Overstressed? Tips to Help You Relax at Work and at Home
Posted June 6th, 2011
Has work taken over your life? Are you feeling stressed and overwhelmed most or even all of the time?
Watch out — your stress literally could kill you!
Our bodies produce a large amount of the hormone cortisol whenever we feel stress. This is part of our heritage of the fight-or flight reaction experienced often by our ancestors thousands of years ago. Our bodies can handle just small and infrequent amounts of cortisol at one time. Unfortunately, our stress-filled jobs can mean that cortisol courses through our bodies frequently, paving the way for many different types of nasty conditions and diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, etc.
Yet we all have to work, right? Below are some tips to help you relax at work and at home so that the amount of cortisol your body secrets is minimized.
Express gratitude. Studies repeatedly show that expressing gratitude for the people, things and events of your life can really lower your level of stress. These things for which you’re grateful don’t have to “big;” just being grateful for a sunny day, or for rain to water your lawn, or the playful antics of a puppy, can go a long way to keeping you calm.
Some people find that writing down five things for which they’re grateful twice a day (morning and evening) goes a long way to helping them not become overwhelmed when the inevitable stresses of the day arise.
De-clutter your workspace and your home. Have you noticed when you have a desk cleared of clutter how calm it can make you feel? Studies show that too much “stuff” truly can cause stress and a cluttered desk or house can make for a cluttered, jumbled and over-stressed mind. Even just placing your papers into neat piles on your desk can go a long way to helping you keep your mind calm. You also should consider taking the neatness factor up a notch and perform a de-cluttering of your files, drawers, papers, folders and other work-related documents. Do the same at home. Clear out your closets, garage, spare room, kitchen, etc.
When the stress hits, take several deep belly breaths. If you find yourself feeling stressed, stop for a moment, sit in a chair with your legs apart with your hands on your stomach. Breathe out slowly through your nose, but do so with some force so that you’ll feel your stomach pull in. Aim to do this 30 times and you’ll no doubt notice the significant calming effect this procedure can have.
Contact Bayside Solutions when you’re stressed about finding a great job in the Bay Area. We have many terrific temporary, temp-to-hire and even direct-hire assignments with some of San Francisco’s best employers. Contact us today.
