How I Cope With Stress

Stress plays an important role in my life because there are positive as well as negative stressors that I experience. Some positive stressors include life events like starting college, whereas negative stressors include daily hassles like having to deal with traffic and disturbances while I try to study. Over the years, taking psychology classes and reading about stress management techniques have really helped me cope with stress. If you have been feeling stressed out lately with studies or anything else in life, here are some of my responses to questions people ask me on how I have successfully managed to cope with stress.

What major advice or tips have you discovered about stress that you find practical and important when it comes to managing stress?
I found counseling sessions with psychologists and therapy appointments with psychiatrists as well as tips and advice on coping most helpful (Doyle-Portillo & Pastorino, 2012). I have learned that I can use various methods to try to cope with stress, like problem-focused coping (targeted towards controlling or altering the environment) and emotion-focused coping (internal, subjective, emotional responses to stress). I can also cope using social support groups, guided imagery, and meditation. If I don't cope consciously then I may cope unconsciously using defense mechanisms. From the example of Theresa Paul in the video "How the Brain Handles Stress," I learned that a person can face several sources of stress in daily routine such as office work, feeding kids, and walking the dog, and time management is a good way of dealing with trying to do many tasks within a limited time (CBS News, 2007). It is important to cope with stress before reaching the exhaustion stage because then the body can suffer from wear and tear.
 

What have you learned from psychology classes, workshops, and training seminars that will assist you in managing stress in your life?
On the whole, psychology classes have taught me that psychology is different from philosophy and art because it uses the scientific method to derive hard facts about the mind. It proposes hypotheses and theories rather than opinions, which are then carefully and rigorously tested. While I still believe that every person is unique, the study of psychology has led to several useful general observations and principles such as the biology of the brain, the study of behavior, and responses that may be conditioned. It was intriguing to learn of the specifics of consciousness, learning, memory, cognition, motivation, emotion, personal development, sexuality, and social interaction. In general, I can use the knowledge gained in all these areas to manage my life like giving importance to sleep and socialization, and I also know more about the benefits that the field of psychology could provide me with in future (methods of therapy or self-improvement).
 

How do you benefit from what you have learned?
Personality tests were particularly interesting to me, and to try to decide what I want to pursue a career in or major in for college I took a personality test online based on Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Myers's model (HumanMetrics, n.d.). The results have helped me plan ahead so I'd recommend the test to my colleagues. The knowledge gained from psychology classes will have an immense impact on my personal as well as academic and professional life moving on, because it has taught me new ways of assessing, approaching, and resolving issues relating to my own psychology as well as social and work situations. Simple things like studying the night before for exams (for better memory retention) to other principles that I found more complex like the effects of medication on reuptake of neurotransmitters will all help me better understand my own body and lifestyle as well as the world around me and how I interact with others.

References

Doyle-Portillo, S., & Pastorino, E. (2012). What is Psychology? Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.
CBS News (Producer). (2007, January 19). How the brain handles stress [Video file]. Retrieved May 16, 2013, from http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2380192n
HumanMetrics. (n.d.). Personality test based on Carl Jung's and Isabel Briggs Myers' typology. HumanMetrics. Retrieved May 16, 2013, from http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm

Overcoming Shyness With Creative Writing

The issue of mingling with others is of personal concern and has had an important impact on me. I am very shy and it is difficult for me to make friends as easily as other people. Shyness is a common personality trait, but for me it has been a problem that I have had to struggle with throughout my life. This is because I am not just shy about certain things, with certain people, or for a temporary amount of time. Instead, I will remain shy even after knowing a person for several years.

During the early years most children tend to be shy, or at least reserved, so I felt quite comfortable at the fact that I was not very talkative. In fact, childhood is usually a stage of developing self-concept more than social maturity (Gross 229-235). Even though I would rarely talk, I was very observant, and this helped me with my academic progress. So instead of being a fluent talker, I became a dedicated listener.

My habit of observation aided me in staying connected with the world. It was also the source of my creativity, and creativity has been the process I have used to deal with the specific issue of shyness.

