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Stressed out – too many marketing and sales phone calls

I am stressed out due to too many marketing and sales phone calls i receive everyday.

I receive marketing/sales calls from personal loan, flexi loan, health insurance, investment plan, real-estate, donation charity calls and etc.

I availed personal loan in the past, i have life insurance as well as health insurance. I purchased a home/flat in the past. I gave donation to charities.

I receive 10 to 15 calls per day from the above industries. I am tired of talking to the telephone executives. Even i say, i am not interested, they are not leaving me. They keep trying to convince me. Each phone call last for 5 to 10 minutes. Sometime they chase me in whatsapp too.
I am stressed out of these marketing calls. Some marketing agency is selling my phone number as hot lead to many sources. Do not know what to do now.

I purchased another number,. It is a fresh number, allocated me to first time. Not been used by anybody in the past. I will not attend any calls from unknown numbers in my old number. Only for family members this new number will be given.

Really frustrated by telephone executives and driven to purchase second phone number.

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Stress in Decision Making

Taking decision is not stress free. If we postpone taking decision, our stress level will increase. Actually decision making is stressful if we don’t have sufficient data.

Decision by Fact vs Hypothesis
When we have facts, we do not need to take decision, because facts will tell what to do. When we do not have facts, we have to make decision by hypothesis.

To take decision we need bravery rather than intelligence. Of course intelligence is must, but bravery is best for taking decision. The decision making ability is must for an administrator. It needs for all human being, but for administrator it is essential.

Foregone decision must be avoided. Decision according to situation or circumstance is best. Circumspect is a man of decision. He knows the decision to be taken according to the environment.

Worrying after taking decision is useless and foolish. It is better to think thousand times before taking decision. But decision should not be retreated after embracing it. It is impossible like recalling an arrow after bowing it. Like words, decision is a slave to us before taking it. After taking decision, it will be our master.

Taking decision is the one of the major ingredients of leadership quality. A leader without the ability to take decision is like a pen without nip.

We should not expect all our decision would be right. To take a right decision, it needs larger experience and greater analytical power. Out of two analytical is important. Do not worry about the wrong decision, because right decision can be taken from the experience gained at wrong decision.

It is best to take right decision. It is acceptable to take wrong decision. But, it is worst of all to be indecisive rather than taking decision.
While taking decision do not be worrying as it may go at astray. Do not fear to take decision. Decision must be taken at any cost. Right decision makers are like winners in the game. Wrong decision makers are like runners in the game. ‘Indecisivers’ are spectators to the game. So take decision when and where it is to be taken.

There are very rare and few circumstance when decision should not be taken.
A problem is solved by a right decision. It is left as it is by indecision. But become worse by wrong decision. In such situation it is better to avoid taking decision. Time can solve many problems.

First, find out whether this situation/problem really needs a decision/solution. If it is true, take the decision without hesitation. If it is not true then leave it as it is. Whether to take decision or not is also a decision.

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House Wife Stress

What are the problems of stressed wives?

Money Constraint:
Live within the salary of husband or how much is given by husband.
Either house wives do not have full financial freedom or sufficient finance. Both are tough Stresses.

Routine Job:
Working women can change the company, if they not like it or get bored with it. But house wife can not change their ‘company’. Irrespective of ‘likings’, they have to do the routine job. It is the spirit of ‘love’ glue them to their families(companies).

Lack of Appreciation:
Working women are recognised or appreciated in their office. They get promotion, salary hike and in some way their hard work and achievements are recognized by the people/company to whom they serve. But the dedication and hard work of the house wives are always ignored. Every human being deserve appreciation for the role they play. But the role of house wife never get its appreciation it deserve duly. If you are a house wife and you are appreciated for successfully carrying out your task, please post/comment here.

No Leave:
House wife has to work without leave. Even on holidays, they can not escape from the duties of taking care of their children, husband. I could not think of job with holidays.

Identification Crisis:
If the wife is an “educated house wife”, their self identification will be a stress. Educated woman wants to identify herself as ‘working woman’ in her society. She wants to have professional tagging to her identification. If she is not able to or allowed to go to job due to some ‘valid reasons’, she will have a sort of stress for being an ‘Educated House Wife’.

There is no rule that a house wife must live with all or some stresses mentioned above. There might be few house wives living without the stresses discussed above. If you have any other stress to be highlighted here, please post/comment here.

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Smart Programmer

Smart Programmer work less and produce more. He get the job done without giving stress to their client or immediate boss. At the same time he does not have stress or does not work till he burn out.

