20 Ways to Eliminate Stress at Work

The workplace can be a stressful place. Between personality differences, “one-size-fits-all” working environments (think: introverts hate open office floor plans), and having to always “do more with less” while wondering if your job is really secure, work can pile on stress like no other. According to the article “Making a Business Case for Mindfulness”:

Stress in the workplace is at epidemic levels, costing businesses an estimated $2,800 per employee every year.

Yet there truly are ways to find balance and peace along the journey.

“Image: Ahmed Amir via FlickrHere are 20 ways to find peace and balance in a busy day as a small business owner:

• Personalize your workspace (include something in your space that makes it uniquely YOU).
• Have visual reminders of your biggest priorities (could be photos of your children, partner, or dreams).
• Drink lots of water. Hydration is crucial for health, well-being, and stress relief.
• Eat well. Again, what you put IN your body is what fuels it.
• Take regular breaks.
• Minimize or eliminate interruptions.
• Physically move during these regular breaks (we were not built to sit at a desk for hours on end).
• Keep things in perspective. Unless you work in the ER or other emergency response environment, the crisis of the moment is rarely a matter of life or death.
• Take your vacation time (and disconnect when you do).
• Breathe deeply – oxygen is good.
• Practice mindfulness and meditation in the moment.
• Create space between receiving information and your response so you can respond rather than react. (Hint: this is a good opportunity to breathe or practice a one minute meditation).
• Get enough sleep. We are a sleep deprived workforce and it costs us health and productivity.
• Schedule your day to honor your rhythms. This will increase your productivity and reduce the stress of trying to go against your natural flow.
• Get perspective. How you think about what happens makes all the difference.
• Identify and stop imposing even more stress on yourself via perfectionism or setting yourself up for angst (like running late, overbooking your schedule, etc.).
• Prioritize. Not everything can be an immediate priority. It’s an impossibility.
• Create a no drama zone in your heart, mind, and space. Let energy vampires and crisis creators feed on someone else’s energy.
• Treat others how to treat you. Create and enforce boundaries.
• Cool the flames of panic, stress and overwhelm. Exhale slowly and press the reset button on any “fight or flight” reactions that show themselves.

What do you do to eliminate stress? Would love to hear your tips as well.

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