Guest post by Camile Sardina
Stress has the word “deadline” attached to it for a reason.
It can be a killer, and having your heart racing faster than a jackrabbit and your thoughts
storming up your sanity is no way to live.
In the professional world, every position has its own stressful downfalls, whether it’s having
monotonous tasks, a billion things to do at once or even a risk of danger.
To overcome the stress, you need to become a master of your mental wellbeing.
This will help your overall wellness in professional and personal life.
Six big city business owners
have built their way up to
conquering stress:
*Lifestyle Restaurateur Solomon Choi, CEO of 16 Handles in NYC and other Eastern cities
and states
*Chief Juicing Officer Cindy Kasindorf, Founder of Joni Juice in NYC and New Jersey
*Physical Therapist Karena Wu, Owner of ActiveCare Physical Therapy in NYC
*Gastroenterologist Prem Chattoo, Medical Director of Hudson River Gastroenterology in NYC
*Lawyer Russell Dohan, Co-Owner of law firm, Goldberg & Dohan in NYC, Miami and other
big U.S. cities
*IT Expert Aaron Ross, Owner of cloud computing company Ross Backup in NYC
Here they give us insight into how they beat the bad days:
De-Stressing Routine 1:
Lifestyle Restaurateur Solomon Choi, CEO of 16 Handles
“Staying active and
talking to loved ones
gets me through the
bad days.”
Solomon Choi
1. Workout before work.
“I normally get a workout in before my day starts but my usual routine is a 1 mile run on the treadmill to get my heart going followed by 30 minutes of machine and free weights. The routine keeps my mind off of any distractions and keeps me focused on improving my cardio and strength training.”
2. Take bike breaks.
“I keep my road bike hanging on the wall of my office for easy access. I ride along the West Side Highway from 29th St up to the GW bridge and back. The ride is therapeutic and riding along the Hudson keeps my mind in a zen like state.”
3. Meet with my girlfriend.
“I will meet up with my girlfriend for a chat. She keeps me level headed and is a great listener. We can share a meal or just sit and chat in Central Park. This is a healthier way to de stress and keeps me away from the temptation of washing the stress down with adult beverages.”
De-Stressing Routine 2:
Chief Juicing Officer Cindy Kasindorf, Founder of Joni Juice
“Active, relaxing, creative
and social activities combined
help me de-stress.”
Cindy Kasindorf
1. Morning stretch.
On mornings that I don’t have time to go to the gym, I spend 20 minutes stretching to my own rhythm and focus on deep breathing.
2. Drinking my lemon/water tea.
This has become a ritual. First thing I do when I enter my kitchen in the morning is boil water, grab my favorite floral tea cup, and make my special tea concoction with half of a freshly squeezed lemon, fresh cubed ginger, fresh mint leaves and a touch of raw honey. The aroma and taste is so soothing and enjoyable that my kids started drinking my tea as well.
3. Take a nice long shower.
I find the shower to be very meditative. It’s a place where I disconnect from everything and allow my mind to think. The water is very healing/cleansing. It is quiet yet the steady sound of the water is calming. Some of my best ideas have come during this time, and then as soon as I’m done, I run to get my journal out to write about the wonderful thoughts and ideas which I had.
4. Writing.
I find writing to be very therapeutic. I take a few minutes each day to write. I will either write after a shower or just before bedtime. I like to write about my dreams, ideas, stories that my kids have told me or funny things that happened that day which I want to remember forever.
5. Bedtime with my kids.
There’s nothing better than getting into bed with my 4 kids and hearing about their day and all that they want to share with me. Taking the time to really listen to what they have to say and having conversations with them builds a strong bond.
6. Taking a good walk in nature.
I try to take a walk a few days a week. This is a time when I get some of my greatest ideas or truly reflect on things that are happening in my life. I try not to take a phone with me and I love to listen to the birds chirping.
7. WhatsApp Breaks.
I like to take little breaks from time to time and check in with my girlfriends on a group chat we have. I always get a good belly laugh from something that someone writes.
8. Aromatherapy.
There’s nothing like the aroma that fills our juicery on production days. The fresh scents of citrus, kale, mint, fills the air and is so uplifting. Taking in the fragrant scent in our juicery is the ultimate de stressor.
De-Stressing Routine 3:
Physical Therapist Karena Wu, CEO of ActiveCare Physical Therapy
“De-stressing from work can be a chore in and of itself.
Sometimes the days are so long and work and obligations
take precedence so there is never any time for yourself.
