5 Changes to your day that will reduce work related stress

Work stress is often regarded as a normal and predictable part of adult life. Even if you love your job, industry or colleagues, chances are that deadlines, demanding bosses and irritating coworkers can often get the better of you and create unwanted stress in your life.

You might think that the only way to lower this stress is to take drastic action, like quitting your job, or daily pampering sessions. However here we offer five simple changes that you can make to your day to help reduce work related stress in your life.

1. Be kind to others

We all experience stress at work, times when we can’t see the light at the end of a tunnel of deadlines and internal pressures. One common trap to fall into is taking this out on others, which will inevitably make you feel worse than you already do.

In fact, being kind to others and ensuring you treat them how you would wish to be treated is scientifically proven to benefit the cardiovascular and nervous system.

According to an article published by the Independent, being kind to someone creates an emotional bond, stimulating the body to produce Oxytocin, the bonding hormone. This in turn binds to the lining of your blood vessels and causes dilation of the arteries – the side effect of which is reduction in blood pressure.

So next time you snap at someone, or take your stress out on them, stop yourself, maybe even ask “how would that make me feel to be spoken to like that?”

2. Don’t look at your work emails first thing in the morning

If you get into work and the first thing you do is look at your emails, then you are instantly changing your priorities for the day – reacting to unexpected events and request. This is stressful. Set a time to check your emails and stick to if. If it’s that urgent, people will ring you.

3. Take a moment to breathe

Obviously breathing is a critical means to keeping yourself alive, so before you read this and think we’ve lost the plot, what we mean here is to breathe deeply, slowly and relax.

As stated in this As stated in this article from One Powerful World, breathing detoxifies. Your body is designed to release 70% of its toxins through breathing, so if you are not breathing effectively, you are not properly ridding your body of its toxins i.e. other systems in your body must work overtime which could eventually lead to illness.

Breathing also releases tension. Think how your body feels when you are tense, angry, scared or stressed. It constricts. Your muscles get tight and your breathing becomes shallow. When your breathing is shallow you are not getting the amount of oxygen that your body needs. So… learn to breathe and feel the benefits for reducing stress and tension.

4. Live your lunch break

When lunchtime comes around, don’t just sit at your desk and pick at your lunch while surfing the net. Getting away from your desk, going for a walk, or having a chat with friends is a vital part of de-stressing and unwinding during your working day.

Earlier this year, we set people the challenge of taking the Live your Lunch Break challenge – asking bloggers and our social media followers to take the time to get away from their desks at lunchtime. Here’s Lilinha Angel’s take on the Live your Lunch Break challenge – showing that you can fit a lot into your lunch hour and return to your desk revitalised.

5. Eat and sleep well

We live in a fast paced world and have demands on us from many directions, with work, social events and family responsibilities all taking their toll.

To reduce your level of stress it’s so important to make sure you treat your body and mind well. Get enough sleep each night – at least 8 hours – and make sure to have a good breakfast, lunch and dinner, while drinking lots of water. Your body is amazing, treat it well and it will give you everything you need back in return.

What do you do to unwind and make sure you perform at your best at work? Tweet us @Flexioffices with your top tips for de-stressing and we’ll share them with our followers on Twitter.