When a job gets stressful, you can’t help but look for simple stress relief tips for work. Most people look for tips they can do at their desks or won’t take long. You may have a hard time keeping stress under control because of your personality type or the work environment, but the good news is that not all is lost since there are various tips you can try to keep that work stress under control.
1. Easy Stress Relief Tips for Work: Exercise
All that built-in energy has to go somewhere. So, get up and walk instead of tapping your fingers on your desk or consistently bouncing your legs. You might not be able to go for a 15-minute run, but even at work, there is always a reason to get up and do something, whether to give a co-worker some papers or something else.
A 6-week study concluded that aerobic exercise 2 days a week significantly helped reduce stress in 185 college students. Regular exercise also helps in reducing other common mental health problems such as depression and anxiety and is a typical recommendation among psychologists. If getting exercise is something you have a hard time getting done, you can try asking a friend for support since it’s always easier to achieve a goal when you have help. Ensure you properly prepare for running or any other exercise to avoid injury.
2. Stress Relief Tips for Work: Less Screen Time
Using your devices less is challenging, but it’s a great stress relief tip for work. You need your devices for work and to keep in touch with family and friends. However, using these devices too often increases your stress levels. A study done in 2021 reveals how using these devices too much affects our mental health. Too much screen time can also negatively impact getting a good night’s sleep. You can try placing your devices in an area of your desk where you’ll need to get up, reducing the possibilities of using them.
3. Relieve Work-Stree By Getting Some “You Time”
Getting some You Time at work can be impossible, but what if you set aside 10 or 15 minutes on your lunch break to listen to relaxing music or an interesting podcast? You can try finding a quiet area at work. Or maybe even leave the building and head to a local park or plaza. Nature positively impacts productivity and can help improve short-term memory, boost positivity, increase mindfulness, and decrease stress levels. Being in a quiet area is relaxing since you can hear your thoughts and maybe even mentally plan your weekend in a calm and relaxing environment.
4. Leave Work at Work
When you physically clock out at work, you should also clock out mentally. It will only increase your stress levels if you answer work emails while you are with your family or friends. Try to follow the work schedule you were hired to follow and not do more work than you’re being paid. Leaving work at work will help you concentrate on the things you like doing and make you feel better.
5. Try Breathing Exercises
There are breathing exercises you can try while sitting at your desk, and no one needs to find out about it. You can try inhaling until you can’t inhale anymore, hold it for a few seconds, and slowly let it out through your mouth. Let the air out at a rate you are comfortable with, concentrate on your breathing, and try to forget (even if it’s for a moment) everything that stresses you out.
6. Control Your Negative Thoughts
When you’re at work, you have a million things to do. You’ll feel overwhelmed if you think about everything you must do at once. Instead, list the most important things you need to do that day and in order of importance. What’s the nearest deadline? What needs to be done first? Concentrate on one task at a time and get it done as fast as possible. When you finish that task, move on to the next until you’re done.
When you finish the more critical tasks, move on to the less important and maybe even the tasks you need to do tomorrow. Determining how you will get all 300 tasks done at once will only stress you out. Take on one task at a time.
7. Avoid Perfectionism
It’s only natural that you want your work to be perfect. You have other people you may be competing against, and you want your work to stand out from the rest. But, if you stress too much about it being perfect, that could cause stress that will only prevent you from doing a good job. Instead, enjoy what you’re doing and try your best without worrying about how it’ll measure against someone else’s work.
Give yourself reasonable standards and accept your limitations. If you make a mistake, laugh it off instead of getting mad. Laughter is good for your health and will help you get through your day with a smile.
8. Keep Your Work Area Organized
Have you ever stressed about not finding something on your desk? That brief moment when you thought you lost something indeed stressed you out. But, with an organized desk, you can find things faster and reduce work stress. You might not have time during the day to organize your desk. Is it possible to get to your desk a little earlier or stay later to take a moment to get it done? It’ll only take a few minutes but save you even more time in the long run.
Whatever Makes You Feel Better
Everyone is different, and what relaxes one person may stress another. Some people may find everything they need even if their desk “looks messy” to others. Try to have a work environment that makes you happy and makes you more productive. What stress relief techniques work for you? Leave your comment below and let others know how you get through your day.