There are little things that you can incorporate into your
routine that give back to yourself, help you check out and
get you amped up to tackle it all!”
Karena Wu
1. Breathe.
“This can be done anywhere. At your desk, standing in line, anywhere! The focus is on inhaling through the nose, exhaling through the mouth. Feel what is moving and where the air is going. Your ribs should expand out to the side and backward. Most people have shallow breathing and are only using the upper portion of their lungs and ribs. Taking slow, deep breaths helps to focus in the moment, feel the air nourish your respiratory system and move the ribcage which makes the intercostal muscles work (muscles in between each rib) which helps with circulation.”
2. Bend.
“Any which way. The extremities: head, arms, legs can move in all directions. Moving one direction will yield a stretch on the opposite side. So moving the body in different planes and feeling for stretch in the soft tissue helps to de-stress as it loosens the muscles and tendons, increases circulation, and offers relief to tight tissues.”
3. Move.
“Do one complex exercise a day: push-ups, squats, lunges, Superman’s, etc. Lately, my work takes precedence and a 12-hour day just seems to fly by. To make sure I keep my body strong, I pick one exercise and perform at least 3 sets of 20 repetitions. The exercise should work more than one muscle group at a time so that you pump the muscles for circulation, increase your strength and endurance and give back something to yourself for working so hard!”
De-Stressing Routine 4:
Gastroenterologist Prem Chattoo, Medical Director of
Hudson River Gastroenterology
“It’s all about
breathing and finding
your happy place.”
Dr. Prem Chattoo
1. Meditate
“I de-stress daily by meditating for at least five minutes – thinking of a peaceful place and
blocking out everything else, trying to hear just my heartbeat and rhythm of my breaths.”
De-Stressing Routine 5:
Lawyer Russell Dohan, Co-Owner of Goldberg & Dohan
“Poker is my main hobby.
Although poker looks stressful, it is a singular focused event.
At work, I am handling at least five things at any given moment
all at the same time.
With poker, I am focused on just this table, just this hand,
just this moment.
Poker allows me to leave the world behind and focus on one thing–
trying to compile as many chips as possible and make the best
logical decisions on each hand.
I find this exciting and challenging
more than stressful.”
Russell Dohan
1. Make a protein shake.
“After work and before I hit the gym, I make a protein shake. While drinking my shake I work through remote desktop returning emails or finishing the last project of the day.”
2. Head to the gym.
“I live very close to work and don’t have time to unwind in the car so I generally calm down as I make my shake and change my clothes. Sometimes it feels like that is when I take my first breath of the day. I find that having a gym very close to the house is also beneficial so I don’t have to battle traffic. When I get to the gm, I put on my headphones and get to work. My routine is about an hour. I do a combination of stretching, weights and then cardio. The physical exertion is key to eliminating stress. While doing cardio I watch poker tournaments on my iPad. If I have time and get to the gym before 6pm (which is rare), I try to pack clothes because I love using the steam room, showering and changing at the gym.”
3. Relax and eat.
“I grab dinner, head home and work some more while eating. That puts me right around 9-10 pm. which leaves me time to watch my favorite binge show of the week, Game of Thrones, Homeland, Ray Dovovan or Walking Dead.”
De-Stressing Routine 6:
IT Expert Aaron Ross, CEO of Ross Backup
“I’m always working, so
I need to have moments to
relax to keep my brain clear.”
Aaron Ross
1. Ignore incoming e-mails and texts.
“I actually disable the incoming e-mail popups. Remaining 100 percent focused while working is key. We have so many distractions from e-mails, phone calls to
social media that getting even one task done can be difficult.”
2. Never work at the computer for more than one hour straight.
“I usually walk around and make phone calls to divide the time.”
3. Call a loved one and say hello.
“Whenever I’m feeling stressed, I give my wife a call.”
4. Put some music on.
“When I can’t be disturbed, I put music on and tune everyone else out.”
5. Reward yourself.
“I reward myself with a Star Trek show whenever I empty my task list. If a show isn’t your thing, maybe it’s buying yourself a new pair of shoes or getting a massage. We all have our little ways to more happiness.”
About the author
Camile Sardina is a publicist, freelance writer and lifestyle lover living NYC. Follow her on Twitter @CamileSardina or Instagram @sardinac.
How do you manage stress in your daily life?
How do you “beat the bad days” in your business life?
Share your tips, thoughts and comments with us.
Ha! Aaron Ross! Calls his wife when he’s stressed. Kudos to him, but my wife is the one that stresses me out!