Work hard. Go faster. Do more things at once. We live in a culture where the average worker is expected to do much more than just work and highly stressful working environments are considered normal. Not surprisingly, this has led to a spike in depression and anxiety among many employees. And the number may be even higher as not all employees admit to feeling this way.
If this sounds like the situation you’re dealing with every day, below are a few ways to fight stress and keep your career engine humming.
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Live a Healthy Lifestyle
It can’t be emphasized enough how powerful a healthy lifestyle can be to fighting stress.
- If all you do all day is sit and stare at a computer, you definitely need more exercise. And don’t go on saying that you don’t have enough time, because anyone can spare at least 30 minutes a day for a quick run around the block or a yoga session at home.
Aside from exercise, don’t ignore the importance of eating healthy whole foods and getting enough sleep.
- Ditch the processed food and switch to more vegetables, fruit, and lean meat — plan your meals for the whole week if you must.
- Get at least seven hours of sleep daily to give yourself enough time to recharge for a new day.
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Learn the Art of Mindful Breathing
When you’re stressed, your body responds by engaging the muscles and switching to shallow, rapid breathing. This reaction, in turn, pumps adrenaline into your system to help you cope with the stress. While this ‘fight or flight’ response has its uses, it’s complete overkill for something like a client meeting or presentation.
The next time you find yourself stressed out, stop and take at least 10 slow breaths. Bring your focus to your breathing so that you don’t think of anything else. It sounds like such a basic thing, but proper breathing can be enough to bring you back to a state of calmness and positivity.
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Learn to Be Thankful
When you think about it, your office job is a privilege. You have a job, you can pay the bills, and you have food to eat. Life might be hard at times, but it’s not impossible to get by either. Sometimes all we need is a reality check every now and then to realize how blessed we are to be able to work. And this mindset can be enough to shrug any stress away.
For more tips and tricks on how to survive the daily work grind, be sure to follow this blog. If your career is in need of a makeover, let the staffing specialists of Top Notch Personnel help you find a new job! Contact us today to learn more about our staffing services.