(Los Angeles) Stress on the job is bad – and experts say it is getting worse. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that workplace stress costs American businesses up to $300 billion a year. The Huffington Post recently referred to workplace stress as “The Health Epidemic of the 21st Century.”
At the center of this epidemic is Kim O’Neill, a certified personal empowerment coach who helps people achieve peace of mind at work. Coming from a background in public safety and working as a crime analyst for a busy police department in California, O’Neill knows what it feels like to consume a daily barrage of negative information.
After successfully conquering her own workplace stresses, O’Neill began teaching her clients how to go beyond the thoughts in their head and feel their way to a positive resolution of stress through a process she calls “Emotional Alignment.” She teaches her clients to get in tune with what their body is telling them and to pay attention to their emotions. “When your heart and mind are not in sync it leads to overthinking, overanalyzing, stress, anxiety and ultimate chaos – even if it is only in your mind,” O’Neill says.
Based on her experience and training, O’Neill offers five practical tips to anyone who wants to reduce stress and create emotional alignment during their work day.
1. Take breaks. This releases the momentum of tension build-up. “It’s all about being in the flow,” O’Neill says. “The more often we allow our mind to relax, the easier it’ll be to find solutions to complex problems.”
2. Accept coworkers for who they are. “They might annoy you or upset you at times, but try to find common ground with them,” O’Neill advises. “Not accepting others is a sign of not accepting something about yourself. It is easier for you to stay in your own alignment when you accept others, because it means you’re also accepting yourself.”
3. Practice thinking thoughts that serve you. “Our thoughts and emotions are linked. If you’re frustrated, angry, annoyed, or sad, you can start to feel better by reminding yourself that it’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling,” O’Neill says. “When you feel the emotions, you release them. Then, deliberately start to talk yourself into a better feeling place. Remind yourself about the positive things happening in your life and all that you have to be grateful for.”
4. Visualize. According to O’Neill, this means to see in your mind’s eye the outcome you desire. “When we visualize, we are in a safe space to create our future before we ever see it actualized,” O’Neill says. “Visualizing also helps us strengthen our alignment, making it easier to see and feel the abundance of possible outcomes that await us. It takes practice, but it’s possible to be in a fast-paced, busy environment and still maintain inner calm and peace.”
5. Take action. “If you intend to create a new reality for yourself, taking action is how you can manifest that much quicker,” O’Neill says. “You don’t have to know how everything will work out in advance. When you practice tuning in to what you’re feeling and then aligning your energy with how you’d prefer to feel, it becomes easier to know what action to take next,” says O’Neill.
For Kim O’Neill, the bottom line for dealing with stress is not to hang on, but to let go. “People are powerful, but the only thing we ever have control over is ourselves. When we don’t pay attention to our emotions and take time to shift them, we are living life by default, giving our power away. Tuning in to our emotions brings the insight and wisdom we need to experience a different reality.”
For more stress reduction tips and strategies for emotional alignment, visit KimONeillCoaching.com or tune in to the “Perk Up with Kim” show on HealthyLife.net.