Some stress is healthy in getting the juices flowing and stimulating brain activity. If your stress level is too high, stress can have a negative affect on your overall health, wellness and focus. Try a few of these tips for managing stress at work.

Scheduled Breaks

Some professionals become so caught up in their work, they work through lunch and don’t take any breaks to recharge. At some point, it can negatively affect your productivity. Take scheduled breaks daily to step away from your workstation. Whether you go to the lunch area or elsewhere, your body and mind needs breaks. Sitting at your desk for hours at a time can create a lot of tension throughout the body. Take a few moments during the day to stand and do a little stretching. It will help with your posture and release tension from the neck through the back.

Step Outside

If it’s a nice day and you can step outside, great! The sun helps to elevate your mood and sets the tone for the rest of your day. Taking a few moments to get some fresh air can do you a world of good.

Wellness

More and more companies are offering different wellness programs and incentives from yoga to onsite gym access to stress management talks. Take full advantage of all the wellness benefits available to you. If there’s a gym located in your facility, exercise during your breaks if possible. Sometimes all you need is 20 minutes or so to get reenergized and prepared for the rest of the day. Stress management talks can be great in providing you with a number of healthy techniques for managing stress at work. Everyone is different so 1 -2 take aways from this talk may be all you need.

Relaxation Techniques

Yoga teaches you a number of different breathing and relaxation exercises that are beneficial. If you are not familiar with them, you can try a couple of these suggestions. Take a slow deep breath through your nose and hold your breath for a count of 3 then slowly exhale through your mouth. Try that for 3 – 5 times. Another exercise is to take a moment to focus on being present. Close your eyes and just listen. You may hear a bird chirping outside your window, you may hear someone laughing outside your office. If you’ve made yourself tea, wrap your hands around your cup of tea and feel the warmth. Smell the scent of your tea. Be completely present so you can appreciate the little things we don’t take the time to notice.

Managing Stress at Work

There are a number of things we can do for managing stress at work. Your health and wellness are important. You are important. Take the time to do these little things for yourself. Sometimes we feel like we are too busy to take any time for ourselves. Keep in mind, these moments will help us to be more productive at work and to be more present in life.