We all know that work is stressful – nobody denies that. No matter what you do, there’s probably at least one aspect of your job that stresses you out. Whether it be frustrating clients, huge workloads, confusing data, or picky bosses, we can all agree that there’s something to complain about.
But while we all talk about how stressful our jobs are, why don’t we do anything about it? Nobody likes to be stressed, but we all love to complain about it. The truth is, however, that you shouldn’t have to complain about how stressful your job is. There are plenty of ways to deal with your stress to make your job more enjoyable and easier to manage. These tips won’t necessarily get rid of your naggy clients or huge workloads, but they will help prepare yourself to take on these tasks with a clear mind.
Self-care is essential, and you should be able to take care of yourself in and out of your workspace. Whether you work at home, have your own office, work in an open space, or work in some other way, there are tons of self-care items and tips to take advantage of. To see what some of the best ways to help with stress and promote relaxation while working, keep on reading.
Listen to calming music.
Listening to calming music is a great way to relax and concentrate. If you work from home or have your own office, playing calming music on a speaker can lighten the burden of your daily workload by reducing stress. Calming music is known to lower heart rate and decrease the levels of stress hormones, which in turn can help you handle your job.
If you don’t have your own space to work in, consider listening to calming music on headphones.
Use a weekly journal.
Weekly journals do more than just allow you to write your own thoughts. By writing down your thoughts weekly (or even daily), you’ll allow yourself to get a grip on your thoughts and feelings. You can also vent to yourself and express your emotions without letting thoughts build up inside of you, which can cause more stress. While journals may seem a little lame, they’re actually one of the most popular self-care items and can help reduce stress immensely.
Weekly journals are also a great way for those who work in a setting where you can’t play music or use any self-care items that may affect those who work around you. Just keep your journal in your bag, write about your day, and feel better about yourself.
Go for a walk.
Going for walks is so underrated. If you’re able to take a break from work, going for a walk is a great way to clear your mind. If you work in an area with a lot of walking trails or a downtown area, take some time to yourself by walking. Not only are you exercising, but you’re disconnecting yourself from your coworkers and your work.
Whatever you’re working on, you can take a few minutes to yourself. Refresh your mind, think about yourself, and get moving.
Organize.
Organization is one of the best ways to handle stress. From organizing your desk, your files, your emails, or your thoughts, sorting out your work can reduce stress immensely. There are plenty of things that can be organized besides your workspace (if it is already organized), such as organizing your time. Whatever it may be, the more sorted you have yourself, the better you will feel.
Using items such as paper organizers can help you sort out the stacks of papers you deal with. Email folders also help organize your emails into groups if your email is cluttered.
Learn how to say no.
The best way to put on stress for yourself is to accept stress. If you have a heavy workload but your coworker wants your help with something, you can say no. Unless it’s absolutely necessary that you need to help, think about yourself first.
If someone asks you for help, ask yourself some questions first. Do you have enough on your plate already? Will this task set back tasks you currently are working on? Will this add confusion, or will you have to explain things?
If you answered yes to these questions, just say no! You’ll do yourself favors by standing up for yourself.
There are plenty of other ways to take care of yourself at work in addition to these. By taking care of yourself, you’ll allow yourself to become a much more productive person who is prepared to handle additional work. Do it for yourself, but also do it for your work.