Stress-Free Life

Makati City, Philippines -- As I looked back on the journey I had last 2010; it always put a smile on my face. The first quarter of 2010 sailed smoothly not until last October 2010 when I've decided to trransfer to a new company. I am working in a BPO as an HRIS Sr. Specialist by the way. My work usually does reporting. Basically we send out and generate reports for different department in the company whether its for local or overseas. A lot of my friends asked me why the last quarter of the year? Well, God showed me the way for that. It's a decision that didn't go overnight. It's God's will should I say.

Anyways, when I started in the new company, I already expected that a huge stress will come along the way (parang Plants vs. Zombies lang! A huge wave of zombies is approaching). As I've expected it, it arrived. On my first month at work, my team mate (we're only two in the team, aside from our Sr. Manager who is our Superior) need to take her Maternity leave since she is due that month. It means that, I will take over and will handle 12 sites across the Philippines with employees reaching to 25,000 and counting. Imagine the stress and pressure that you carry with that big headcount. I am not complaining about it since I am a player in terms of doing the job I like. But sometime, when stress is too much, you would want to just give up and take a rest instead.

I strongly believed that stress is a contributing factor for a successful job if you know how to handle it properly. With stress it will bring out the best in you but you should know how to identify good stress from bad stress. Good stress will motivate you to work hard. So what will you do when bad stress strikes?

My teacher in college explained about stress management in class, raised a glass of water and asked,

"How heavy is this glass of water?"

Answered called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

My teacher said, the absolute weight doesn't matter, it actually depends on how long you try to hold it.

"If I hold it for a minute, thats not a problem."

"If I will hold it for an hour, I will have ache in my arm."

If I hold it for a day, please call 911."

In each case, the weight is actually just the same. But the longer you hold it, the heavier it becomes.

Just the same with stress; the longer we hold it the heavier the burden until it reach to our boiling point that we can no longer carry it and then we exlode. Just like the glass of water, sometimes we need to hold it down and take a rest for a while. When we have enough energy and when were refreshed we hold it up again, then raise it with pride.

With proper handling of stress, we will surely have a stress-free life and we can properly work when our hearts are not heavy. Ive learned how to balance my life in terms of dealing with stress or burden. Here's some of them:

1. Accept that some days rain pours, but believe that tomorrow comes the sun.
2. Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
3. Since its the early worm always eaten by the bird, sleep late.
4. Every time you wake up in the morning or afternoon (in case you woke up late because you sleep late), always say a prayer.
5. Look in the mirror and check if everything is in order.
6. A truly happy person is the one who always enjoys life even in the midst or darkness.
7. Thanks God for every circumstances. It only means greater things is coming.
8. Always give a smile to anyone in the office.
9. Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, Because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
10. We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.

Have a stress-free life friend!