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Exercise #1: Identify your holiday stressors
Note: the exercises in this workbook are all available separately in an editable Word file that you can download from your class resource page.
You can either print this workbook out and fill out the exercises with a pen, or just use your computer to fill them out in the Word file. Whichever option works best for you is fine.
The things that stress me out most about the upcoming holidays are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Circle (or bold, or highlight – whatever works) the one that feels like the biggest stressor for you. If more than one feels like a biggie, choose a second as well.
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 1
Exercise #2: Figure out your preferred stress management strategy/ies
Step 2.1 – Brainstorm possible strategies
Read through all the strategies listed on Pages 10-14 of the workbook. Using them as food for thought, try to come up with at least 20 possible strategies – fight, flight or acceptance – that you could use to manage your biggest stressor and/or your stress response. As with all brainstorming, try not to judge the ideas as they come up: even if they seem unrealistic, silly or just plain weird.
Don’t move to Step 2.2 until you’ve identified at least 20 (maybe even more?)
My biggest stressor/s:
Strategies I could use to manage it include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 2
Repeat this for each stressor if you have more than one
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 3
Step 2.2 Decide which one/s are going to be most effective for you
Write your top holiday stressor/s in the left-hand cell of each row, and your preferred strategies in the right-hand cell.
Note: if you only have one main stressor, just fill out the first row!
Holiday stressor/s Which strategy/ies would help me most with the stress from this?
Stressor 1: Strategy 1:
Strategy 2:
Strategy 3:
Stressor 2: Strategy 1:
Strategy 2:
Strategy 3:
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 4
Step 2.3 Identify the actions you’ll need to take to make each strategy happen
What actions would you need to take to make your preferred strategies happen? Again, write the strategy in the left-hand cell, and the actions in the right.
Note: again, if you only have one or two strategies, just fill out the relevant rows!
Preferred stress management strategy/ies What actions would I need to take to make that happen?
Strategy 1: Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
Action 4:
Action 5:
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 5
Preferred stress management strategy/ies What actions would I need to take to make that happen?
Strategy 2: Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
Action 4:
Action 5:
Strategy 3: Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
Action 4:
Action 5:
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 6
Exercise #3: Incorporate regular re/charging techniques into your life
3.1: Identify re/charging activities that appeal to you
On Pages 7-8, I talked about activities that introverts often find recharging. Rate each of them in the table below from 1- 5 for how much each one appeals to you (1 = “ick, thanks but no thanks” and 5 = “I’d do this all day if I could find a way to get paid for it”).
If you think of something I haven’t mentioned, but you know it would help to recharge your energy levels, feel free to add it in at the bottom.
Skill 1 2 3 4 5
Reading
Meditating
Music
Walking
Swimming
Other solo exercise
T’ai Ch’i
Yoga
Making art
Calling a trusted friend / mentor
Other re/charging activity 1:
Other re/charging activity 2:
Other re/charging activity 3:
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 7
3.2: Figure out how to incorporate your top 3 activities into your life over the holidays
Once you know what your top three recharging activities are, it’s time to incorporate them into your life. First, figure out when you can regularly schedule time for them, then look at setting boundaries to ensure you actually follow through with doing them.
Example technique
My highest scoring technique
My 2nd highest scoring technique
My 3rd highest scoring technique
Technique / activity Reading
Where do you already manage to incorporate this into your life right now?
I read for the first half hour after I get up each morning while I’m having my
cuppa and breakfast
Where is there an opportunity to bring more of it into your daily life over the holiday season?
I could load a few ebooks onto my phone and take 15 minutes to myself to read in the car before I go gift-shopping
How much time could you realistically spend doing this during the holiday period?
I could spend at least 4 hours a week reading without it impacting negatively
on the rest of my life
How could you realistically dedicate extra time for this before/ after a known stressful / energy-draining event?
I could block out the hour before any family celebrations and at least two
hours afterwards
What boundaries can you set or actions can you take to make sure you actually DO spend time on this?
I can create an appointment in my calendar and actively block the time
out so that nothing else ends up taking that time. I could also let a friend who understands know what I’m doing and
use her for accountability
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 8
3.3: Update your action list
Once you’ve identified the technique/s you’re going to use, and figured out ways to incorporate the extra activities into your life, you may need to update your action list!
If so, make a note of any new actions in the table below. If not, skip to the next step.
Preferred energy management technique/s What new actions would I need to take to make sure I do it?
