If you are having difficulty switching off, if stress is affecting your mood, your relationships and your quality of life you may benefit from making an appointment with us.
TOP TIPS - For Your Mental Wellbeing At Work
These are just a few things you can do to improve your stress levels or ability to cope with stress at work. Get in touch if you are having difficulties with stress at work.
- Plan your work (and you might need to include in that, self care!) - yes things don't always go to plan and you may work in an environment full of "fast balls" but as they say in the army "failing to plan is planning to fail". Use a to-do list, a diary, break jobs down in to bitesize pieces and prioritise. However don't get obsessed with ticking every single thing of the list the same day! Some things CAN wait til tomorrow.
- Take breaks - Taking a short break regularly leads to increased effectiveness; even just moving from your desk, taking a few deep breaths, stretching, spritzing your face, a quick mindfulness exercise. Not however turning to your mobile or facebook!
- Try to minimise unnecessary interruptions if at all possible, particularly when you have a more difficult task . For instance, 10/20 minutes of head down focussing on a task, turning off the phone, not checking email, then taking a short break once achieved is more likely to give you a sense of fullfilment in our work even if you don't get everything ticked off that list. But you'll probably find you actually get more done than when you flit from task to email to task etc.
- Open a window or make sure you get some fresh air. Oxygen is thought to positively affect serotonin levels which helps mood and relaxation.
- Hydrate - our brain is 73% water. If you want it to function well it needs hydration.
- Eat well - If you don't put petrol and oil in your car it stops. If you leave the head lights on the battery goes flat. We need to recharge our battery and we need fuel and fluid to function. Leave your work space to do so if possible. If you must eat at your desk, don't work at the same time. Turn the computer screen off, learn to eat mindfully
- Hopefully you get on with your colleagues! We can have different kinds of friends and social contacts - you don't have to be best buddies but pleasant interaction with "work friends" can have a positive affect on work according to Officevibe
- Leave work at work - work/life balance and finding ways to switch off is very important. There's some truth in the old saying "All work and no play...." Its not just about Jack being "a dull boy", it's actually healthy to "play"! And tell me? What is it you can do sitting at home at 9pm about what ever it is that's bothering you about work? Write it down, put it to one side and focus on you time - deal with work when you're in work.
- Exercise- if you can fit some exercise in to your daily routine it will have a positive knock-on-effect on your work stress levels. It produces endorphins, improves mood, reduces anxiety and improves sleep. So even if you aren't a gym kind of person, take the stairs instead of the lift or go for a quick walk round the block!
These are just a few things you can do to improve your stress levels or ability to cope with stress at work. Get in touch if you are having difficulties with stress at work.