With on average 30 to 100 projects on the go it is no wonder the average professional suffers from stress. There’s so many interruptions and distractions making it hard to achieve targets and goals. Then there’s company restructures, job moves and pressure from the top. When we face these pressures we often lie awake at night thinking about work.
How can we stay focussed throughout the day? Is it possible to get everything done and still have energy for leisure time? We need to spend precious time with loved ones outside of work to maintain a healthy work life balance.
Let’s take a look at how you can stay stress free at work…
Firstly, Let’s Take a Deep Breath
Sometimes simply taking a deep breath can relieve that overwhelming sense of panic.Taking a few minutes out to clear your head can be really beneficial to your mental well being. Breathing exercises are easy, take a breath in for five seconds, hold for 5, exhale for five. In a few moments you’ll feel calmer which will enable you tackle problems with a clear focus.
Now It’s Time to Eat and Sleep Well
You really are what you eat. If you eat junk, your mind becomes junk. Keep the sugar low and the priten high and you’ll quickly feel the benefits.
Once you’ve nailed healthy eating, you’ve got to think more about your sleep. A bad night’s sleep has a knock on effect that will last all day. Meditation and sleep apps can really help you develop good habits to get you off to sleep.
Stop reacting and Act
When things get out of control we start to feel stress. It activates stress hormones that can become chronic. This will wear you down over time. Identify what needs to change and plan for the future. If you feel stress because you didn’t plan in advance then the problem is clear.
Try Changing your Outlook
We look at our life and situations through our own filter. We sometimes choose to create negative filters. ‘I’m going to have a bad day’ you tell yourself. If you tell yourself things like this on a regular basis then guess what? You’ll most likely have a bad day. All the people at your work have their own filters and a comment or action may be because of something you’re not aware of. Choose to look through positive filters.
Don’t Get Interrupted
There are so many distractions; emails, phone calls, conversations, deadlines and notifications. With all this to deal with, it is extremely hard to stay on task. Make a plan, leave your phone in your locker or car, turn off notifications, leave the phone off the hook for an hour. Prepare yourself not to get distracted and you won’t be. Who knows what the future holds for jobs, but staying focussed will certainly help you be productive in the workplace.
Change Others
Changing others’ behaviour can have a positive impact on yourself and everyone you work with. Be the positive person in the conversation. Negativity breeds negativity. Rather than be down about your boss’ new initiative, rally around it and work towards it. Everyone will feed off your new sense of positivity.