss asked where the animal was, my friend just smiled and said, "It's found its proper place here and there around the house." (A new job eliminated that stressor for good.)

If you are stressed from overwork, a nap at lunch can be very helpful. Ideally, the nap should be away from the workplace, if practical. A quick bag-lunch and a 30 minute nap in your car can be effective. Car seats are much more comfortable that your desk chair and you aren't likely to be interrupted. Naturally, be careful where you nap. If you live close to where you work, a nap at home is very restful.

Exercise, as noted before, is extremely useful in reducing general stress. Jogging to lunch, instead of driving, works. Any exercise or energetic sport is beneficial. Lunchtime is good because it's always available

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