In this episode of The Serial Stress Killer Chris explains how over commitment can have a negative impact on your life. He also covers how you can find the commitments that may be unnecessarily taking up your time.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  Commitment is an engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action. Our time, your time and freedom is valuable.  We usually commit to things because we feel obligated, feel guilt or want something.  The chase of the feel good feeling dressed up altruism is one of the hardest and most dangerous commitments, much like a drug addiction that hides under the illusion of purity. It’s very hard to identify from the outside, only you will know deep down.  How do you know if you’ve over committed yourself? Ask yourself these three things:  How much time do you have each day, week, month etc…?   Do you regret any of the commitments that you’ve convinced yourself that they’re worth maintaining to keep your ego or sense of pride in place?  Do you feel powerless to plan your life? Do you plan your life around your commitments?   If you’re committing yourself and becoming more and more stress, then your body’s trying to tell you something. Listen to your body.  Take some time away from these commitments to have time to reflect and relax. It will make the world of difference.  If you can’t get out of any of your commitments try these things:   List all of your commitments down on paper and highlight all of your life and death commitments.   Highlight all of the commitments that bring some kind of joy.  Highlight all of the commitments where you’re working towards a final goal.  Look back at your list and if there are any that aren’t highlighted then they’re probably expendable so put a cross on them and cancel those commitments.     BEST MOMENTS  ‘The world relies on various forms of commitment.’  ‘It’s very easy to overcommit.’  ‘Recognition is the right direction to step in.’  ‘You are probably the biggest obstacle you’re going to have to overcome.’    VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://rebrand.ly/sskplaylist01  Serial Stress Killer Podcast     ABOUT THE HOST  After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.     CONTACT METHOD  Contact the show  https://serialstresskiller.com  https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller  https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller  Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller  What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected]    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Should you let your employees know when you’re stressed?’   Although this is a question that is commonly asked, it’s not as straight forward as yes or no. Communication is a huge factor in business and the way you communicate to your employees that you may be stressed matters a lot. Learn how you can communicate your stress across to your employees in a positive way by listening to this episode of The Serial Stress Killer…   KEY TAKEAWAYS This topic is for anyone, from business owners to employees. It’s a common conundrum that I’ve come across from a variety of people. Whether you’re stressed in your personal or business life you’re more than likely going to be affected negatively for the rest of your day. Employees normally feel more comfortable opening up to their managers about their personal lives. Being the business owner, employees tend to look up to you and think you can just overcome anything that gets in your way. Really this isn’t the case and it can sometimes feel lonely. Stress can be contagious so showing that your stress could have a knock on effect. Being stressed all of the time and not telling people about them will eventually cause a toxic environment. If you are open about your stress or if you communicate with your employees, it can give them peace of mind and they can understand why. You don’t have to be specific when informing your employees, but communicating across your stress and why you may be acting in certain ways can really help them gain ease of mind knowing that they’re not part of the reason for your stress. Being open and communicating well can be a great example of how to communicate well and not allowing them to ask themselves the self doubt questions.     BEST MOMENTS “Stress in the workplace is a real killer.” “Stress kills productivity” ‘Sometimes it’s good to distance yourself a bit from your employees.’ ‘People can spot stress a mile off’ ‘Bing open with your employees can make them feel better’   VALUABLE RESOURCES https://rebrand.ly/sskplaylist01 Serial Stress Killer Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.   CONTACT METHOD Contact the show https://serialstresskiller.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected]   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to the Serial Stress Killer Podcast. In this episode, your host Chris Hackett asks you (the listener) “What is your ‘Happy Place’ ? ” because he believes it is crucial to know what& where your ‘happy place’ is!  KEY TAKEAWAYS You may also have more than one ‘Happy Place’ and Chris discusses his ‘happy places’, the importance of where, what and why!  