LISTEN TO EPISODE 31 

SCOTT DOW: 

"A lot of pressure comes from imaginary stress. That's when you're worried about a potential threat that might happen in the future. The fact is, most stress is needless because a lot of the threats we worry about never become real. A recent study at Penn State University proved that only 8% of the things we worry about ever come true. If you're stressed about something that hasn't happened yet, you're wasting time.

And it's funny, because one of the things managers stress about most is not having enough time. Stress is the biggest time waster there is because we sit around and worry and we don't deal with the present moment. You've got to stop that. Confront your stress head on. If you're stressed about an imaginary threat, then ask yourself this, "What can I do about it right now"?

Chances are that imaginary threat is outside of your control. There's nothing you can do about it, and you're wasting your time worrying about it. If there is something you can do about it, then do it, because it's a good use of your time, but then move on. You've got other, more immediate things to deal with. The best stress buster I know is to make good use of your time, because when you waste time, it just creates more stress.

When you focus on what's right in front of you and you operate in the moment - in the present - you make the most of each day and you feel more in control. And when you feel more in control, you feel less stress. Remember, imaginary stress is your biggest time suck; but it sneaks up on you, so look out for it, guard against it, and save yourself the needless worry."

OUTRO: 

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