Your Stress Toy Collection

07/23/2003

"Without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue. You have to have courage—courage of different kinds: first, intellectual courage, to sort out different values and make up your mind about which is the one which is right for you to follow. You have to have moral courage to stick up to that—no matter what comes in your way, no matter what the obstacle and the opposition is." - Indira Gandhi

YOUR STRESS TOY COLLECTION

Sue Baldwin, in her new book, The Playful Adult: 500 Ways to Lighten Your Spirit and Tickle Your Soul (Stillwater, MN: INSIGHTS Training and Consulting, 2002; www.suebaldwin.com) offers this advice on relieving stress:

"As a professional adult in my early twenties, I needed to incorporate a little fun into my office life to help reduce the stress. I began collecting children's toys that adults could enjoy. When I spun a little plastic top, played with a puppet, or built a short block tower on my desk, I relaxed. After my short recess, my work didn't seem as stressful as it did before I played.

"My toy collection grew. When I began doing workshops on stress management, I had a large bag of toys, including Slinky toys, bubbles, blocks, and tops for my presentations. I let the participants play as they listened to me, so they could have fun while they learned.

"You do not have to spend a lot of money on your stress toy collection -- you can even use household items. Remember the toys should be tactile and relaxing."

Are you stressed out about finding new employees? Check out the highly trafficked "Employment Opportunities" section of our web site, www.ChildCareExchange.com.

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