Minute Meditation Exercises For During The Workday
During the workday, we might find it difficult to find time for any additional activities, however you don’t need to meditate for hours to receive its benefits. Setting aside 10 minutes during the workday can have a huge impact on your mood and stress levels.
Below we go through a 10 minute meditation exercise. The most important thing, whether you find the exercise hard or easy, is to stick with it for the full 10 minutes.
1. Preparation
- Play calming music or sounds if you find this helpful.
- Some people recommend sitting upright but if you find this uncomfortable then sit comfortably.
2. Getting started
Gently close your eyes and take a deep breath in. Hold for the count of three and slowly exhale. Repeat this a few times and then allow your natural breathing pattern to emerge.
3. Check-in
Settle into your body by noticing the physical sensations your body is experiencing, such as where your body meets the chair and the ground. Notice the things around you using your senses – what can you hear? Smell? Taste? Feel?
Notice how these sensations come from nothing and then go back to nothing. For example, the sound of a plane flying by builds from no-sound and then goes back to no-sound.
4. Body scan
Go through your body, starting from your head and working your way down to your toes observing any tension. You can follow this order as an example:
- Top of the head and scalp
This should take around 1 minute. Repeat the body scan but notice the parts of the body which feel relaxed.
Be Clear On Your New Role
Some things that can be helpful in reducing your anxiety and stress are to:
- Get clarity from your supervisor
- Be gentle with yourself
- Have an action plan of how youre going to get organized in your job so that you know what you have to do and have the right tools to get things done. Dr. Laura Louis, Licensed Psychologist, Atlanta Couple Therapy
Keep Perfectionism In Check
Being a high achiever might make you feel good about yourself and help you excel at work, but being a perfectionist can create problems for you .
You might not be able to do everything perfectly, every timeespecially in a busy, fast-paced job. A good strategy to avoid the perfectionism trap is always striving to just do your best and making time to congratulate yourself on your efforts. You may find that your results are better and youll be much less stressed at work.
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Bonus: Kick Your Bad Habits
Managing stress at work is partially about your mindset. Your outlook can have a huge impact on your ability to cope with everyday stressors. Keep them in check so they dont become major sources of negative stress. Here are a few tips to change your mindset by break the bad habits that are holding you back:
- One way to do this is to express gratitude. Its surprising how much different your outlook is when you make a point to recognize the people and things in your life that youre lucky to have.
Be Realistic With Deadlines
Sometimes it can be easy to tell your boss or your client that youll have a project completed by a specific date until you get in the middle of the project and realize youve drastically underestimated the time the project will take to complete.
Feeling like you dont have enough time to finish a project can create a lot of anxiety about going to work.
Avoid this by putting a bit more thought into how much time a project will take, and then adding a cushion to your timeframe before you commit to a deadline. Dont be afraid to be honest and push back if your boss or client tries to get you to agree to complete a task in a time thats simply not realistic.
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How Managers Or Employers Can Reduce Stress At Work
Employees who are suffering from work-related stress can lead to lower productivity, lost workdays, and a higher turnover of staff. As a manager, supervisor, or employer, though, you can help lower workplace stress. The first step is to act as a positive role model. If you can remain calm in stressful situations, its much easier for your employees to follow suit.
Consult your employees. Talk to them about the specific factors that make their jobs stressful. Some things, such as failing equipment, understaffing, or a lack of supervisor feedback may be relatively straightforward to address. Sharing information with employees can also reduce uncertainty about their jobs and futures.
Communicate with your employees one-on-one.Listening attentively face-to-face will make an employee feel heard and understood. This will help lower their stress and yours, even if youre unable to change the situation.
Deal with workplace conflicts in a positive way. Respect the dignity of each employee establish a zero-tolerance policy for harassment.
Give workers opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their jobs. Get employee input on work rules, for example. If theyre involved in the process, theyll be more committed.
Avoid unrealistic deadlines. Make sure the workload is suitable to your employees abilities and resources.
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Don’t Drag Others Down
Office drama can be entertaining at times, but it ultimately makes the environment more stressful and lowers morale. Try changing the subject when people talk poorly of coworkers or the boss, or simply come up with a reason to leave the room. Dont respond to texts or emails that seek to drag others down.
