How To Reduce Stress Levels at Work: 3 Practical Tips

One of the biggest saboteurs out there is stress. And let’s face it, we all have a ton of it these days. From social media to demanding careers, to angry clients, to road rage, to shuffling kids here and there. Then there’s the bigger issues like the issues with our food supply, what’s happening in war-torn countries, starvation around the world.

But let’s not forget about the stress we put on ourselves which makes all the above stuff way worse.

When we decide that things need to be perfect, when we compare ourselves, when we say yes to too many things because we’re afraid to say no, when we don’t eat all day, when we never leave our desks, when we are filled with self-doubt and negative thoughts and have no way of dealing with all of this, that’s when the real stress comes in.

For example, if you have not dealt with self-doubt, then needing to present to a room or dealing with an angry client will be super triggering. If you’ve done the work on your own personal development, you don’t compare yourself, and you are much more able to handle whatever comes at you.

So here are 3 practical tips you can start doing today to help get you out of fight or flight so that it no longer sabotages you.

• Find yourself a 5 Minute Silent Chamber – if the word “meditation” is too out there for you, then just find 5 minutes of silence for yourself. In those 5 minutes don’t listen to an audiobook, go on Facebook, or do anything else but just sit quietly, breathe, and if you want, write (or journal) (extra bonus points for actually doing a meditation, guided or silent). This sacred 5 minutes can have the same impact as a week away in Hawaii. Don’t believe me? Just try it for one week. Ignore the voice that is telling you it’s too hard, or you can’t shut off your thoughts – you’re not meant to shut off your thoughts. Just listen to what comes up, write about it if you feel called to, and then go on your day.
• Shake it out – back in the day, when we used to get chased by saber tooth tigers, when we were stressed out (cause we were about to be eaten!) we would fight or run…aka – use our bodies. Nowadays when we’re stressed out we are usually sitting at a desk or in a car which means that stress and the hormones it creates, accumulates in our bodies and ends up doing things like causing cravings, belly fat, exhaustion, and mood issues like depression, anxiety, and anger. One quick thing you can do is to shake your body out. This simply looks like standing up wherever you are and starting to bounce on the balls of your feet, then start to twist your bod this way and that, letting your arms swing and just let it all go. Pretend you’re a kid! Don’t be self-conscious – if necessary do this in a bathroom stall if you work in an office. Shake your body out for a couple of minutes to release that pent-up energy and see how you feel afterward!
• Laugh – laughter lightens up the mood big time. If you’ve had it up to here with whatever is going on, give yourself a comedy break. Find the humour in the situation. If you weren’t so determined on being angry or right, would this be funny? If a comedian were to replay this situation, what would they say? Find the light inside the dark.

For the rest of this week, remember this article as things come up for you and pick ONE thing to try (I know you, you’re ambitious and want to do all 3, but then you won’t do any and just feel even more overwhelmed – so I give you permission to do just one thing).

Report back and let me know how it goes.