Stress Relief Tactics You Need to Try

Are you stressed at work? Or maybe just every day you feel more and more stressed. Many people find that they can manage stress well but sometimes, you become overwhelmed and are at a loss on how to control it. Friday, October 4th is National Stress Awareness Day. I want all of our customers to be aware of stress and how it can affect them. I also have done some research on finding tips for stress relief.

Signs & Symptoms of Stress

A large factor of our stress is caused by work. In fact, a recent study by the American Institute of Stress found that 80% of workers feel stress on the job and that nearly 50% of workers reported that they need help to deal with stress.

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Common symptoms of stress include:

• headaches,
• feeling exhausted,
• back pain,
• upset stomach,
• frequent colds (flu, common cold, 24-hour bugs),
• excessive sweating,
• and loss of sexual desire.

All of the symptoms are related to stress in some way. If you notice any of these become common in your day-to-day life, consider trying some of our stress relief tactics.

Stress Relief Tactics at Work

To help with stress at work, try the following techniques:

• Set Boundaries with Your Inbox: Try setting a few times a day to check your email. This will allow you to stay focused on tasks at hand without getting distracted by new issues.
• Avoid Drama.
• Surround Yourself with Positivity: Try customizing your workplace with things that make you happy. It could be a photo of friends and family, decorations, music, etc.
• Take a Break: In 2015, 28% of Americans admitted that they don’t take breaks at work. This could lead to early burnouts, irritability, and frustration.
• Chit-Chat with Co-Workers: Take time to build a relationship with someone in the office. Even taking a quick second to talk about a shared interest can help relieve stress.
• Just Say No: This is a hard one to do because you’re trying to prove yourself at work…always. But trust us, if you’re overwhelmed and not being productive at all, you have to stop piling on tasks to do.
• Note Your Silver Linings: If you are having a bad day or even week, it can really affect you. Try to find the silver lining in your day to help remind yourself that not all things are bad.

Also, according to a recent study, the most stressful time of the day is 1:42 p.m. and can last until 4:53 p.m. when end-of-day relief sets in. Try taking more frequent breaks and refocusing your day priorities to be productive.

5 Minute Stress Relievers

Do you only have 5 minutes to try to relieve your stress? Try these activities:

• Smile – Kraft recently did a study that by simply smiling, you can reduce stress.
• Breathe Deeply – This will help you get rid of distracting thoughts and sensations.
• Chew Gum – A recent study at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia found that by chewing gum, you can relieve anxiety, improve alertness, and reduce mild stress by 16% and moderate stress by 12%.
• Meditate or Stretch.
• Call a Friend or Mom – Take a quick minute to check-in and take your mind off your stress. A study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that talking to your mom reduces a key stress hormone and releases oxytocin.
• Visualize – Remember how relaxed you felt while on vacation, try to go back to that time to help you relax.
• Count Numbers – This helps to give your mind something neutral to think about.
• Drink & Eat – Try to find something healthy to relieve your stress. Chocolate helps release beta endorphins and green tea has the amino acids L-theanine which is linked to the reduction of stress and anxiety.
• Listen to Music – Classical music has been found to lower blood pressure, slow your pulse, and reduce stress hormones. Music also can increase your dopamine.
• Buy a Plant – Washington State University found that when stressed people enter a room with plants that their blood pressure dropped by 4 points.

30 Second Stress Relievers

If you can’t even spare 5 minutes, try these 30-second stress relievers:

• Jump Up & Down,
• Hop from Side to Side / Front to Back,
• Spin Around in a Circle,
• Shake Your Body,
• Dance,
• Stand Up & Stretch,
• Rotate Your Joints,
• and Perform Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes, The Hokey Pokey, & The Chicken Dance.

Sources: Inc. 1, 2, 3, 4

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