| Stress at work is a given. Why else do so many | | | | Christmas tree, a couple of yards of muslin, and a |
| companies hand out little squeezy stress balls to their | | | | set of permanent markers. Over the course of two |
| employees? I've never known those things to | | | | or three evenings I cut out 24 gingerbread man |
| actually reduce everyday stress. You're not allowed | | | | shaped figures about 10" high from the muslin and |
| to really peg someone in the back of the head with | | | | then colored different designs on half of them with |
| one the way you want to when someone has been | | | | the markers. They weren't personalized with names |
| so rude as to not put more paper in the printer when | | | | but I did try to vary the designs according to what I |
| they last used it. Or when someone didn't bother | | | | thought might fit each person's character in an |
| making more coffee after they took the last cup. | | | | amusing way. Then I sewed them up including |
| But one does come in handy for squeezing to | | | | scraggly strands of embroidery floss for hair, stuffed |
| strengthen your hand or, if placed between your | | | | them and, voila, I had 12 Dammit Dolls! |
| back and your ergonomically engineered chair that | | | | Showing up at work a bit early, I set up the tree on |
| seems to be designed for people 5'10" and above, | | | | a central table in our group and tucked the dolls all |
| you can use it for a mini lower-back massage. | | | | over it. It helped to add some candy canes here and |
| Though for real, temporary stress relief, it's my | | | | there also. The fun began when everyone came in. I |
| opinion that chocolate works much better. | | | | explained that these were Dammit Dolls and each |
| My all-time greatest contribution for overall team | | | | person could have their own. They each got to |
| stress relief was during the holiday season when I | | | | choose whichever one they wanted and, surprisingly, |
| worked in a call center. Every team would decorate | | | | pretty much everyone chose the one I had in mind |
| their section with lights and tinsel and stockings and | | | | for them when I was coloring them. |
| whatever else they could think of to create some | | | | It was a huge hit. People could throttle and twist the |
| kind of festive atmosphere. Christmas cards were | | | | dolls and one girl even used hers as a voodoo doll to |
| routinely handed out. There were baked goods and | | | | stab repeatedly with T-pins! Everyone kept theirs |
| candies galore. We all would get fat and sometimes | | | | long after the holiday season and I even had a few |
| sluggish. But the job was still the job and the daily | | | | requests for more from other group's supervisors. I |
| stress was still lurking about. So I decided to do | | | | guess it just goes to show that for stress relief, |
| something a little different. | | | | something with a face works better than a mere |
| There were about a dozen people in our group. | | | | squeezy ball. Hmm, now if I could just find little |
| Inspiration struck. I bought a cheap 3 ft. artificial | | | | chocolate people to bite. |