3 Simple Strategies To Slash Workplace Stress

The smallest things irritate you, and you feel anxious or depressed. You’re apathetic, barely able to show interest during office meetings. You feel tired all day, but wide awake at night when you should get some sleep. You have trouble concentrating on the work you have to do.

But since you ignore these signs, you have more muscle tension and headaches. You have stomach problems, and don’t want to hang out with your colleagues during breaks. Your spouse wants to cuddle up with you and watch old movies, but you have lost interest in intimacy. You also find yourself reaching for that soothing glass of bubbly a little more after work.

Unfortunately, as you’re going through these mysterious symptoms, things are getting worse at work. You may be next when they have another round of layoffs.

You now have to do more overtime because of staff cutbacks. The worse your company does, the more you feel the pressure to perform. Although your boss expects more, this increased attention no longer gives you job satisfaction. In fact, you’re beginning to resent it. Because you’re now expected to perform at your best all the time.

Whether you realize it or not, you’re suffering from job stress. Unless you find a way to unwind, things are only going to get worse.

Combat Work Stress

Fortunately, there are many things you can do to feel better. Here are 3 strategies that work well:

Strategy #1:. Manage job stress better.

A good place to start to reduce stress is to decrease the impact your job has on you.

There are three things you can do.

First, assume responsibility for improving your own emotional and physical well-being.

Second, change those knee jerk mental habits. These are things that contribute to a negative attitude and add stress to your day at work. It might be as simple as not getting irritated by your co-worker’s snack-filled desk.

Third, improve your communication skills. You may be accepting more work than you have the time to do just to look like a team player.

Strategy #2: Take up massage as a hobby.

A massage is a great way to unwind. While you can always go to get a massage, these can be expensive. It might be cheaper in the long run to take it up as a hobby.

Take a few massage classes with your spouse. If you both enjoy it, then think about getting your own table and taking turns in massaging each other.

What should you look for when buying your own massage table? Earthlite, a premier massage supplier, offers the following tips, “First and foremost on the list of importance is the quality of the table. It should strong and stable. For this reason alone the cheapest one on the market will not do. An effective table should be well constructed so it will last for a long time no matter how much you use it or how much weight it has on it over time. So, make sure to check the weight limit of the table and ensure that it includes a good warranty.”

Strategy #3: Adopt a healthy lifestyle.

A healthy lifestyle starts with a change in diet and doing regular exercise.

Diet has a lot to do with your ability to cope with stress. A healthy diet can improve your sense of well-being. Medical News Today defines a healthy diet as a balanced diet. “The crucial part of healthy eating is a balanced diet. A balanced diet – or a good diet – means consuming from all the different good groups in the right quantities. Nutritionists say there are five main food groups – whole grains, fruit and vegetables, protein, diary, and fat & sugar.”

While a change in diet will do you a world of good, if you add a great exercise regime, you will feel fabulous again.

A good exercise plan involves three components.

First, improve cardiovascular health through rebounding (jumping on a mini trampoline), jogging, or swimming.

Second, improve flexibility through yoga.

Third, improve strength and endurance through calisthenics or weightlifting.

Although this may seem like a lot to do, you can break it up to just 20 minutes to an hour, exercising just three days a week. On Monday, do cardiovascular training; on Wednesday, yoga; and on Friday, strength training. You can exercise longer and more often, of course, but it’s best to ease into it to develop a realistic routine.

Besides diet and exercise, drink more water to stay hydrated. It’s also important to get plenty of rest when you can. This might include going to bed earlier so you can get more sleep. It might include going to the beach or the mountains when you have long weekends. It might include taking afternoon naps on your day off.

Change Distress Into Eustress

Stress consists of eustress and distress. Eustress is when you do something that you enjoy. You’re not feeling stressed out, but stimulated by your activity. Distress is when your job performance, personal life, and health suffer.

When it comes to distress, the first thing you have to do is notice it. When you’re in a stressful situation, you may think the situation is the problem. In truth, the real issue is your response to it. Distress can sneak up on you.

Once you drop distress, you’ll feel good again. By adopting three simple steps, you can change distress into eustress.