Creativity seemed to be my savior in helping me communicate with others. At first, I used my creativity in my art classes. My teachers were very helpful because they noticed my high level of interest and encouraged me. I realize that drawing as well as painting and writing were the most comfortable forms of creativity for me because they allowed me to work alone. It was obvious that I worked better alone than in groups, and this is still true for me today.

Creativity really helps in overcoming shyness not just because it allows you to communicate with others but also because it gives you the opportunity to communicate with yourself (Warren 35-58). For someone who is shy it can be confusing to socialize because they are more likely to be influenced rather than influence others. This is because the other person tends to be more expressive than you. Doing individual creative activities such as drawing or writing can really help you get to know who you really are, who you want to be, how you want to live, and give you a much stronger personality. Having a stronger personality also builds your confidence, and you are then ready to get to know others once you have gotten to know yourself first.

Writing has been my favorite form of creativity as a process that I have used to deal with the specific issue of shyness. I feel that because I am shy I often do not express myself sufficiently to others verbally. Instead, I collect my thoughts and then present it as a written article. Writing is the quickest, easiest and most manageable form of creativity for me. For anyone who is shy I would recommend that they do something creative because even though you have trouble approaching others, others will approach you and be genuinely interested in knowing who you are. Despite being shy, I have been able to develop myself creatively, and creativity is like my therapy in overcoming not only shyness but also many other problems in life.

Works Cited

Gross, Richard. Psychology: The Science Of Mind And Behavior. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1987.
Warren, Bernie. Using The Creative Arts In Therapy: A Practical Introduction. New York: Routledge, 1993.

Tips for Shipping Products to Customers

People thought that with the use of emails becoming common the need for snail mail will die out, but they were so wrong. Businesses selling over-the-phone or through the Internet need postal services now more than ever in order to get their products to customers. Individuals with eBay stores need to mail out the products that their customers buy while telecommunications companies often have to send replacement phones through snail mail. Here are some tips for shipping your products to customers.

• Get the payment first.

If the customer owes you money then you should receive the payment before proceeding with the shipping procedure. If the buyer backs out after you have shipped the item then it will be harder to uphold any refund policies that you had offered. Getting the payment first is important because it is not just a matter of not making the sale if the buyer changes his or her mind but also about losing money due to the shipping charges that you have already paid. In fact, you may even have to pay for return shipping to get your product shipped back to you.

• Pack well but pack light.

There is a thin line between packing well and packing light. You need to pack your product in a manner that is a balance between the two so that the item does not get damaged but also be careful that the package does not get too heavy because this will increase the cost for shipping. Most shipping methods have a limit for the maximum weight that a package can be. If it exceeds the limit then you have to pay for a more costly shipping method, so know what the limits are according to the postal service that you are using and stay within the limits. You may want to weigh your final package at your store before taking it to the post office.

• Include a receipt.

Just like any business transaction such as the ones taking place at your store, transactions that are done through mail also need to be documented. The customer has a right to receive a receipt and you are obligated to provide one unless requested otherwise. Including a receipt with the package that you ship is also beneficial because it acts as a declaration from your company that the item that you have shipped is not hazardous and can protect your company from liabilities.

• Pay for shipping online.

Most postal services now allow you to pay online. The first reason why you should pay online is simply because it can be more convenient when shipping many products. At the post office you will probably have to wait for each shipping label to be calculated, printed and paid separately, but if you already know what type of shipping labels you need to print then you can print them in bulk at your location. The second reason why you should pay for shipping online is because you have to pay less service charges and printing fees.

• Ship as quickly as possible.

Your customers will be eager to receive what they have purchased. Don’t let them down or kill their excitement by trying to get your products to them as quickly as possible.

Social Media Marketing Benefits

Ever wonder why more companies are turning towards social media as a serious platform for marketing their products and services? You may have more to gain from Facebook, Twitter and YouTube than you are anticipating, and the sooner you get started the more benefits you can reap from social media marketing. Here are some reasons why you should not underestimate the power of social media and why holding back could prove devastating for your business.

• It’s either cheap or free.