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Use A Task Manager To Plan And Prepare
If the source of your anxiety is having too many tasks each day and feeling overwhelmed or unorganized, task manager software might be able to help. This tech solution manages your daily or weekly to-do list and helps you avoid putting too many tasks on each days list. Youll be more successful at completing your list, and you will reduce the risk of inadvertently dropping items that are continuously being pushed to the next day. Using a task manager is a huge time saver and can help you improve your productivity dramatically.
Easy Ways To Reduce Back
- Returning to onsite work may stir up feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Having coping strategies in place can help ease the transition.
- Experts share ways to manage.
While remote work during the pandemic has its own challenges, now that many people are back in the office in some capacity, they are finding it more stressful and anxiety-triggering than they anticipated.
According to a study by McKinsey, 1 in 3 employees say that returning to work has had a negative impact on their mental health, making them anxious and depressed.
Social anxiety may be a core reason a lot of people are nervous about going back into the office, said Naomi Torres-Mackie, PhD, clinical psychologist at Lenox Hill Hospital and head of research at the Mental Health Coalition.
Connecting over Zoom is very different from connecting in person, and two years into the pandemic, we are all a bit rusty when it comes to our social skills, she told Healthline.
Lingering COVID-19 anxiety and fear of getting sick is also partially to blame.
With the guidelines and situation changing daily, it can be difficult to feel secure that the pandemic is stable enough to be safe to return to in-person work, said Torres-Mackie.
Plus, change itself is never easy. For instance, pre-pandemic most people were used to leaving home and going in to their workplace. However, the pandemic forced many workers to adjust to remote work. And now, returning to the office is yet another adjustment.
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Adopt A Positive Attitude And Growth Mindset
You did land this new job, right? They chose you to fill this role. It’s an opportunity to grow and expand your skill sets. New situations are often uncomfortable, but theyre also exciting. Cultivating a positive mental attitude while you navigate these new experiences will help you reap the benefits, now and in the future. Making mistakes fuels your growth and learning and everyone does it from time to time.
Healthier Habits To Reduce Workplace Anxiety
Avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine
- Nicotine and caffeine are stimulants which means that they can subsequently increase your anxiety.
- Alcohol can make you feel low as it is a depressant.
- These substances can negatively affect your sleep thus leaving you feeling more stressed.
Get enough sleep
Stress and anxiety may be keeping you up at night which can make you more susceptible to stress. Having a good night’s sleep will increase your concentration, help you regulate your emotions and cope with stress more effectively.
If you find that you are struggling to sleep at night, sleep hygiene is a useful technique to build-up a healthy sleep pattern:
Eat well
Make sure you are eating healthily as this:
- Helps you think more clearly
- Increases your energy
Here are some tips:
Be active
Our mental health and physical health are strongly linked physical activity releases endorphins which naturally increase mood thus reducing stress. Try to do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day – this can be throughout the day if it’s easier than exercising 30 minutes in one go.
Big changes to your daily routine are usually not needed to achieve this, for example, you could get off at the bus stop before your usual bus stop when travelling to work.
Relaxation
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Stay Away From Conflict
Interpersonal conflict takes a toll on your physical and emotional health. Conflict among co-workers can be difficult to escape, so its a good idea to avoid conflict at work as much as you can.
Dont gossip, dont share too many of your personal opinions about religion and politics, and steer clear of “colorful” office humor.
When possible, try to avoid people who dont work well with others. If conflict finds you anyway, make sure you know how to handle it appropriately.
Follow It Up By Finding A Super
As you can see from my example above, when you feel anxious, its easy to turn a relatively straightforward task into an overwhelming thought exercise that sends your brain into catastrophe mode. When you are mired in anxiety and avoiding your work, the important thing is to do something. Jonathan Baxter, a family therapist, gave me this advice:
The experience of stress has to do with your body wanting to take action. If there are actions you can take whether getting some exercise or cleaning the bathroom or teaching your kids something go ahead and take them. When you take action, give yourself a moment to let yourself feel good about taking a step. Use your mind to give your body the signal that you have agency and are doing what you can. The goal is to feel active and effective rather than scrambling from one thing to the next.
