There are many forms of stress management that people use to combat and manage stress, such as perceiving stressful situations in a certain way, thinking and choosing what to stress about, practicing mindfulness, having spirituality, or living a healthy lifestyle.
People can manage their stress in the ways stated previously, but they can also reduce their stress by practicing certain techniques at work and at home to feel an overall increase in stress management skills.
The following techniques are ways to manage stress while you are at work:
Listen to soothing music
If you want to use music to help you focus on your work, listening to music while at work might be helpful for you. Bring ear phones to work, and try to listen to slow music you enjoy that create positive feelings for you. If music commands your attention, then this technique may not be the right one for you (sciencecareers.sciencemag.org,, 2009).
Take your allotted breaks
When you take a break, don't think about anything stressful. Take a walk during your break. Leave your desk and eat at another location to change the scenery and take your mind off of work for a while.
Do breathing exercises in your chair
Instead of taking short shallow breaths, take deep slow breaths. Breathe low and slow and practice these techniques when you are sitting in your chair. Take deep and slow breaths will put less pressure on your heart (Olpin, 2007).
Stay hydrated by drinking water
Not being hydrated can lead to fatigue, and cause you to feel sleepy at work. The best way to stay hydrated is by drinking water. Avoid soft drinks with high sugar levels, and caffeinated drinks that give you quick energy. In reality, those drinks are just making you dehydrated.
Manage your time by doing most important tasks first
Try not to just automatically respond to your e-mails when you get into the office if it is not the most critical thing you should be doing. Take 10 minutes out of your day to do make lists of tasks that are of high importance, as well as a list of tasks with low importance. Prioritize by taking care of the high importance tasks first (sciencecareers.sciencemag.org,, 2009).
If you are still stressed and still want to practice stress management when you get home, you can do the following things:
Take a power nap for 15 minutes
The power nap helps people's bodies to effectively move from the stress response to relaxation response. Relaxation techniques work by deliberately canceling arousal of the nervous system, the muscles, and the mind. The relaxed state is the opposite of the stressed state. In order to rejuvenate the body and mind, a power nap uses different elements of man relaxation exercises.
Do some yoga
Yoga is a practical method of achieving peak physical health, deep inner peace, psychological well-being, restore balance, and the reduce stress. Yoga has many styles and uses breathing exercises and more than 200 balanced physical poses (Olpin, 2007).
Try to avoid time zappers
Time zappers are things you that quickly make time go by without you even knowing it, such as excessively checking your e-mail, watching television, or oversleeping. Replace time zappers with healthy things such as exercising.
Practice mindfulness
Mindfulness is paying attention to what is really going on around you, appreciating everything and being aware of things that are happening at the moment. When people are mindful, they accept and appreciate the reality of what is occurring in their lives. If you are mindful, you see things clearly and as they are. If you are less judgmental and reactive, you can be more mindful.
Resources:
Olpin, M., & Hesson, M. Stress Management for Life. (2007). Thomas Brooks/Cole.
http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2009_05_08/caredit.a0900059
About the Author
Phalla Keng is currently an intern at the NHLBI Center for Wellness and Health Promotion
Phalla Keng is currently a candidate for a B.S. in Public and Community Health at The University of Maryland College Park. She is also an intern at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Center for Employee Wellness and Health Promotion.
Rachel Permuth-Levine, PhD, MSPH, is a public health practitioner and an expert in worksite health promotion. As a health behavior theorist, she strives to use evidence-based programs that produce the best results for her employees. Rachel is also a yoga and fitness instructor.
