Your phone is ringing off the hook, your inbox is so full it’s almost shouting at you, you’re scared you’re going to miss your deadlines and, by lunchtime, you are functioning mostly on caffeine. No wonder so many of us get home exhausted, stressed out and so tired that we think a temporary coma would be nice.
Funny thing is, there are a lot of ways you could reduce your stress level during the day. It’s not easy to change your routine beyond recognition, but some minor improvements can always be made. Here are eight examples of simple and quick changes you can make at work in order to avoid tearing your hair out.
Choose a funky ringtone
Photo by ThisIsFunnyWhy on Tumblr
If your job requires you to overuse your phone its simple ringing might make you crazy. That is why a personalized ringtone could help in that department. Your favorite song, a funny tune, a line from a movie or simply some soothing nature sounds can do the trick. But don’t forget to change it regularly, so you won’t get fed up with it all over again.
Prioritize
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It’s always better to focus on something until it’s done rather than working on three things at the same time. This is something I personally learned the hard way. Evaluate your tasks, decide which one is more urgent and don’t give up until it’s done. Only then you can move on to the next task on your list. Concentrating on more than one thing at once is definitely more stressful, don’t you think?
Don’t skip lunch
Although sometimes a working lunch can seem like a good idea, it rarely is. Your lunch break is the perfect time to get some perspective, oxygenate your brain and socialize with your coworkers. Also, don’t forget that studies show that people who eat at their desk tend to eat more and are more susceptible to snacking later in the day.
Avoid distractions
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And by distractions, I mean social networks. Allow yourself only five or 10 minutes each hour to check your friends’ updates. That should be more than enough. It is definitely better that logging in every 10 minutes and then realizing you lost track of time while surfing personal profiles and silly tweets.
Don’t procrastinate
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Monsters do exist in real life, and procrastination is one of them. If I had a penny for every time I’ve said ‘I’ll get to that in a minute/after I call my mom/after I finish my coffee’ I wouldn’t need to know how to survive a hectic day at the office because I would be extremely rich, living in a castle and watching TV shows all day long. A girl can only dream.
Decorate your desk with a picture of your loved ones
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Whenever you feel stressed, a picture of your loved ones can make you smile and remind you why you need your job in the first place. Also, did you know that looking at a photo of a loved one reduces pain by 44%? Fascinating.
Choose a soothing wallpaper
Photo by I love it when it rains on Tumblr
If you have to spend eight to 10 hours with your computer, at least make it user-friendly. And by that I mean personalize it with a wallpaper – a photo of your favorite celebrity or an illustrated joke that makes you giggle. Or simply choose a picture of where you are planning your next vacation, so it will remind you why although quiting is always an option, this job will help you afford to go there in the near future. An inspirational quote can also work.
Stretch your legs
Photo by Pineapplemillionaire on Tumblr
Facebook breaks may help you relax your brain, but don’t forget you’re supposed to relax your body too. A short walk to the window in order to admire the view for a few seconds can help raise your energy level. True story.
Do you know any other ways to reduce stress at the office? Don’t keep them to yourself and visit our comment section below!
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