5 Ways of Relieving Stress In The Workplace
In the fast-paced world we live in today, coupled with our hectic work environments, it is easy for all of us to feel overwhelmed by our jobs and to-do lists. Job stress is nearly unavoidable, but you don't have to let it get the best of you. Try some of these stress-relieving suggestions.
1. Identify Stress Triggers
It will be helpful if you are able to identify what triggers your stress. Since every individual is affected differently by the surroundings, circumstances or events that happen in his or her life, each of us will have different stress triggers. Spend a week or two paying attention to what your triggers are, and write them down.
2. Start Your Day Off Right
Begin each day with a glass of water. If you're not a fan of plain water, add a slice of lemon or one of the several sugar-free water additives available on the market today. All of our organs need water to function properly. If you're not drinking enough water then your body isn't operating as it's supposed to, and that can lead to stress!
3. Learn To Manage Your Time
Time management is a crucial skill when talking about de-stressing. Learn to plan everything ahead of time including meals, snacks, and daily and weekly schedules including family schedules, work schedules, and volunteer schedules. Set realistic goals for your days and weeks, make priority to-do lists, and, most importantly of all, use your time wisely.
4. Exercise
Human beings are, by design, intended to stand and move, not sit in chairs all day. If your work environment is one in which you find most of your day spent stationary in front of a computer screen, get up and move around when you have down time, or during breaks. It will help release some of your stress while you are at your desk. Not only does exercise keep the heart healthy and get oxygen into the system, but also it helps deplete stress-related hormones, and releases mood-enhancing chemicals that help us cope with anxiety better.
5. Create A Peaceful Workspace
At the end of each day, before you head home, make sure to clean-up your desk, or other general work area. Walking into work each day to an area that appears to be a disaster, is only going to increase your stress level. If you straighten it up at the end of each work day, you will be greeted by a tidy workspace when you return the next morning. This helps to create a more positive environment to begin each day.
These five tips are the most common and easiest to start with when discussing de-stressing your office life, but they are by no means the only ways to reduce stress. Other suggestions that I found that you could do include deep breathing exercises, listening to music, meditation, getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy foods, and drinking herbal teas.
Granted, some of these options are easier for some than others. Find what works best for you and your environment. You'll find that limiting the amount of unnecessary stress in your day will increase your productivity as well.
Contributor Jennifer Thompson
Jennifer Thompson is a Paragould, Arkansas native, and graduate of Arkansas State University with a degree in strategic communications.
She has worked in the field of journalism around Northeast Arkansas for the past 15 years as a writer and editor. She is currently a public relations specialist and freelance writer.