Tag: productivity

How To Relieve Stress in the Workplace

As much as we try to deny its existence, we all suffer from stress, especially in the workplace. Stress is not one to play around with as many studies have proven that it can cause real physical problems such as headaches, upset stomach, increased blood pressure, chest pain, and interrupted sleeping. It can also affect you mentally in the form of anxiety and depression. Now, they say the average business professional is dealing with 30 to 100 projects. That alone can cause massive amounts of stress on any individual. It is important not to let the stress consume you as it can cause worse side effects. Let’s take a look at some tips that can help you relieve stress in the workplace.

 

Exercise

Regular exercise has been known as a natural stress reducer due to its mood-boosting and endorphin-releasing properties. These studies which date back to the early 80’s have proven that regular exercise can improve your mood. A study in 1999, in fact, revealed that working out was as effective as antidepressants. Exercise can also help you focus more on positive thoughts rather than stressful thoughts. You will be training yourself to be in the moment and focus on your body’s movements, so it can work as a form of active meditation and have a calming effect on the body and the mind. Aim for at least thirty minutes of physical activity every day.

 

Get More Organized

Many times, the reason why you feel stressed is due to an overwhelming feeling of not having everything together. So, a great way to create a major reduction in your stress is by getting a better handle on your work through prioritizing and organizing. First, you want to set clear objectives of what you hope to accomplish. Then, you need to prioritize based on your goals. So, think about the things you plan on doing throughout the day and ask yourself if any of these are moving you closer to your goal. If they aren’t, then they should not be a priority. By organizing yourself and how you delegate the tasks for your day, you will start to have a better feeling about what you’re doing and thus have less stress on your mind.

 

Seek Support

If you notice that your stress levels are not improving, then you might want to seek some support. This could be from a fellow co-worker or your supervisor. Regardless of who it is, you will need to let someone know what you are going through so that they can direct you in the right direction of recovery. You should not feel like you must go through this by yourself. Your co-worker can give you tips on how they handle stress which can help you moving forward. Your supervisor can possibly give you fewer projects to work if the workload is becoming too much. However, you will never discover any of these solutions if you do not reach out.

Maintaining A Work-Life Balance

Trying to maintain a work-life balance has always been a major stress factor in the workforce. Even when work was strictly considered a 9-5 commitment, removing yourself from workplace responsibilities has always been a challenging task. Today, it is even more difficult due to the rise of mobile technology. We now live in a world where people are working in roles that they consider to be “always on” jobs. Whether they are at the office, or at home, they constantly find themselves doing something work-related (answering a call, replying to an email, etc.). It is important, however, that we strive to create that work-life balance so that we can live healthier, happier, and more productive lives. Take a look at these tips to help you maintain a work-life balance.

 

Respect Your Boundaries

You cannot achieve this balance if you do not respect your own boundaries. In addition, if you do not respect your boundaries, you cannot expect anyone else to either. You must work on developing a lifestyle of predictability, at least as it pertains to work. So, train yourself to know that once 5pm hits, you are done working for the day. That means no more calls, no more emails, and no more data tracking, etc. In the beginning, this will be tough to grow into because you will always feel like there is something more to do. However, this is where your boundaries come in. You have to show enough respect to yourself and your boundaries so that others can follow suit.

 

Pace Yourself

Many people who are hard-working and passionate about what they are doing tend to dive into many different projects at once. But, if you want to enjoy a healthy and productive life, you need to understand the value of pacing yourself. Yes, there will be moments when you need to amp things up and go full throttle, but there will also be times when you need to settle down and take things easy. Give your mind and body that needed rest, so that you can come back fully charged and ready to throttle back up again. Self-awareness will be crucial in these situations. You need to understand how much you can handle at any given moment and when you need to slow things down and take a break.

 

Enjoy A Social Life

So many people get caught up in their work and they forget to spend time with their friends and family. You should not limit your social life because of work as it will only lead to unhealthy relationships with the people you love. Make sure that you are setting aside time every evening to spend time with your family. If you have time on the weekends, spend time with close friends and catch up on things. Do not allow your work life to consume your social life because you will find that it may cause you to burn out very quickly, and you will lose all motivation to do anything.

5 Things You Can Do Every Morning For A More Productive Day

As the saying goes, “the early bird gets the worm.” Now getting up early in the morning is not necessarily an easy task, nor is it a desirable task for most people. However, for those who can resist the urge to hit the snooze button and get out of bed at the sound of their first alarm, it leads to the opportunity to make for a more productive day. It is so crucial to start your morning on the right foot as it can set the tone for the rest of the day. Our body’s natural clock known as its circadian rhythm runs on a 24-hour cycle, and this helps to regulate sleep, energy levels, metabolism, and any other bodily functions. How you choose to start your day, can either help or hurt keep that clock running on time. Take a look at five things that you can do every morning to make for a productive day.

 

Exercise

This can be one of the hardest actions to do first thing in the morning, but getting that sweat at the start of your day can reap some incredible benefits. Regarding health, exercising in the morning when you wake up can get your heart going and burn fat while your glycogen stores are still depleted after fasting throughout the night. Exercising also releases endorphins which are chemicals that are produced in the brain to help minimize pain and discomfort while increasing wellbeing. These endorphins also help to reduce stress hormones so that you can start the day in control. Getting some movement in first thing in the morning also activates your nervous system which gets your body to stay active throughout the day.

 

Eat A Good Breakfast

Your body gets its energy from the food you eat. This is why they say that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” because starting your day with food is one of the most energizing things you can do. This will get your metabolism going, and your body will be able to use those calories as energy. With that in mind, you want to make sure that what you put in your body to start the day is good fuel the be used. So be sure to include lean protein, some whole grains, fruits or vegetables, and dairy into that first meal to keep it well balanced.

 

Meditate

Many experts have suggested meditation as a great way to start the day with a clear head. There are so many physical and mental benefits that come with it. By taking simply two minutes in the morning to find a quiet place to sit with your eyes closed while repeating a short mantra can have an incredibly calming effect and allow you to tackle whatever tasks you have coming up in the day. Even if you are a big fan of meditating per se, taking some time to do some breathing exercises can be just as effective to help your head and get you started.

 

Take A Nice Shower

Studies have actually shown that taking a shower in the morning is much better for you than taking a shower at night. You may not realize it, but you sweat in your sleep at night which is beneficial to release any toxins in the body. So by taking a good shower in the morning, you can rinse any excess sweat from your body to help you feel refreshed and ready for the day.

 

Make a To-Do List

This might seem like a stressful way to start the day, but it can prove to be extremely useful. By writing out a list of the tasks that you need to complete for the day, and prioritizing them can help you accomplish much more than you may have anticipated. Now, it doesn’t have to be an extensive minute-by-minute itinerary of what you will do throughout the day but merely mapping out all the major tasks that need to be completed for the day and when they need to be completed by. This can allow you to have much more time on your hands and make you more organized.