Smart programmer understand clearly, what has to be done, what is the need of the client. He works in a line and length with requirement to fulfill the needs of the client. He does what makes client happy, not what is easy to him.

Smart programmers has technical expertise. He innovates new ways to get the job done quickly and easily. He does not look at his monitor for whole day. He works few hours a day and show more productivity than stress free programmer and stressful programmer.

If a task needs 8 hours of labor, he takes 5 to 6 hours and be relaxed in remaining hours. He does not take 12 to 14 hours to complete a 8 hours job and saying ‘I am working more, staying upto midnight in the office…’.

He is quick in his work as well as leaving the office quickly in the evening.

Smart programmer is stress free because of his skill in time estimating. He does not over estimate or under estimate. He will convince the client or immediate boss that why he needs such a timeline to get the task done.

Smart Programmer has both communication and persuasion skills.

When client or immediate boss, forcing to complete a task in too short time, smart programmer will not agree. He has guts and confidence to oppose the immediate boss if he is charged inhumanly.

Smart programmer know what he can and can’t do. He will not commit for what he can’t do.

Focusing on client’s requirement, be truth full to what he can do and can’t, being positive in communications and having guts and confidence to oppose when he is demanded more inhumanly, and with little bit creativity. These are the attitudes of Smart Programmer.

In overall, the stress level between the smart programmers and the clients will be lower or zero percent. They keep themself happy and keep the client happy.

Being a smart programmer is not related to technical skill alone. It is related to attitude more than technical skills.

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Hypothesis About Stress

Stress is highly ignored issue in the society. Too much of important is given to Blood Pressure, Heart Attack, and Ashthma. If half of their importance is given to stress, we could avoid them all together.

Here are some hypothesis about stress.

Software professionals are highly prone to stress.
Well, this is wrong. Stress is everywhere. I have seen a Bus conductor in chennai, India, who was stressed out by facing 3000+ passengers per day.

People who work 12 to 18 hours per day have stress. The level of hard work done by poor Indian farmers is beyond compare.

Eating too much gives stress. Watching TV gives stress.
If I eat less, I will have stress. I watch comedy channels and movies in TV to get rid of stress.

Doing Yoga, Exercise, Meditation avoids stress.
If you are obsessed and compel yourself to practice, those things when you are not able to do them, they will give stress to you. You do not have time to do yoga, but you squeeze your schedule to do yoga, soon the stress buster becomes stress creator.

Wrong life style cause stress. If you are reading this article, your life is not worse than people who live in streets and platforms. You lead a life style, which is better than 70% of the Indian population.

My hypothesis about stress

Stress leads to change. No Stress, No Change. Stress is mutation. Proper solution to stress leads to comfort. If we don’t find a solution to stress or we withstand stress, we may have health related issues due to prolonged stress.

Every stress has a solution. We have to find out.

For me the worst stress is relationship stress. Others are stress due to lack of clarity about what we want, stress due to unknown fears, and cognitive errors.

Stress is subjective. What is stress is differ from individual to individual.

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Work without Stress

Today’s biggest problem to developing and developed countries is Stress to their working force. Nobody cares about it. Because Stress is a slow process. It can slowly spoil the your relationship with others.

People fight because of the stress but without aware of it.

Hidden reason for many divorce is relationship stress.

Many job jumping is because of stress. Once the stress is increased in the current job by whatever reason, people change the company. Soon in the new company, the same is repeated.

The causes of stress may be anything, but stress spoils the quality of life. We will loose our sense of well being.

High expectation, committing more than what you can deliver, fear of loosing the job, under paid job, working for long hours, working without taking rest in proper intervals, and immediate boss harassment are all related to job stress. People work happily in one company and jump to another company for higher pay then trap into the stress. Because higher pay demands higher productivity.

We should aware of stress limit. Like body weight increases stress increases without our knowledge. We feel it later on ,when it becomes the issue.

We can work out everyday to avoid increasing body mass, in the same manner we can practice certain relaxation work out in our daily life. So stress level will be in control. Yoga, meditation, music, sports, walking, aquarium are better anti-stress practices. One should aware which best suits him/her for stress relaxation. Practice it everyday.

Use your leaves offered in office. Take leave in proper interval. Go to vacation. Never do over-work continuously. Never work with tension. If tension mounted then stop working. Never fear of loosing job.

Do not think the current employment is the end of job market. There is no job security in the world. World is the biggest market with vast variety. You can sell yourself at the price you expect easily. World is big.