All of the major social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are free to join. You can publish as much information as you like and keep the account for as long as you want without paying any hosting or subscription fee. In fact, you may be able to use websites such as YouTube to reduce operational costs and save money while promoting your brand at the same time. For example, instead of signing up for a data backup account you can just backup your important videos on YouTube. You can select to keep your videos private or display them publicly to the world and hence be able to backup data while selecting exactly what you want to go public. The only fee that you may have to pay for when using social media is for pay-per-click advertising, but you don’t need to pay for any sponsored ads if all you want to do is build your own page and network with other users.

• Almost anybody can do it.

Facebook has very few limitations on who is allowed to create a free account, and the same goes for Twitter and YouTube. The purpose of these websites is to collect and display user content, and for this reason these websites want to have as many users join as possible so they can generate more content being submitted by the users. Social media websites also want to have a diverse group of users as a part of their online community to reflect real-life societies where a mix basket of individuals and companies can be found. It’s a win-win situation – you become a part of the site to have more online presence and the website benefits by expanding and reaching out to more people through the content that you provide. The only situation in which you may run into bans is if you are submitting offensive, blasphemous or adult content, otherwise most companies can safely say that their accounts will not be banned.

• The effects are immense.

Social media is proving to be one of the most effective methods for promoting companies, products and services. The reason behind this phenomenon is the popularity of websites such as Facebook as well as the conversion rate of page views into actual sales. At the moment, Facebook leads the pack as the top social media website followed by Twitter. YouTube is the most popular website for user-generated videos. Each of these three websites is unique in its own way, which is why you should consider joining all three.

Misconceptions About Marketing on Facebook

Every company wants to jump on the Facebook bandwagon these days, but do they truly understand what Facebook marketing is all about? The truth is that there are many misconceptions about marketing on Facebook because the use of social media is uniquely different when compared to conventional print ads or even online advertising concepts such as search engine advertising (SEO) and e-commerce websites. As the term describes, social media is all about social growth and hence has more to do with making connections and developing relationships rather than just try to promote your brand or sell your products. Here is some information that you should keep in mind when trying to market on Facebook.

• You are not just a page.

Unfortunately, too many companies make the mistake of thinking that Facebook marketing is just about building a company profile page on Facebook. These companies hire people to manage their social media campaign and post status updates, images and other company-related content on the company’s Facebook page. What business owners may not realize is that very few people will look at your Facebook page unless you return the favor. Hence, you also need to go on the pages of other companies and individuals, keep up-to-date with their activities and post comments under their status messages and photos.

• You can’t be friends with everyone.

Now that you realize the importance of networking on Facebook, you may be trying to become friends with as many Facebook members as possible. Once again, you are making a common mistake. You need to choose your social structure carefully because it reflects on who you are or what your company represents. Try to only be friends with the members that are related to your industry or offer a serious potential for becoming your customer. Avoid becoming friends with Facebook members that will just become a passive addition to your friends list.

• Be approachable and honest.

Many people use Facebook as a platform for building personal relationships and keeping up with personal interests, so the last thing they want to run into on Facebook is a company that is all about self-promotion rather than building relationships. Instead of trying to hammer your Facebook friends with self-praise, try to engage them with questions and welcome suggestions. For example, you could post a question asking what their favorite ice-cream flavor is if you own an ice-cream shop instead of just telling them about which ice-cream flavors you offer. Facebook users want to be a part of a community rather than just be treated as customers.

• Return loyalty with loyalty.

Never leave out your loyal customers or affiliates from your Facebook activities. Your loyal customers are your best marketers because they can share first-hand information about your services or products. Allow them to post on your Facebook wall openly and mention positive as well as negative attributes about your company. Show appreciation when they praise your company and take negative comments as positive criticism. Respond to other Facebook users promptly and never let them feel neglected or left out.

What Wise Business Owners Do After Holidays

It is true that most shop owners get over 75% of their income during the holiday season at the end of the year by promoting special offers related to Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Most business owners are tired of their busy routine after the months of November and December and start slacking off once they hit January of next year. However, what wise business owners do after holidays is make every moment count and use the earlier months of the year to continue selling, prepare for the next holiday season, manage their human resources and promote their brand. Here are some things that you should consider doing after all the hype of the holidays is over.

