Surviving the Death March

Transcription

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2 Surviving the Death March Stress Management for Proposal Professionals Presented by Jennifer E. Roberts

3 Views on the March Is your experience of those last stages of proposals like a funeral march?

4 Views on the so-called March Or this? New Orleans Funeral Procession

5 Agenda and Topics Conquering Fear Motivation Overcoming the strain of time limits Empowering the 5 senses Mind over matter Exercises for mind and body Environment

6 Activities and Ground Rules Experiential session Leave self criticism at the door Mobile phones silenced Bring your sense of humor for joke breaks Sharing breaks in pairs or triads Participate in exercises Activate your imagination Raffle for balance ball. Win extra tickets when you tell a joke.

7 Welcome to Flight 1.11(insert your proposal) Use of the oxygen mask (not included on some turboprops which do not fly high enough to need supplemental oxygen in a decompression emergency) with associated reminders: that the passenger should always fit his or her own mask before helping children, the disabled, or persons requiring assistance

8 About care and self respect Where are you leading others?

9 Does Stress turn you into this? Godzilla 1954

10 Or can you destress like this? Relaxed cat

11 What keeps you up at night? (Besides late writers) Confusing RFP instructions and arguments Unrealistic deadlines Blame, shame,and justification cycles Personality conflict Last minute amendments Pair off for 2 minutes sharing

12 Sharing Break SHARE WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR

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14 Realities of proposals Procrastination One person's deadline is a proposal manager's all nighter Lack of sleep Bad food, too many carb and sugar snacks Uncomfortable war rooms and hotels Sitting and lack of exercise

15 Overcoming the prime stress emotion

16 Fear: Snake or Rope? Mistaking the rope for the snake, fear came to a man and made him call somebody else to kill the snake. His nervous system began to shake; his heart began to beat... All these manifestations came from fear, and he discovered it was a rope, and they all vanished. The mind which saw the rope and took it for a snake was not under a delusion. If it had been, it would not have seen anything. One thing is taken for another, not as something that does not exist. "The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari"

17 Fear vs Reality When we interpret requirements in our RFP, are we seeing reality? If our reaction is fear, we lose perspective Centering the mind and calming our physical reactions increases focus Share in pairs what are your fears? (Public speaking, spiders, heights, elevators etc.)

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19 Self care in limited time Simple ways to rejuvenate

20 Exercises for mind and Body Increase Focus Reduce stress Rather than numb the brain and emotions, recharge your focus and exercise body and mind

21 Exercise Basic standing posture Remove shoes Stand in place Rock front and back on feet, feel heels and toes Arms hang at side, shoulders loose Look straight forward Imagine silver cord pulling from ground straight up through crown of head Experience your balance -feet are on contact with ground Lean from waist to right, then to left Arms hang at side, shoulders loose This is a basic "tree pose"

22 Exercise: Neck rolls-be gentle At the start of your project, writing Bend head to right 3 times Repeat left Drop head forward 3 times gently Drop head gently back 3 times Roll head - 3 times right, 3 times left Smile From Edgar Cayce's writing

23 Head neck stretch Hold head and lightly tilt to left and right to stretch neck

24 Roll head

25 Head roll continued

26 Head roll continued

27 Continued chair stretches Stretch in chair right to left

28 Side turn in chair

29 Side turn in chair

30 Standing and floor stretches Sitting for long periods wreaks havoc on hips Try stretches in your office or home regularly

31 Please secure a rolling chair against a wall or desk. Stretch inner hip, repeat for right and left.

32 Hamstring stretch following hip stretch Please be sure your rolling chair is stable

33 Floor stretch

34 Raise arm for more of a stretch

35 Hamstring stretch

36 Upper body stretch using yoga strap (can substitute a belt or bath towel)

37 Back stretch using strap, belt or towels

38 Self hug Need I say more?

39 Send the love to others

40 Vocalizing to release emotions To clear lungs and stress The misunderstood and misused disappearing "H" Lessons in choir--sing Hallelujah with "H" Say loudly Ha Ha Ha Force breath with a push from diaphragm Or more discreet, slow yawn "haaaa" Stretch arms out like you're yawning

41 Joke Break Practice your HA HA HA How do you get down from an elephant? Why don't whales use deodorant? How many proposal managers does it take to change a light bulb?

