4 Steps to a Less Stressful Working Life

Whether you’re in your first year of working life or your tenth year, we all feel the strains of work from time to time. There may be early mornings, long commutes, busy days, difficult colleagues or tough clients. Sometimes we may glide through weeks at work but then get hit by burnout. Now and then we get days where we just feel sluggish. Sometimes we do so much overtime we just can’t catch a break. And often weekends feel like they fly by and working weeks never seem to end. Even if you love your job, it can still be hard. What can you do to have better days at work? Here’s 4 Steps to a Less Stressful Working Life.

1.) Exercise

Certain levels of stress aren’t always bad. They keep us challenged, focused and goal orientated. But when that stress turns to anxiety, gives us insomnia, creates muscle tension or makes us fatigued, it’s a sign that something is wrong.

Exercise is a great stress reliever. It’s not always easy to get to the gym before or after work, but it is worth it. If you struggle to motivate yourself to exercise, encourage a work friend to join you. Or if the gym isn’t for you, choose an activity you find fun and relaxing. You can build strength and feel serene with yoga. Or you could try a dance or boxing class. Swimming is one of the best all-round forms of exercise to release tension and burn calories too. Any exercise that raises your heart rate will lift your mood and increase your energy even if it doesn’t feel like it when you first start!

2.) Sleep

Exercising more will help you develop better sleeping patterns. Stress and anxiety can interfere with your sleep. In turn, lack of sleep causes more stress. Not easy, but try cutting out sugar and caffeine if you can. And if that’s not possible, at least make an effort to kick the habit before 6pm. Train yourself not to use your laptop or phone before bed. Set a regular time for going to sleep and waking up. If you aren’t sleeping enough your body increases its levels of stress hormones the next day. Create a bedroom that is peaceful, cool and dark. Try and remember that slumber is to be enjoyed and not a time to worry about a day that has already passed.

3.) Get an Eye Test.

If you’re getting headaches during the day or feeling eye strain, the number one question you should be asking is; where is an eye clinic near me? Eye strain and eye fatigue can be caused by looking at a computer screen for long periods of time. The best thing you can do is get an eye test and make sure everything is ok. Computer vision syndrome affects up to 90% of those who work on digital devices. Eye strain can cause stress, tension and ongoing problems. You may need a stronger prescription and it’s a great excuse to get a swish new pair of glasses. Eye health should be a number one priority to prevent problems later in life.

4.) Take a Vacation

Here’s an interesting post about working yourself to death. It tells us that Americans throw away an estimated 415 million vacation days every year. Whether we don’t take a vacation out of work-guilt, expense or never finding the time to plan a holiday – it certainly isn’t good for your health. By not taking time off to regroup and refresh, you aren’t doing yourself or your job any favors. Vacations relieve stress and help you reconnect and strengthen your relationships. And when we say take a vacation, we mean take a vacation. Don’t take your work with you. It’s time to escape and recharge so you come back a better version of yourself.

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