Technique 1: Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
Preferred energy management technique/s What new actions would I need to take to make sure I do it?
Technique 2: Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 9
Exercise #4: Identify your support structures
4.1: Identify where support would be most useful for you, and who could provide it
Write the relevant stress and energy management strategy from Steps #2 and #3 in the left-hand column. Then write the support you need in the middle, and the name of your ideal support person in the right.
Stress management strategy/ies (from Step #2) What support do I need Who could best help?
1.
2.
3.
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 10
Energy management activity/ies (from Step #3) What support do I need Who could best help?
1.
2.
3.
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 11
4.2: Update your action list
Again, once you’ve identified the support you need, and who could provide it, you may need to update your action list!
If so, make a note of any new actions in the table below. If not, skip to the next step.
Getting support What new actions do I need to take to get the support I need in place?
Support source: Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
Getting support What new actions do I need to take to get the support I need in place?
Support source: Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
Getting support What new actions do I need to take to get the support I need in place?
Support source: Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 12
Exercise #5: Actually schedule your actions
No tables to fill out for this exercise, you’ll be happy to know! You may already have a scheduling system you use regularly. If so, you don’t need me to explain the details of how to use it to you.
Just – you know – schedule your actions for dates that make sense to you!
If you’re coming from a place of being scheduling-averse, however, I recommend following the three quick steps below:
1. Pick a scheduling system that works for you: (and yes, “post-it notes on your computer screen” absolutely counts if you only have a few actions to keep track of).
2. Pick a date for each of the actions you identified in Steps #2, #3 and #4: you may want to go back through each of the steps, and copy the actions over to a single combined list. Or not. Whatever works best for you is great.
3. Enter each action into your system against the appropriate date: yes, this step really is that easy. Rinse and repeat for each action.
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 13
Step 6: My personalised Introverts’ Holiday Survival Plan
Remember: just because there’s a box for three strategies and three energy management techniques doesn’t mean you have to fill all of them in. I’ve tried to create this table with enough room for someone who wants to use multiple strategies, but it’s totally fine if you only have one of each!
Stressor Stress Management Strategy/ies
Energy Management Technique/s (what/when)
Support Structures (who/what) Actions Date
Biggest Holiday stressor 1:
Strategy 1: Technique 1:
When:
Who:
What:
1.2.3.4.5.
1.2.3.4.5.
Strategy 2: Technique 2:
When:
Who:
What:
1.2.3.4.5.
1.2.3.4.5.
Strategy 3: Technique 2:
When:
Who:
What:
1.2.3.4.5.
1.2.3.4.5.
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 14
Stressor Stress Management Strategy/ies
Energy Management Technique/s (what/when)
Support Structures (who/what) Actions Date
Biggest Holiday stressor 2:
Strategy 1: Technique 1:
When:
Who:
What:
1.2.3.4.5.
1.2.3.4.5.
Strategy 2: Technique 2:
When:
Who:
What:
1.2.3.4.5.
1.2.3.4.5.
Strategy 3: Technique 2:
When:
Who:
What:
1.2.3.4.5.
1.2.3.4.5.
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 15
Who exactly is Tanja? (and why is she qualified to run this class)?
Who am I?Hi, I'm Tanja! I'm a weaver of words and a sculptor of stories over at Crystal Clarity Copywriting (although I’ll be moving all of my introvert-related stuff to a completely new website soon).
My mission at Crystal Clarity is to help introverted difference-makers like you write with concise, creative clarity that your readers intuitively understand.
Because if your readers truly “get” how much of a difference you can make in their lives? They’re much more open to connecting with you and letting you help them.
Why am I running this class?
In addition to my copywriting experience, I also have an undergraduate degree in Psychology, and diplomas in Communication and Holistic Stress Management.
Plus, I have a serious passion for helping introverts – not least because I’m so deeply introverted myself. So, given the crazy amounts of stress we introverts can experience at this time year, I wanted to put together something that would genuinely help.
The course workbook you’re holding is a direct result of that.
Want to know more about what I do?
If you’d like to check out more about me in a totally no-pressure environment, why not:
say hello on Twitter
follow me on Facebook
check out my blog
get my short-n-sweet weekly writing tips, ideas and resources
sign up to be notified about introvert-related blog posts, announcements and programme info
© 2013 Tanja Gardner, Crystal Clarity Copywriting Ltd – www.crystalclaritycopywriting.com, Page 16