42 Sitting First, to sit in the posture In which you can sit still for a long long time. All the nerve currents which are working pass along the spine. The spine is not intended to support the weight of the body. Therefore the posture must be such that the weight of the body is not on the spine. Let it be free from all pressure. (Swami Vivekananda )

43 Spine - Autonomic Nervous System Spine is the conduit of your nervous system, relates to all organs and glandular systems

44 Sitting Lotus posture relieves pressure on spine and aligns energy flow, releasing blocks Try this every day at home Gaiam ball chair relieves back end pressure Standing desks used by many high tech companies

45 Balance ball chair

46 Standing desk The health benefits and risks seated desk are disputed. Research has linked health risks with both sitting and standing for prolonged periods.[1] While many studies have examined the risks of prolonged sitting due to a sedentary lifestyle or prolonged standing due working conditions, these studies do not directly answer whether or not using a standing desk provides more health benefits than risks, because they do not distinguish work or recreation at a standing desk from blue-collar work or sports.

47 Postures for spine alignment The "Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) is an ancient and proven series of poses for maximum spinal health Meditators sit for long hours, developed for spinal health and strength Any of the poses are good We will do standing poses You can do anytime, anywhere

48 Postures for excellent spine alignment Surya Namaskar "Sun Salutation"

49 Exercise-Standing poses Standing poses from Surya Namaskar You can do this anywhere, at a desk, in a conference room

50 2 minute break SHARING IN PAIRS

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52 Breathing to Focus and Reset Fear reaction Close eyes Focus inner sight on the "movie screen" inside eyelids Close right nostril, inhale through left 5 times Long slow inhale,long slow soundless exhale Alternate - hold closed right nostril - 2 times Do this 3 times Credit: Dr. Vanaja Reddy

53 Breathing for stress relief and higher brain function Use your lung capacity to the fullest With techniques that maximize benefits you were made to experience!

54 Breathing Then there are various sorts of breathing exercises. One consists of three parts: the drawing in of the breath, the holding of the breath stopping still without breathing and throwing the breath out. Some breathing exercises are rather difficult, and some of the complicated ones are attended with great danger if done without proper diet. I would not advise you to go through any one of these except the very simple ones.

55 Breathing Take a deep breath and fill the lungs. Slowly throw the breath out. Take it through one nostril and fill the lungs, and throw it out slowly through the other nostril. Some of us do not breathe deeply enough. Others cannot fill the lungs enough. These breathings will correct that very much. Half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening will make you another person. This sort of breathing is never dangerous. The other exercises should be practiced very slowly. And measure your strength. If ten minutes are a drain, only take five (Paramahansa Yogananda)

56 Basic soundless breathing Place tip of tongue up on roof of mouth-palette Gently and deeply inhale with making sound on inhale or exhale Exercise: divide into groups of 3 Two people talk, one breathes Are you are less susceptible to external noises? The tongue pressure on your palette helps to reduce hearing and vibrations Like a mini escape Credit Dr. Vanaja Reddy

57 Leonardo s Helmet for Stress Reduction From Leonardo DiVinci s drawing of Archangel St. Michael Helmet represents how thoughts move and divert around brain Visualization for protection

58 JOKE BREAK - 3 VOLUNTEERS

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60 Reduce stress and recharge with the senses Sight-color Hear Sound-live music Feel - get warm fuzzies Taste - get healthy Smell-aromatherapy

61 Color me calm and Productive What you see Color scheme for daily activation

62 Color advantage What do you wear to a funeral? Black is negative energy Black blocks the good rays of the sun and contributes to osteoporosis Color brings in and conveys good energy. The following slide is a daily color scheme. You can try this with scarves or ties as you progress through your wardrobe

63 See me Daily color scheme Monday - white Tuesday - red (or orange-the red family) Wednesday - green Thursday - peach, beige, brown, cream Friday - yellow Saturday - blue and black Sunday - bright pink/magenta

64 Hear sounds, music Live sounds and music are the best Listen to nature sounds Live performance A=432 Hz, known as Verdi's 'A' is an alternative tuning that is mathematically consistent with the universe.