Your ‘Happy Place’ could be anywhere or anything you want! It could be A library Favourite café or bar Local park Gym or golf course! Theatre or cinema Woodlands or forest  It could even be that your ‘Happy Place’ isn’t physically real, but a mental place you can go to when you need to.  When you’re dealing with stress it is important to have at least one ‘Happy Place’ to go to. It gives you a constant, a mandate to leave the house for a bit and escape yourself. Realistically, to work you need to have one of your ‘Happy Places’ to be convenient enough to travel to so you don’t talk yourself out of going.  Hopefully, you have more than one ‘Happy Place’ that comes to mind; Places and activities that you love and you cherish. If you don’t have ‘Happy Places’, dealing with your stress will probably be much harder.  Chris implores you to explore and find new places and activities to expand your ‘Happy Places’ and develop new connections, memories and opportunities.  Chris also strongly suggests you keep a list of these places and activities; to remind you of them and to keep them readily available should you need them when you need to go! ABOUT THE HOST  After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.  CONTACT METHOD  Contact the show:  https://serialstresskiller.com  https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller  https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller  Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller  What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you believe that the alignment and movements of celestial objects influence events here on Earth, then this episode might interest you.   In this episode of The Serial Stress Killer Podcast, we explore and have some fun with the zodiac signs. Discover how ways on how you can de-stress depending on what your zodiac sign says about. Though not a lot of us believe in astrology, it gives us guidance and serves as a key to introspection for all of us. Not all are true and not all will resonate, so it’s up to you how you want it to affect your life.  Astrology is still a pseudoscience, so we encourage it to seek professional help when experiencing high levels of stress.   KEY TAKEAWAYS  How Signs de-stress:  Aries (energetic, competitive, impatient, perpetual fixers) – Go on hard workouts and plan outdoor activities with other people. Don’t forget to have some alone time.  Taurus (values security and stability, stubborn) – Self-care. Indulge your senses. Get a massage, listen to music, try new food, etc.  Gemini (chatty, intellectual, quick-witted) – Take a break from your social activities. Take a nice stroll by the beach, watch the sunset, and enjoy the view. This will keep you renew your energy and be focused.  Cancer (very loving but can get too sensitive) – Retreat to your safe space (i.e. your home), invite your loved ones over, and have fun. Practice the art of letting go since you hold on to things for too long.  Leo (confident, loyal, fun) – Since you enjoy the limelight and large crowds, explore your creative skills. Write a poem, sing a song, or build something for your loved ones.  Virgo (critical, practical, detail-oriented, perfectionists) – Meditate. Clear and keep your mind grounded. Declutter your place. Think before you say yes to anything.  Libra (breezy, compassionate, spiritual) – Treat yourself. Buy something nice for yourself or for your home. Watch the new crime film in the nearest cinema.  Scorpio (passionate, obsessive) – Spend time with your loved ones aside from enjoying solitary pursuits. Enjoy the beach.  Sagittarius (daydreamers, adventurous, optimistic) – Travel. Take fun classes and learn new skills. Keep a journal.  Capricorn (workaholic) – Get back to nature. Meditate. Allow a day to absolutely do nothing.  Aquarius (big thinkers, inventive) – Get enough sleep. Perform a 'technology fast' often. Start that quirky hobby you’re planning to do.  Pisces (dreamy, imaginative, empathetic) – Dive into expressive activities – painting, dancing, singing, etc. Schedule a foot massage.  ABOUT THE HOST  After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.  CONTACT METHOD  Contact the show:  https://serialstresskiller.com  https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller  https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller  Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller  What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Disrupt those annoying little voices in your head and prevent them from taking over your life’ In this episode of The Serial Stress Killer Chris explains and discussed 20 easy top tips to tackle those annoying negative voices in your head. The longer you let the voices in your head fester, the more stressed you’re going to put yourself under.