Never work under stressful environment. This life is one time, live peacefully and happily.

If there is any immediate boss harassment in your working place, disappear from the place without even intimation. We are not here to fight with such superiors.

Long working hours will not kill you, but kill your quality of life. Beware of Long workings.

Better way to beat ‘Fear of Losing Job’ is save three months of your pay check in your bank. Whatever happens you can get another job within three months. Your savings can meat out your life needs. Do not be in a situation as if your pay check stopped, depend on others or borrow money for your expense. Save some amount to balance job hunting time.

Your loyalty to company, efficiency, expertise level , say many ‘yes’ to boss and nothing is going to protect expect your bank balance. Your ability to work consistently is the key factor of your survival and success not your loyalty to boss. There is no royalty for loyalty.

Your mental and physical fitness and skill set are the most important things to earn than anything. Preserve it. Protect it from Stress.

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8hrs job without stress

Are we living to work or working to live, I feel working to live, I am going to the job, to live, to meet my expenses. I am not ready to dedicate my full day for working , then where I am living.

I do not consider working is living. Working/earning is part of living. We are spending almost 10-14hrs including travelling time of a day in working, then sleeping for some hours, spend little time with yourself, friends, family, habby and anything. Is it what we are destined to?.

In the nature, no living being is working after sunset. Birds go to their nest before sunset. Nature’s instruction is stop working after sunset. Farmers normally donot work after sunset. They live happily and healthily. Nature has tuned our body to work in such way only. Ancient man never work after sunset. Even Hindu Prunas war is conducted during day light only.

The stress of Long working hours leads to Low Productivity in both official and social life, irregular sleeping pattern, stress , de-coubling the relationship, and etc.

I accept there may be some emergency where exceptions are there. But exception should be rare not regular.

Long working hour stress is familiar with Sofware Industry but now it is extending to all industry from banking to everything.

Let us analysis what we are loosing and gaining by working more hours
(10-16 hrs a day).
There is no use of having money, when you donot have time to spend it.

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Surrender to your Immediate Boss to avoid Office Politics

There is a strategy to escape from ‘office politics’. No loss, no tension. You are safe and secure forever. Surrender to your immediate boss.

Having good rapport with your immediate boss is the easiest way to get your niche in office politics.

Never try to voluntarily get close to the boss of your immediate boss. It may provacate irritation and fear to your immediate boss. Soon he will execute harassment. If he allows you to create rapport with his boss, you are free to establish relationship with his boss.

There may be competitors to your immediate boss. Never never never get close to those people. They may have equal designation with your boss or having race with your immediate boss. Each one is trying to put down another. Avoid getting into cross fire. Never get close to ‘enemy’ of your immediate boss. This is worst mistake.

Show your ‘Sub-Ordination’ explicitly in your attitude and body language. Let others understand as you are in side of your boss because of his designation. So none will disturb you.

Remember, no other person can harm you like your immediate boss. No other person can help you like your immediate boss. He is the one who can either remove or give you peace in your work place.

At the same time be detached. Keep distance from your boss. You should be able to say ‘No’ when you have to say ‘no’. Otherwise, your ego will get wounded.

When your ego get wounded by your boss, you start to hate him. You will develop negative feelings. Soon, your negative feelings will be reflected in your speech and actions. Your relationship with your boss will get friction depending upon the maturity level of your boss.

Good immediate boss never put down the ego of their subordinates. They must have realized that to be successful they need the support of their subordinates as a team. He has to understand everyone’s need and what satisfy them. Some seek money, some seek respect, some seek comfort. Successful boss provides what every subordinate is expecting. Even they do not express it, he has to find and provide.

Be detached from your Boss. You may be promoted or changed. Your immediate supervisor will be changed. Change your ‘sub-ordination’ to your new immediate boss. Don’t repel your new boss. Show your subordination to the designation, but not for the human being who is holding it.

The thumb rule is establish good relationship with your immediate boss. You will have peace.

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Reasons for Job Stress

Working hard or working long are not the reasons for stress especially job stress. Stress is a psychological response than physical. Food habit also plays role in stress.

Everything is mindset. You are working with a lady, beautiful lady. You are attracted by her and she too attracted towards you. Spending time with her – speaking, seeing, and everything is a great pleasure to you. You don’t feel for working long now. You like to work long. If the office is closed sharply by 6pm, you will feel it is too early to close.

You will not have job stress now. Job is a pleasure now. You love to be in the office rather than spending time outside. You work long without minding working long. You mind only the beauty where you get hooked.