65 Taste Feed your brain During times of high brain activity, avoid stimulants and depressants Sugar turns into a crash Stock your war room with protein and vegetables It's easy to get gluten free

66 Feel-touch War rooms, offices, and hotels can be sterile Bring a little fuzziness into your touch Fuzzy slippers or socks And what's better than your dog or cat? Do stretches and give yourself a hug

67 Hurrah for fuzzy slippers

68 Sniff sniff Improve your environment and mood with fragrance Aromatherapy, you can get anywhere Grapefruit or tangerine for cheer Lavender calms Camphor, eucalyptus, peppermint clear sinuses and comfort sore muscles

69 Three - way sharing Share your favorite color, fragrance, music, or your pet cat, dog, or other

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72 Motivation and Time Management Sure I am that this day we are masters of our fate, that the task which has been set before us is not above our strength; that its pangs and toils are not beyond my endurance. As long as we have faith in our own cause and an unconquerable will to win, victory will not be denied us. Winston Churchill

73 Relativity of Time Time is relative Motivation and focus Shortest route When you're sharp, focus improves reaction time Tasks don't take as long Exercises and visualizations

74 Overcoming Sleep Deprivation Sleep is necessary for our health When time robs you of sleep, some meditations and visualizations, along with gentle exercise, can rejuvenate you Many health problems from lack of sleep Sleep properly with back support

75 Motivation The best defense against the crunch of time is a strong offensive line Motivation sets up for success Proposal Managers know to front load milestones in the schedule Here are a few "mind over matter" visualizations

76 Right and left brain hemispheres

77 Exercise for Brain connection Connect the left and right brain - analyst and creative solutions Raise left hand above head palm up Right hand palm faces the floor Imagine a line connecting the left and right hand At the end of writing or project, reverse Credit to Manin Erixon-Stanford-Merrit, VeinsofSilver.org

78 Motivational Pyramid Red motivates and energizes, pyramid is solid, balanced Credits to VeinsofSilver.org; Manin Erixon-Stanford-Merritt

79 Golden Sun Disk Energizes the Pineal gland in center of head, increases speed of thought and focus Credits to VeinsofSilver.org; Manin Erixon-Stanford-Merritt

80 Why brain activation reduces stress Increase gland function in brain Change brain waves Control stress hormones Access same hormones and brain waves that are generated during sleep Controls appetite Increase feelings of peace

81 Scientific physical centers Pineal and Pituitary glands

82 Pineal Gland The pineal gland, also known as the pineal body, conarium or epiphysis cerebri, is a small endocrine gland in the vertebrate brain. It produces melatonin, a serotonin derived hormone, which affects the modulation of sleep patterns in both seasonal and circadian rhythms. Its shape resembles a tiny pine cone (hence its name), and it is located in the epithalamus, near the center of the brain, between the two hemispheres, tucked in a groove where the two halves of the thalamus join.

83 Pineal and pituitary gland

84 Pituitary Gland The pituitary gland, or hypophysis, is an endocrine gland about the size of a pea and weighing 0.5 grams (0.018 oz) in humans. Located just behind the bridge of the nose, it is a protrusion off the bottom of the hypothalamus at the base of the brain.the anterior pituitary (or adenohypophysis) is a lobe of the gland that regulates several physiological processes (including stress, growth)

85 Pituitary Gland Pituitary Gland Hormones secreted from the pituitary gland help control: growth, blood pressure, certain functions of the sex organs, thyroid glands and metabolism as well as some aspects of pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, water/salt concentration and the kidneys, temperature regulation and pain relief.

86 Pineal and Pituitary work together Pineal gland is cone shaped and is located in the middle of the brain behind and just above the pituitary gland. The pineal gland contains pigment similar to that found in the eyes and is connected to the optic thalami, hence it controls the action of light upon our body. The pineal gland is located in the posterior end of the third ventricle of the brain and the pituitary gland is located in the roof of the third ventricle. It is said that the joining of the essences of these two glands in the third ventricle is what opens the Third Eye.