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Recognise when you’re over thinking about the same thing over and over again and use pattern interrupt to stop this by having a convocation with yourself. Ask yourself whether stressing about this thing is beneficial, what is it you’re thinking about this for and what is the value of stressing about this. Play some music. This could be listening or physically playing. This can help because it’s hard to stress about things when you’re concentrating on something else. Watch some TV or go to the cinema to take your mind off of things for a while. Binge watch and immerse yourself in watching something you enjoy. This could be a box set or film, whatever you enjoy the most. Go to a gym class of your choice. This could be high intensity or Yoga. It’s difficult to think about things that may have happened in the past when someone’s telling you to do something physical now. Read a book, much like watching TV will take your mind away from these thoughts. This could be more effective if you read out loud, whatever suits you the best. Call somebody to talk to either to express yourself and get something off of your chest or to ask what’s happening in their life. This can make someone else feel good as well as helping yourself feel better. Start writing, this can be in any form. Poems, journal or creative. This can be a great way to get thoughts out of your head. Create some art regardless of your skill level. Again, the form is up to your own preference. Memorise something that you like such as a poem, song or piece of music. Dancing is a great way to decrease stress, you could combine this with listening to music and kill 2 birds with 1 stone! This could be in a class or just on your own, either works just as well. Solve a problem or puzzle. This could be a small life problem or leisure problem such as a crossword. Solving a life problem can be more positive and pro active however ensure it’s not something that you’re stressing about. Go for a drive can be really cathartic. Concentrating on the road can help drive your mind away from whatever it is stressing you. Cook something. If you’re really annoyed, then you could focus on spending a few hours on making a really nice meal. This could be just for yourself or made into a social occasion. Cuddle someone or something. Play a video game. This can be a really great way to take your mind away from things. Cleaning the house may or may not be the most exciting thing to do but you’ll end up with a sparkling house. Watch some comedy, live or on a device because laughter is the best medicine. It can make you feel like a different person. BEST MOMENTS “When you’re stressed and experiencing anxiety, your defences are weakened.” “You can easily fall into all or nothing thinking.” “Your body doesn’t know the difference between a real stressful experience and a made up one.” ‘Exercise can help by releasing those feel-good hormones.’ “It can be really therapeutic to go through a creative process.” “Those annoying negative voices in your head are what’s going to drive your stress.” “Don’t be a victim, be a boss.”   VALUABLE RESOURCES https://rebrand.ly/sskplaylist01 Serial Stress Killer Podcast   ABOUT THE HOST After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.   CONTACT METHOD Contact the show https://serialstresskiller.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected]   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Learn to relax and engage your brain in an analogue way’   In this episode of The Serial Stress Killer Podcast Chris discusses the importance on not relying on technology and devices to control your life. He also discusses the affect of sleep tracking apps on your devices and how they can actually have the opposite affect on your sleep than what they’re made for.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  I came across a recent article which indicated that sleeping apps on mobile phones may be making us focus on the wrong things. Thus, increasing the amount of time we’re spending stressing, obsessing and focusing on things such as our sleep quota.  Some research shows that these sleep tracking apps have actually made being able to sleep worse and I’ve got to agree. Some say there’s no need to track your sleep.  It’s not just sleeping apps that can try help us with our life. There’s apps for everything these days.  I think we need to be careful when constantly looking for shortcuts with living life because there’s only so many dopamine hits we can get from using technology.  If you’re using lots of apps to control your lifestyle, then try go analogue for a while. It may not give you the instant reward however over time it may help you stop obsessing over how you’re living your life.    BEST MOMENTS  “Some research shows that these sleeping apps can cause insomnia or extreme sleep deprivation.’  ‘Obsessing over a topic is rarely beneficial.’  ‘I know I get my best ideas when I down tools and stop being productive for a couple of hours.’   ‘It’s gotten to the point where we’ve forgotten how to think without a digital prompt.’  ‘You don’t need an app to relax, sleep or meditate.’     VALUABLE RESOURCES  https://rebrand.ly/sskplaylist01  Serial Stress Killer Podcast     ABOUT THE HOST  After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.     