Imagine one hand shooting stress out, the other drawing good stuff in.

You can only really manage your stress responses better when aware that you are tense. Are you biting your teeth – clenching your fists – or frowning? When you notice that, use your imagination to make a change. Point your one hand downwards and imagine the stress streaming out – give it a yucky colour. Hold your other cupped hand upwards and imagine drawing goodness in – give that a happy colour. Hey, you can even do this under the boardroom table!

Although these gestures may seem simple, and even silly, it is just that funky feature that makes them work. Being stressed is often linked with being ‘intense’. So doing something that makes you smile and lighten the mood is always helpful. You could even make this a fun team activity. Imagine what the impact might be when the meeting gets tense if you all jump up and do the ‘Stress Ejection’ jig!