87 Brain waves Theta waves (4-7 cps) occur in sleep and are dominant in our highest state of meditation. We normally only experience theta waves as we drift off to sleep, during some dreaming, and as we return from the depths of delta sleep. The pictures we perceive as we drift off and awaken are in theta wave. During theta wave meditations, we are in a waking dream where vivid imagery flashes before our inner vision.

88 Lotus posture showing energy centers of spine and associated colors and musical notes

89 The 7 Energy centers and endocrine glands Root chakra (1st) Reproductive glands (testes in men; ovaries in women); - about base survival Sacral chakra (2nd) Adrenal glands; regulates the immune system and metabolism. Solar Plexus chakra (3rd) Pancreas; regulates metabolism. Heart chakra (4th) Thymus gland; regulates the immune system. Throat chakra (5th) Thyroid gland; regulates body temperature and metabolism. Third Eye chakra (6th) Pituitary gland; produces hormones and governs the function of the previous five glands; sometimes, the pineal gland is linked to the third eye chakra as well as to the crown chakra. Crown chakra (7th) Pineal gland; regulates biological cycles, including sleep.

90 Hand positions to control stress Also called mudras" Do these when you need a boost

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93 20 minutes of simple recharge

94 Conclusions and summary You can't control everything, But you can control how you react

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97 Speaker Contact Jennifer E. Roberts, CF-APMP Proposal Manager, ManTech Herndon, VA ; Personal:

98 Credits and Resources People, books, resources

99 Resources, Books Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda Swami Vivekananda, various writings The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma Edgar Cayce, various writings

100 Credits Mignon Manin Erixon-Stanford-Merritt Reverend, Shaman, owner at Veins of Silver, LLC and Smithsonian Internet Coordinator VeinsofSilver.org Woodbridge, Virginia

101 Credits Dr. Vanaja Reddy Hyderabad, India; Chantilly, Virginia Yogarjun/Yoga Therapist, and a highly regarded Yogini and Guru from Hyderabad. Certified Yoga Alliance teacher, and Naturopathy practitioner, she is the first & youngest woman to receive the Yogarjun Award

102 Credits Rolston James, Army veteran, personal trainer, coach YMCA, Reston, Virginia

103 Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda 12 January July 1902), born Narendranath Dutta (Bengali: [nɔrend ro nat ʰ d ɔt t o]), was an Indian Hindu monk and chief disciple of the 19th-century Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the introduction of the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the Western world [4] and is credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion during the late 19th century. [5] He is perhaps best known for his speech which began, "Sisters and brothers of America...," [7] in which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago in He later travelled to the United States, representing India at the 1893 Parliament of the World Religions. Vivekananda conducted hundreds of public and private lectures and classes, disseminating tenets of Hindu philosophy in the United States, England and Europe.

104 Parahamansa Yogananda Paramahansa Yogananda (Bengali: পরমহ স য গ নন দ) (5 January March 1952), born Mukunda Lal Ghosh (Bengali: ম ক ন দল ল য ষ), was an Indian yogi and guru who introduced millions of westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his book, Autobiography of a Yogi published in 1946, Yogananda was the first Hindu teacher of yoga to spend a major portion of his life in America. He lived there from , interrupted by an extended trip abroad in which was mainly to visit his guru in India though he undertook visits to other living western saints like Therese Neumann the Catholic Stigmatist of Konnesreuth and places of spiritual significance en route. In 1920 he founded the Self-Realization Fellowship and in 1925 established in Los Angeles, California, USA, the international headquarters for SRF. Yogananda wrote the Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You and God Talks With Arjuna The Bhagavad Gita'

105 Edgar Cayce Edgar Cayce was born on March 18, 1877, near Beverly, south of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. He was one of six children of farmers Leslie B. Cayce and Carrie Cayce. Cayce directed his activities to provide readings centred around health. As a humble individual full of self-doubts, Cayce never profited from his mystic gift. He read the Bible every day, taught Sunday School, and helped others only when asked. Many did ask, and over the years he produced readings that diagnosed health problems, prescribed dietary regimens, dealt with psychic disorders, and predicted future events such as wars, earthquakes, and changes in governments. Enough of his diagnoses and predictions proved true to silence many skeptics and to develop a wide following. In 1929 the Cayce hospital was established in Virginia Beach, sponsored by a Morton Blumenthall, a recipient of the trance readings.

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