CONTACT METHOD  Contact the show  https://serialstresskiller.com  https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller  https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller  Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller  What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone’s been there. You’ve said YES to many commitments, and it’s only now you’ve noticed how much you’ve put on your plate.   Feeling overwhelmed with work is not a good thing if you don’t know how to manage them. You have to learn how to take control of them efficiently if you want the best outcome. So, in this episode of the Stress Serial Killer Podcast, Chris discusses tips on what to do if you’re already feeling overwhelmed. It’s better that you to take action head on so you avoid repercussions. Discover how you can prevent and limit stress today!  KEY TAKEAWAYS  When you’re already drowning with too many commitments, your brain also undergoes a lot of work. It’s now on duty 24/7. So, for you to have excellent mental health, you’ve got two choices, either learn how to manage things better or remove other commitments.  Ask yourself, “Why am I suffering now?” Go back, evaluate, and make sure that the things you’re doing right now are for your goals. If you’ve lost interest, then change the narrative or change how you do things. And if it won’t bring you any happiness, then why do it in the first place?  There’s a limitation for what an individual can only handle. The stress can damage your mental health and your body. So, if this is happening inside your work, tell your boss about your struggles. What they want is that you perform well and have outstanding results, so anything that isn’t helpful in their cause should be fixed.  BEST MOMENTS  “There are gonna be times in life that you have lots of things going on.”  “If they care about you, they will understand, and I if they don’t care about you, then why put their needs above yours?”  “Being overwhelmed is horrible. It can utterly destroy you.”  “Take action, take control of your life before stress becomes the killer.”  ABOUT THE HOST  After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.  CONTACT METHOD  Contact the show:  https://serialstresskiller.com  https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller  https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller  Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller  What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected].  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who likes chocolate? Did you know that a recent study by the MS Society showed that by simply consuming hot chocolate that’s high in flavinoids, we can help our bodies to work a lot more efficiently, and reduce stress at the same time.  Maybe it’s time to change your morning habits? Listen in as Christopher explains the science behind it... KEY TAKEAWAYS MS is one of the most common causes of serious disability in younger adults. Around 127,000 adults in the UK suffer from it.  Flavinoids are substances that can slow or halt the damage to cells by free radicals, which are essentially waste material caused by processing food. If your body can’t process these free radicals efficiently it can lead to all kinds of problems, including heart disease, cancer, strokes and respiratory diseases and many more. Milk chocolate has lots of fat and lots of sugar, which means lots of weight gain. They are also LOW in flavinoids. Dark chocolate, however, is rich in flavinoids. Look for 70% cocoa and above. BEST MOMENTS ‘Oh, two more of you at the back!’ ‘Oxidative stress is not great!’ ‘100% dark chocolate is an intense chocolate experience!’ ‘I’m going to replace my morning coffee with a steaming mug of flavinoid rich chocolate!’ ‘You can be a chocolate flavour, flavinoid-fuelled killer’ VALUABLE RESOURCES https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/serial-stress-killer/id1438515546?mt=2    ABOUT THE HOST After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.    CONTACT METHOD Contact the show https://serialstresskiller.com https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected] See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘There are many myths and half-truths around stress that many of us buy into, these can hold us back in our personal development and progress’ Welcome back to The Serial Stress Killer Podcast! Your host, Chris Hackett, continues exploring the myths we are all familiar with surrounding stress! If you missed last weeks episode, go back and listen to the first 6 Myths about stress. Listen in as Chris shares more evidence connected to each myth and explains the ways you can positively manage stress across a range of situations KEY TAKEAWAYS  ‘Stress is the same for everyone’  Stress responses can be emotional, physical or a combination of the two therefore no two individuals will experience stress in the exact same way and will require different needs in order to deal with stress.   “Stress comes from what’s happening in your life”  How you perceive a problem or situation will depend on how you respond to it. We can choose how we react to a situation. The trick is to differentiate between life and death worries from the small and every day niggles.  “A drink is an effective way to deal with stress”  You may think twice about this is you’re wanting to deal with stress. Alcohol is said to increase the amount of stress hormones that we produce rather than having the opposite effect that we want.  “It’s obvious when someone is stressed out”  There are so many symptoms of stress, some people are very good at hiding it. We can be really good at being stressed but not give out the right signals or reactions for others to recognise it.  “The more successful you are, the more stressed you are”  Stress doesn’t make someone successful, it actually reduces our productivity, creativity and can cause mental exhaustion. If you look at the most successful people in the world, they seem to me as if they’re not very stressed.   By eating right, getting enough sleep and taking care of our bodies we can eliminate our stress.”  It’s often echoed that if we keep physically fit we can deal with any obstacles that life throws at us. However, the fundamental causes of the stress we face can be overlooked. Although doing this cant completely eliminate stress, it can certainly help to deal with it.    BEST MOMENTS  “Everyone will have different ways of dealing with stress. Do what works for you. Period.”  “It will only be stressful if you consider it to be stressful.”  “If you’re working crazy hours or are exhausted all of the time, those factors are not going to help you feel cool, calm and collected.”  “A big drink is perhaps not the best way to deal with stress”  “If you are stressed or feeling stressed then tell someone.”  “You’re more likely to be better equip if we look after ourselves.”     VALUABLE RESOURCES  Serial Stress Killer Podcast  ABOUT THE HOST  After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.     CONTACT METHOD  Contact the show  https://serialstresskiller.com  https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller  https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller  Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller  What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘There are many myths and half-truths around stress that many of us buy into, these can hold us back in our personal development and progress’  In the first part of this 2-part series, Chris explores the myths we are all familiar with surrounding stress.  He shares the evidence connected to each myth and explains the ways you can positively manage stress across a range of situations, listen in now to hear more.     KEY TAKEAWAYS  Stress is completely avoidable – It’s impossible to avoid stress, the goal should be to recognise it, embrace it and manage it in the most effective way. If you don’t learn how to deal with stress effectively when any stressful event occurs you will find it challenging and difficult to deal with.  Stress is always a bad thing – at the right level and in certain circumstances stress can be helpful as it can motivate people to take action or change. You can feel stress after positive events too, the key is to manage it successfully.  Stress equals unhappiness – The biggest myth about stress is that it is negative and will always make you unhappy if you successfully manage the things that are stressful then the negative tension and anxiety elements of stress can be removed.  Stress is uncontrollable – Stress can hit at any point in life. There are events in life that are outside of individual control along with those that are controllable. Perspective is everything it is what allows us to see things more clearly so that we are able to recognise the small annoyances for what they are within the bigger picture.  Stress is the best motivator – It is a positive of stress that it helps us to get things done but it's important to define the differences between stress and stimulation. If you are working on a project you love then the stress of deadlines  can be motivating because of the excitement.  Stress is always bad for the body – It is recognised that when stress isn’t managed well it can affect the body adversely so learning to manage stress effectively is key to your physical health.     BEST MOMENTS  ‘You need to learn how to tackle these problems’  ‘You can feel stress after positive events too,  the key is to manage it successfully’  ‘Recognising and deciding not to stress is a powerful skill to be mastered’  ‘If there is stress there is a root problem that will need to be dealt with’  ‘It’s an opportunity to develop and grow if you can recognise it for what it is’     VALUABLE RESOURCES  Serial Stress Killer Podcast     ABOUT THE HOST  After many years of dealing (badly) with personal stress for over 20 years, Chris Hackett is on a mission to help people understand and overcome stress and anxiety by tackling the problem head-on.     CONTACT METHOD  Contact the show  https://serialstresskiller.com  https://www.facebook.com/groups/serialstresskiller  https://www.instagram.com/serialstresskiller  Support the show - https://www.patreon.com/serialstresskiller  What’s been your favourite episode so far? Connect with Chris to let him know - [email protected]  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.