• Reflect on Last Year.

How well did you do last year? What were the main points holding you back? Were you attracting enough customers, and were you able to convert plenty of leads into sales? Think of the problems that you ran into last year and what you need to do in order to ensure that you won’t make the same mistakes twice.

• Clear Out Seasonal Products.

The last thing you want is for your store to look like it is still stuck in the Christmas theme. Try to get rid of seasonal products as quickly as possible unless you have enough room to store them until the end of the year when you can try to sell them again. Perhaps you could have a clearance sale or even offer the leftover products as a gift for purchasing other items at your store.

• Restock Your Shelves.

What was in demand most at your store last year? Were customers asking for certain types of products that you didn’t have available? When restocking your itinerary, think about the needs and budget of the customers that you attract. Making sales is all about supply and demand, so if consumers are demanding for something you should feel obligated to supply it not only to boost your sales but also to show that you care for your customers and what they want to buy.

• Lower Costs.

There may be unwanted expenses lingering from the holidays that you want to get rid of as soon as possible. Such expenses may include overstaffing since you may have hired more people when sales were at a peak but you don’t need to keep paying salaries to people who no longer have enough work to do. You may want to cut back on advertising costs as well now that the holiday shoppers are no longer looking at ads and the target audience for advertisements has diminished.

• After-holiday Perks

Remember that smart shoppers are always looking for deals no matter what time of the year it may be. You should keep customers interested in your store by occasionally offering discounts and other perks. Some businesses offer discount coupons for the next purchase when someone buys a gift at their store during the holidays. This is an excellent way of getting continuing business from holiday shoppers because they will come back to shop at your store and use their discount coupon after the holidays are over.

How Entrepreneurs Deal With Stress at Work

Being an entrepreneur is certainly not a shortcut or loophole into doing less work. In fact, most start-up entrepreneurs have to work much harder than they would at a day job in order to make the same amount of money. Another major stress factor is that their own money is at stake – many small businesses have difficulty in finding investors due to their lack of presence in the market and hence have to start off by taking out loans or being self-funded. So what is it that keeps these ambitious people pushing onwards and pursuing their dreams instead of giving in to all of the stress of financial debts and heavy workloads?

• Finding Inspiration

It is important for you to find things that inspire you in life but also to have a business that inspires you on a personal level. For example, if you enjoy listening to music then you may consider opening a music store or creating a magazine that covers music news, events and personalities. If you feel that a music business would not be lucrative then you can still try to play music at your store or discuss music with your customers once in a while. Bring whatever inspires you on a personal level into your work life and make it a part of your business. Customers enjoy meeting business owners that can somehow personalize what they do and enjoy it more.

• Humor

Having a laugh can get more difficult when you are stressed out. Try to look at things with a lighter perspective instead of being a worrywart. This does not mean that you should be a non-serious worker, but not all business matters are under your control and there is no point in worrying about the things that you can do nothing about. Do the best you can and leave the rest to fate. Befriend your employees and crack jokes with them once in a while, but never make mean jokes or pranks at work. You do need to keep the atmosphere professional and make sure everyone realizes who’s boss, but we are all human at the same time and should learn how to interact at a humane level as well.

• Gratitude

You business may not be doing as well as you had wanted, but be thankful for whatever you have. Remind yourself of all the pros of being an entrepreneur such as being able to set your own work hours and being your own boss. Being an entrepreneur is not just about money but also about a lifestyle that should be appreciated.

• Breaks and Getaways

Take breaks during your routine to relax. It is better to take many shorter breaks instead of just one long break, so plan your breaks in advance intermittently throughout the day. Force yourself to go on a break when it is scheduled even if you are too caught up in work to want to get out of the store or office. You can take the time away from work to go on a short walk, nibble on a snack or take a short nap. During off-seasons, consider taking longer vacations where you can get away from any stresses that may have been bothering you at work. Afterwards, you will come back to attend to business with a refreshed feeling and a more positive attitude.