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Maybe you're tired of 60-hour work weeks. Maybe you've been taking on the work (and expectations) of two people since a co-worker quit. Or maybe your company is undergoing a merger, leaving your job security in limbo. Whatever it is, you're just burned out. If your professional life is leaving you frazzled, you're hardly alone. More than half of workers say they work under a great deal of stress, and 77 percent say they feel burnout on the job, according to a nationwide survey by CareerBuilder. While office stress is common, it can also have dangerous consequences. Chronic workplace stress has been linked to cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal and psychological disorders, workplace injuries, ulcers and in severe cases, suicide, according to the International Labour Association' Are you experiencing the warning signs of workplace stress? Take this quiz to find out. Select all that apply: Your job no longer challenges you. Yours scores and suggestions from Laura: THE Buddhist Part: From CAS of and belonging to T_A Chenrezig: Some nice Buddhist approaches to Work Stress: Some call it, "TOP TEN of the CHARTS !!" ____________ NUMBER ONE -- "Giving-and- "I am so happy to be suffering from Work Stress !! Haven't I been always praying to be able to take on the suffering of all mother sentient beings ?? I am now truly being able to do so and so am suffering from Work Stress !! The more stress comes my way, the happier i am because i am finally fulfilling what i have been sincerely praying for: to successfully take on sufferings for all beings who have been unbelievably kind to me as my past lives' mothers !! May i Give all happiness to all and Take all sufferings for them !! Hurray !!" NUMBER TWO -- Bad Karma getting pounded !! "I am so glad to be suffering from Work Stress !! Work Stress is taking away all the bad karma i have accumulated since beginningless time !! With my bad karma purified, happiness will come. With bad karma purified, obstacles are getting spoofed and i can practise the Dharma well to be Buddha earliest for good of the world !! I love it !!" NUMBER THREE -- Precious Patience "Work Stress allows for precious opportunity to practise patience !! Through being patient with Work Stress, evil colleagues and bitchy bosses, may i be Buddha fastest for them and for all my beloved mother sentient beings in the world !! The Buddha teaches that Patience is the best way to purify obscurations and accumulate merit !! Work Stress..... what will i do without you !!" NUMBER FOUR -- Right Occupation ( provided no engagements with weaponry, slavery, poison, scams and the likes !! ) "I am treading the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path -- one of which of course is Right Occupation !! So, i am on my way, ultimately, to Liberation from Samsara !! Didn't the Buddha taught about occupation through honest means, honest efforts and all are the Real Auspiciousness ??!! Err....... what stress ??" NUMBER FIVE -- Advantages and Disadvantages: "The way to all happiness lies in cherishing others. The way to all unhappiness lies in cherishing oneself. All have equal right to be happy. All want to be happy. They are many many many more while i am one little individual. So i should rightfully give them all happiness !! Not forgetting, cherishing others is the door to joy and happiness... You know: When you think of offering victory, happiness and everything good to others, you will think less for yourself, and in no time, you will be climbing over Work Stress and sitting on it !! NUMBER SIX -- Buddhist and not-exactly Buddhist exercises Full length prostrations with motivation of wanting to be Buddha fastest for all is a GREAT exercise that withers away my Work Stresses !! Brisk circumambulation of Holy Objects [ actual or visualized !! ] are not too bad either for blowing away the little stresses !! Swimming while thinking of some Buddhist-Themes [ Love: wishing others well / Compassion: wishing others free from suffering / proper Guru-Buddha faith and devotions etc etc ] are lovely !!" [ Exercises produces some kind of chemicals in the head that make you feel good and happy. Also, from exercise, you can stay fit, trim and cute !! ] NUMBER SEVEN -- Watch Feelings "I know i am stressed. I am observing the feeling. I am not rejecting it or giving any more labels -- just watching it !! When it ceases, i don't jump and scream. When i feel stress again, i don't reject it either. I just watch and remain mindful and aware of it. What peace !! What serenity !! But wait, i don't get attach to the blissful peace !! I just watch it come and go, rise and fall and remain peaceful and mindful throughout." NUMBER EIGHT -- Shamatha Breathing-Meditatio NUMBER NINE -- Emptiness and the 6 Bardos "Isn't everything just manifestations within our Bardo of Living ?? Things arise out of Causes and Conditions and when Causes and Conditions disintegrate, the "Things" cease too !! Where art thou .... Independently existent "Things" ??!! Since, Work Stress are mere dream-like manifestations in One of the Six Bardos and they are simply impotent labels we gave to inherently "Empty" matters-circumstanc ____________ King of the Charts Number TEN -- "Pray !!!" "Lord Guru-Buddha / Guru-Tara / Guru-Guan Yin and all Buddhas. You know everything. You have supreme Compassion. You have supreme Love. You don't judge. You accept and love all and you protect all. You are powerful because you have transcended all ephemeral phenomena, having complete mastery over all illusory, deceptive appearances of all within samsara and nirvana !! I trust you !! Please inspire-bless me that i know, contemplate and practise all the above !!" "Please bless-inspire me that i can love all beings more than myself !!" "Please bless-inspire me that i may feel sincerely and genuinely happy when taking on suffering for all my mother sentient beings !!" "Please bless-inspire me that i will never fall away from your holy teachings and will never abandon Bodhicitta.. "Please bless-inspire me that all Work Stress will ripen on myself alone and so free all beings from Stresses: stresses from work / stresses from giving birth / stresses from having cracked the toilet just by sitting on it ( helpful clue: the weight ) / stresses from having hair-do like a freaky mop and every possible, conceivable stresses !!" "OM MANI PEMAY HUNG !!" "NAMO AMITOFUO !!" "OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA !!" "NAMO GUAN SHI YIN PUSA !!" ____________ Methods 1 to 7 belong to the "Methods" Strategies while 8 and 9 belong to the "Wisdom" Strategies -- Number Ten is the underlying Faith and Main Generator for all !! ____________ In general, do learn to be (1) Accepting, (2) Understanding and (3) Happy of all things !! ____________ If all the above fail, you may have: A) Reached what is known as THE "toxic" level and you could be seriously jeopardizing your mental and physical health. So, QUIT. .... If your boss don't love you / If your colleagues and clients don't love you ..... someone out there will kill to have you !! There is always a way out there for you !-- No fears ..... we got the Buddha's Mind Training Methods don't we !! B) Not been practising the above well properly / not been practising them at all ( !! ) / knowing but not exerting efforts at them !! [ The solution: To practise them !! ] ____________ Footnotes: bb & some beings @ CAS of and ( THANKFULLY !! ) belonging to Chenrezig exclaimed in one voice, "What stress !! We only quit our job last month only what.... now you know why suddenly got so many CASonlines the past weeks ??!!" | ||||||
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