Soon either you or the lady may be fired or transfered from the office due to office politics. Anyway, there is no job stress till you spend time with the woman.

You are sound financially. You have family support. You are well off. Job is not a mandatory in your life. Job will not be pressure to you. You will not have Job Stress. Job is one more activity in your life.

If your job is what you like to do, you will not have stress even you work for 24hrs a day.

You will not have job stress if you are able to lead your life without a need to work.

You will not have job stress if you are able to say ‘NO’ when you like to say no.

If you are confident and aware that loosing the current job is not going to affect your life anyway, you will not have job stress.

Job will not be a pressure to you when you are able to unload ‘Job Conscious’ from your mind. Fill your mind with what is interesting to you. What to fill your mind is up to you. Fill good things. Best is to fill by God’s wisdom.

People who meet one or more features discussed above are successful in both personal and career life. They do not have job stress. They have high productivity. Professional management adorns and absorbs such people.

Fire is hot. Anyone touches the fire will feel hot. This is common to all. Fire will not respond differently depending upon individuals. You, me, and everybody feels the same when we touch fire. If job gives stress, everybody working in your office should have stress, but only few are stressed out. All the people working are not getting stress. You can see in your office that many/few are enjoying their job, no stress, no tension.

Job Stress is subjective. It depends upon how you interpretate the concept ‘JOB’. Changing the bosses, companies on behalf of job stress will not give any result. It is your mind-set and attitude create stress. Wherever you go, you will have the same unless you change. It is you have to change.

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Ignore the Office Politics to Reduce Job Stress

Office politics and work stress are closely related. Ignore the office politics to reduce stress. It is not the workload alone which is the reason for stress. It is our mindset and smouldering negative emotions, which create stress.

Your stress level mounts when your mind is obsessed and got feverish with negative thoughts or negative emotions. Work load is not an issue if you are happy and you have sense of well being.

You will have detractors if you are skillful and talented. You will have competitors, you will earn jealous of others. The existing employees or senior by date of joining have fear or jealous at you. You will have tough time if you are smarter than your immediate boss or superior. You will be insulted directly or indirectly. What they want is to get you out of the company and let them be on top always.

Your relationship stress mounts if you react to the above scenario negatively.

IGNORING ALL THESE OFFICE POLITICS IS THE BEST WAY TO AVOID THEM AND KEEP SUCCEEDING IN YOUR CAREER.

My friend is a programmer. He is well talented with high productivity. He was a quickly promoted to higher levels. The programmers working in the company who are senior to him by date of joining get jealous at him. They represent the management. They insulted him directly or indirectly. They always teased him, put him down many times.

Those who are close to management or acting as immediate boss or superior expect others to be meek to them in all the aspects. Those who are better than them will be tossed like anything.

My friend who had got friction with such people. He started to develop angry feelings, and negative emotions. He did not fight with them explicitly. He kept ‘bottle necking’ his angriness and negative feelings. Even after office hours, he was thinking about them. He was always having the angry feelings and frustrations. His head was overloaded with angry thoughts. He was obsessed or got feverish with his detractors thoughts.

He did not think about his girl friend, his parents, God, brothers and sisters, and friends. But, kept thinking about his competitors.

His productivity in the work got reduced slowly. He was not able to concentrate in his work. His productivity reduced due to wasting his mental strength by having a non-stop ego friction. His workload was also increased. All led him to severe stress and depression problems.

He met me and discussed his problem. He said that he was not able to concentrate in his work. He had some health problems. He suddenly started speaking about his office detractors. He was about to quit the company due to these problems.

I understood his real problem. I explained the real reason for his mental tiredness and lack of concentration. I suggested him to stop thinking about his office detractors. I told him that he would get back his mental strength if he ignores their ill treatment, if he forgives them.

Company pays him, he does not need to bother about others. I told him few tips for how to ignore his detractors.

Office politics is everywhere. Learn to ignore it. Just concentrate on your work. As long as, company is paying you and the workload is bearable ignore other things.

My friend realized the his problem. It is not the work load or his immediate boss which give him stress. It is the way how he responded, which actually give stress to him.

My friend develops pity at his detractors in the office. He is happy that he is skilled enough to earn jealous of other people. He thinks about what he likes and who like him. His angriness disappears. He regains his form and productivity. He is rising to further higher level in his career.

Slowly and steadily, his detractors skip him. They will find another rising star for screwing. My friend is happy and healthy both mentally and physically.