Stress can be triggered by a variety of different events and thoughts, especially when it comes to your job. Working full-time and taking very little time for yourself can result in your job to becoming more stressful than it should be. Stress can cause a diminished quality of work, aka have a negative impact on your work. Sure, you’ve heard it before, but your job is just too consuming right now to take time to yourself. So how can you de-stress and keep your work ethic healthy and positive? Here are 7 ways to relieve stress in the office.
1. Don’t be so hard on yourself.
First off, give yourself some credit. You’re stressing yourself out over work for a reason. If you didn’t care or appreciate your job, you wouldn’t be working this hard. Try to remember why you started the job in the first place and your career goals. Don’t lose sight of your ‘why’, and don’t be so hard on yourself. You’re doing great.
2. Keep pictures on your desk, cubicle, or office.
Working in a plain, classroom type environment can decrease your creativity level. Put a little bit of yourself into your work-space. Decorate your work-space with pictures of things that make you happy and put your mind at ease. Set your desktop wallpaper on your computer as a picture of a calming landscape, then when you get a stressful email, you can picture yourself here before replying.
3. Eat a snack.
Typically stress eating is a bad thing. But, eating a snack (that will fill you up) in the office isn’t considered ‘stress eating’. Being in a state of overwhelm, or stress, can be brought on by lack of nourishment. When you’re stressed out at work, you may skip lunch to buckle down on what needs to be done. This is an unhealthy habit that keeps the vicious stress-cycle going. If work is stressful, don’t add to it by not eating properly.
4. Put on some soothing music.
Did you know that music affects different areas of your brain? Listening to music at a moderate level can increase abstract processing and lead to higher creativity levels. Struggling to find a solution or get the job done can trigger stress. The best way to avoid this struggle is to find a more creative way, and what better way to get your creative juices flowing than music!
5. Take a walk.
If your job requires you to sit at a desk all day, try adding in a short walk around the building or down the street to clear your head. Getting your body moving increases your blood flow, which boosts your endorphin’s. The endorphin’s we create from exercise help reduce stress hormones.
6. Organize your work-space.
Have you ever walked into a cluttered or dirty room and felt anxious? The same goes for your work-space. You may not realize it because you work in the clutter, sticky-note filled space daily, but your unorganized area could be increasing your stress levels. Feeling overwhelmed causes stress. Organizing your work-space can decrease your tension by putting some order to the chaos of work you have to do. Plan out your day with a to-do list, organize it by deadlines and keep your work-space neat!
7. Socialize.
Odds are, you aren’t the only one in your office. An important key to feeling happy at work is feeling included. Socialize with your colleagues; even better socialize with the person sitting at the desk next to yours. You don’t need to feel isolated or alone in your work. Relieve stress by having a non-work, or work, related conversation with your colleague.