How To Look After Your Physical And Mental Well Being At Work
Employment; some people love it, while others tolerate it. Stress is common either way, especially on days where you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work on your plate. The toll does not come cheap. According to Forbes and Medibank, stress is one of the leading causes of health issues in the workplace- costing the economy at least $10 Billion AUD annually.
Short of miraculously winning the lottery and then resigning from your employment immediately, there is no single proven method to completely tackle work-related stress. It requires effort from both employer and employee to effectively reduce stress and develop resilience. In this article, we focus on simple tricks and small investments that would help you maintain your sanity in the office. Here are seven ways to look after your physical and mental wellbeing and reduce stress at work.
Remove Desk Clutter
A messy office desk only serves to increase stress levels. Thankfully, this problem can easily be overcome with the use of simple gadgets such as a dual monitor stand to not only optimise your desk space, but also allow you to introduce several other pieces of equipment to help you with organisation. The use of a physical inbox, or a mini filing desk cabinet significantly improve the overall functionality of your workspace. A neat and well organised desk will leave you with a peace of mind and reassurance that you will be able to be as efficient and productive as possible.
Take Frequent Breaks
According to Forbes, it is almost impossible, if not detrimental to push ourselves to work a 8 to 10 hour shift without frequent breaks. No matter how determined you are, stress will wear you down, depreciating the level of productivity over the hours. Consider taking a short walk, the physical activity and fresh air will help rejuvenate the mind.
Consider Breathing Exercises
According to experts, our breathing rate and pattern changes as a response to stress. Consider controlling your breathing pattern and slowing it down with deep, heavy breaths whenever you are under pressure. A better word of advice would be to consider taking part in yoga classes that can teach you different ways to relax and control your breathing.
Identify and Address
Sometimes you can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the impossible demands of your colleagues and peers. However, identifying the various sources of stress is a welcoming first step to finding solutions to the problem. For example, if you’re feeling overwhelmed by a unreasonable deadlines, you can then approach your colleagues or supervisor to calmly discuss the situation. If you feel that your colleague is not pulling his or her weight, approach the person to discuss the issue at hand.
Listen to Music While Working
According to the Telegraph, listening to the right genre of music in the workplace can increase productivity and even relax the mind during work. Listening to classical music increases attention to detail, on the other hand, pop music aids in efficiency if you are working towards meeting deadlines. Whatever the genre you choose to listen to, the study shows that it’s better than not listening to any music at all.
Socialise
Talking to somebody at work, be it an office buddy, your boss, your office crush, or the company psychiatrist, will give you an outlet to destress. Managing stress can be easier around people who can empathise.
Delegate Work If Possible
There are times when the workload in the office becomes overwhelming. Recognising your limits and delegating your work to somebody capable not only helps reduce stress, but also creates a supportive environment in the office. The culture can result in an increase in productivity in the office in the long run.
Stress is inevitable in the office. However, it does not have to be unmanageable. Listen to music, take frequent breaks, or talk to somebody – there are plenty of simple solutions that could improve your mental and physical well being at work.
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