Decreasing Stress at Work
We spend a lot of time at work, and most of that time we’re pretty stressed out. Between the traffic on the commute, tight deadlines, overbearing bosses, and coworkers we might not get along with, we spend our days trying not to scream, cry, and run away. This situation puts our minds and our bodies under a great deal of stress, which is a risk factor in many diseases including heart disease and cancer, as well as obesity and mental illness.
We need to work to support our families, so how do we decrease this stress without flying away to a tropical island? Here are 3 tips that can help you to chill out and put your mind at ease.
- Take frequent walking and stretching breaks. Sitting for long periods of time has been proven to be very harmful to health. Getting up for 10 to 15 minutes to stretch and walk can help to increase circulation and engage the muscles that are unused during times when you are seated. Taking walks and changing your scenery can also help to stimulate new ideas for projects you are working on, and can relieve much of the frustration we feel when we work on something for too long.
- Use short meditations to focus your mind. This is one of the secrets of the world’s most productive and successful people. Starting your day with a short meditation to put your mind on your goals is ideal first thing in the morning. This helps to keep you focused and taking positive action, instead of spending the day reacting to situations and putting out proverbial fires. Throughout the day, you can pause your work when you are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or frustrated to focus your breath and your mind. You only need a couple of minutes to re-center yourself, and you’ll be refreshed and far less stressed by meditating each day.
- Find ways to say no when you’re overwhelmed. Many people feel like they have to accept every task that is handed to them, fearing that if they don’t take it they’ll lose their job. Most often, this leads to overwhelmed employees and lower quality work, because there simply isn’t time to do everything well. Find a way to courteously and respectfully decline new tasks being added to your plate when you already have a full schedule. This will help you to focus on the work you already have, and will allow you to still have time to spend with your loved ones at the end of the day.
You can use these tips every day to improve your stress levels at work, and you’ll be calmer and more productive. We might not always enjoy our jobs, but employing these tactics can make your time at work much more tolerable.
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