Life can be hectic and when your work is difficult, it can drain you and make you anxious whether you’re at the office or not. Feeling overwhelmed at work is too common, and stressing over deadlines, reports, your boss, or whatever else can take a toll on your mental state.
Sometimes you just get stressed out.
Take back a bit of control in your life and apply some of these stress relief tips to get yourself back on track. Whether you’re extremely stressed or just starting to feel a bit anxious, it’s always good to take a step back and think through what you can do to worry less and enjoy life more.
Check out the tips below and see what you can put into practice right away.
1- Exercise Regularly
Exercise isn’t always first on your mind when life gets hectic at work. If it’s not up there with your self-care priorities such as sleeping eight hours and eating healthy foods, you should try moving it up higher on your list. It’s not just something you do to promote a generally healthy lifestyle, but also a super healthy way to get rid of stress.
Being physically active will release certain feel-good chemicals into your body. Whether you go run a marathon, or dance around your office room, moving will get your blood and endorphins flowing around, helping you calm down and feeling happier.
If you’re healthy, it also allows you to think more clearly and feel better. Both feeling better and being able to think clearly can go a long way in helping you think positively about your job.
2- Go on a Vacation
If you can afford it, time-wise and financially, go on vacation. Even if it’s just a weekend getaway to the beach or somewhere else relaxing, do it.
If you can afford to spend a little more, go on an all-inclusive vacation. This type of trip allows you to get away and not have to think about things such as where you need to eat dinner or what you need to do tomorrow afternoon. It gives you time to relax and rejuvenate while your basic needs are all right in front of you.
If you don’t have time to go on a vacation, take a mental vacation. Take an afternoon or a day off work and go do something you enjoy. Relax and enjoy the time, even if it’s shorter than you’d like it to be.
If you can only take a mental vacation, for now, it could be a good time to start setting aside savings so you have a physical vacation to look forward to. Sometimes have the “light at the end of the tunnel” is all you need to get you through a stressful day.
3- Smile More
It’s true, you smile when you’re happy. What about those moments when you’re feeling anxious? Most people aren’t smiling during stressful days at work. They should be, though.
As strange as it might feel, smiling can actually help cut back on your stress. When you smile, it transmits certain nerve impulses to the limbic system, the emotional center in your brain.
When those nerve impulses travel to the limbic system, your neuro chemical balance tilts toward calm. The simple act of smiling more can literally help you feel happier and more peaceful.
4- Prepare for Tomorrow
While a lot that causes us stress is out of our hands, some of it is the result of our actions. If someone isn’t organized, it can make simple things like getting dressed in the morning and gathering things for work a stressful process.
Try making a to-do list for tomorrow, packing or deciding on tomorrow’s lunch, and laying out your clothes for the next day before going to bed. When you wake up in the morning, you’ll immediately feel like you have a bit of control over your day just from being prepared.
If you start your morning off confident and happy, it’ll set a positive tone for the rest of your day.
5- Listen to Music
Sometimes, it can be helpful to listen to soothing music while you’re in the office. If you can’t focus on your work while the music plays, try instrumental music to see if that helps. Many times pretty peaceful tunes can help you put your day into perspective.
This idea is also helpful when you’re stuck in traffic. Since you don’t have to work in the car, you could even turn on your favorite songs with lyrics to sing along. Having the radio, CDs and your phone gives you a lot of listening options.
Being a good singer isn’t what matters here. Let yourself enjoy the music and the act of singing and let it help you unwind from the stress of the day.
Take Baby Steps
Instead of being anxious about being so stressed, take some practical steps to fight that stress and relax. Whether you’ve been stressed for years or just a few hours, you have the choice now to help yourself unwind and free yourself from it. You might have to make the choice every day to follow practical steps to fight your stress, but even so, fighting it is a positive step toward beating it.
How Stress Can Affect Your Overall Health
Although we tend to think of stress as something that primarily impacts our mood and mental health, stress also can take a physical toll with serious repercussions. Work stress can cause us to grind our teeth at night, resulting in tooth pain and weakened enamel that will necessitate a visit to the dentist. Stress from financial problems or family strife can cause chronic headaches or digestive trouble. One of the most insidious effects of stress is that it can cause you to neglect your physical health by triggering overeating or drug and alcohol abuse. McLean DDS created an infographic to help people understand the many ways that stress can hurt their overall health.