Seven Proven Ways to Deal with Stress at Workplace

Stress is a repressive state of emotional strain caused by inopportune or demanding circumstances. In recent years, it has proved to be one of the primary mental health issues faced by professionals. It is an obnoxious, nasty state of mind that seriously interferes with our mental and physical health and takes a toll on our personal and professional relationships.

Listed below are seven ways to deal with stress at work:

Practice conscious breathing and exercise

Exercise at least 30 minutes every day. Practice some pranayama or deep breathing to calm your nervous system. As less as three minutes spent practising conscious breathing balances our entire central nervous system and equip our mind to deal with life situations without falling prey to stress or anxiety.

Hydrate

Dehydration has been directly linked to higher cortisol levels, the hormones that cause stress. Invest in a cute, eco-friendly water bottle that you can place at your desk to remind yourself to drink water and stay hydrated in between meetings and presentations.

Make Healthy Eating choices

Tweak your food habits to avoid eating junk and processed food whenever possible. Make a habit of snacking on fruits and nuts. Dark chocolates rich in antioxidants and avocados abundant in omega-3 fatty acids are some solid options that help reduce stress. Order a fish steak for lunch instead of that KFC bucket and replace those endless cups of coffee with some fine earl grey tea.

Quit Smoking

Anxiety and stress are unpleasant side effects caused by tobacco. It might be tempting to take an occasional smoke break in the course of a ten-hour workday. However, it is wise to understand that there is nothing to be gained from a smoke break in terms of relieving stress. If this is an essential part of your day, consider switching to organic smokes which are cigarettes containing mild and benign herbs.

Also read: The 5 Best Motivational Podcasts on Career

Don’t let your work define you

It is very important to have perspective when it comes to dealing with an existential crisis in your professional life. This perspective helps us put work in its own place without affecting the other aspects of our life – physical well-being, relationships, experiential awareness, among others. Our identity cannot and should not be defined by our designation or our professional responsibilities. This ability to compartmentalize is fundamental to overall happiness and well-being.

Get a full 8 hours of sleep

Stress can seriously interfere with our normal sleep cycle. This can lead to getting caught up in the vicious circle of not sleeping because we are stressed and consequently being stressed because we didn’t get enough sleep. Make a habit of leaving work at a reasonable hour unless it is absolutely necessary to stay late. Invite yourself to free your mind of work-related anxieties once your workday is over. When your mind becomes calm and peaceful, it is easier to fall asleep, and the quality of your sleep is better. Understand that when you get 8-9 hours of sleep and go back to work physically well-rested and content, you are in a better position to take on your responsibilities and have a better overall perspective of the challenges the new day will bring.

Learn to let go

Learn to accept that most of the things that are happening around us, are and will remain out of our control. All our projects and endeavours are a sum of multiple factors and include actions of several stakeholders. Even if we make our infrastructure infallible, understand that the same cannot be accomplished by all the other contributing variables. People will fall sick, machines will malfunction, and the fabric of your precious clockwork will take a hit once in a while. Accept this and move on. Know that everything is fixable in the long run.

Practice Self Compassion

Show yourself some compassion. Consider how would you treat an endearing co-worker or subordinate who has missed a deadline. You would probably tell him it’s not the end of the world; you would probably extend him whatever help or resources you can to accomplish what is possible under the circumstances instead of blaming him or penalizing him. Now show yourself this same solidarity and support and skip the debilitating self-condemnation.