Stress is hard to avoid today as we find ourselves perpetually multitasking to get get things done in a world where we are constantly faced with the many demands of a faster pace of life. But there must be a way to catch your breath, “rejuvenate your jets”. There is. But it requires focusing on one activity and only one that is just for you.

We all do it. I bet you recently were talking with someone, and either you or the other person was texting somebody else at the same time. It may seem like the norm, but it never used to be. Besides the what-seems-ancient-now rudeness of this action, it splits your focused time between often divergent tasks.

You may feel that you can handle multiple things, but multi-tasking means splitting 100% of your attention into fractions of that total. For serious activities, such as driving, this can have dire consequences. In other situations, your mind can get a bit fuzzy, and at a minimum increase your stress level.

Steve Labbe notes, “You can’t do more than one thing. I thought I could… But really, you can only focus on one thing at a time.” Steve goes on to say that the real deal with handling multiple tasks and other people is the “magic of now”. Steve says, “[Picture this] You’re engulfing yourself in that person’s conversation. Be aware, it is truly a gift to listen. Enjoy it.”

But when was the last time you could sit still? Aren’t we always looking for ways to insert our own comments into the conversation when we are listening to somebody else? Why not simply r-e-l-a-x? Sit back. Steve adds, “It is the gift of giving. That’s the beauty of listening. Give comfort to the other person. Make folks comfortable by your listening to them. Be positive.” So, how do you do that?

“Well,” says Steve, “Yoga. Two times a week. 5:30-6 is my time slot.” He needs it. “Work is on your mind. You need to relax. Breath. Think new blood.” He also finds group yoga to be great. “You meet beautiful people who are focused on relaxing. I love it.”

The best practice to deal with reducing stress is to set a reoccurring time to do what you love, and just do it. Of course, some people discover they can’t follow through. If this happens, it is probably because you didn’t want it enough.

Steve says, “There are only two ways you can deal with stress: be proactive or reactive. Being reactive means that you are constantly putting out fires. That, of course, adds stress. You need to find better ways to take care of yourself. Janine (Steve’s yoga mentor) is so kind in telling me each time I go to yoga, ‘Thank you for taking this hour for YOU.’ [As a business owner] I am always telling people what to do. I really love it when somebody tells me what to do. I trust her and am really relaxed.” By focusing on his relaxation time, Steve Labbe is “rejuvenating his jets” and improving his health. You can to!!!