I like to take a page from positive psychology and choose a small, meaningful action that will build my motivation for work and to tackle bigger tasks ahead. Have you ever organized a messy spreadsheet and just felt so good? Pick an activity that connects you to your larger purpose and allows you to see yourself as an effective and competent individual, which will ultimately help you move towards doing the thing youre avoiding.
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Causes Of Stress At Work
Workplace stress, as defined by the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, can have various origins or come from just one aspect of a workers responsibilities. Its effects are far-reaching: Workplace stress can affect both employers and their employees. The economy is currently on the upswing, but job security was uncertain in not-so-distant years. Downsizing, layoffs, mergers, and bankruptcies occur in industries and companies of all types this means big changes for workers. Even when job loss does not occur, employees may face increased responsibility, higher production demands, fewer benefits, pay cuts, and more. In general, this creates an environment of stress around the office. Some of the causes of stress at work identified by the CDC and APA include the following:
Eat Healthy And Nutritious Foods
Photo Credit: Stacy via Flickrs Creative Commons
Ever heard the phrase eat your feelings?
Its a real phenomenon. Many people turn to unhealthy comfort foods as stress management at work.
Safe to safe that dealing with work stress in this manner is not good. Why does this happen? When were stressed, our brain releases the hormone cortisol, which makes us crave salty, sweet, and fat-laden foods for the temporary pleasure they bring. But ironically, stress eating only exacerbates the problem.
Sugar or fat-laden foods like pizza, burgers, and ice cream make us feel lethargic, and less likely to tackle the problems that lay before us, which in turn only increases our stress. Thats why its so important to eat healthy foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates that fuel our brains and support concentration and focus. This will give you the power to learn how to handle work pressure & how to overcome stress at work. Not sure what to eat? Here are some tips: Eat this:
- Complex carbs like whole wheat bread or pasta and vegetables
- Foods high in fiber like fruits and vegetables
- Superfoods like Kale, Dark Chocolate, and blueberries, which contain mood-boosting antioxidants
- Lean proteins like chicken, or better yet, wild-caught Alaskan Salmon
Avoid this:
And dont forget, no other food category impacts your overall diet like snacking. The availability of healthy snacks will help improve your diet and keep your stress in check.
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Managing Common Stressful Situations At Work
If you feel stressed by a certain problem at work, you might not be alone in this.
Many of us may experience these common stressful situations in the workplace. The important thing is understanding how to manage them.
Problems with your workload
- Ask your manager for help. Discuss your workload with your manager, if you have one. Try setting realistic targets and talk about how you can solve the issues youre having.
- Try to balance your time. You might be doing too much at once. If you dont give each task your full attention, it can take longer. Try to claim your time back if you ever need to work extra hours to get something done.
- Reward yourself for achievements. Rather than only focusing on work that needs to be done next, reward yourself for tasks youâve completed. Your reward could be taking a break to read, doing a puzzle, chatting with co-workers or spending time outside.
- Be realistic. You dont have to be perfect all the time. You might find that youre being more critical of your own work than you need to be. Work within your limitations and try to be kind to yourself.
I dont take on too much at one time, little steps are the way. Breathing strategies, having a mindset and thinking, I can do this!’
Difficult work-life balance
Lack of support in your workplace
My work has become a strong support system. My work colleagues have become like family and there is a mutual respect in how we treat one another.
What Causes Work Anxiety
The causes of work anxiety are wide-ranging and vary from person to person. Sometimes internal factors, like imposter syndrome or self-imposed pressure, can cause work anxiety. Other times, external factors like workplace conflicts, a heavy workload, or market trends can be the source.
Finding the root cause of your work anxiety can help you overcome it. Common situations that might lead to work anxiety include:
-
Unclear goals or expectations
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How To Reduce Stress And Anxiety In 10 Steps
We all experience stress and anxiety at one time or another. For some, it may be more severe than others, but one thing is for sure: we can all agree that a stress-free life is a happy one. If you are fed up with your stress and anxiety, you may be wondering how to reduce stress. The good news is there are plenty of stress reducers that you can incorporate into your life to help you.
Step One: Think Ahead
Stressful triggers are usually repetitive. If youre dealing with stress and anxiety, you may find that the same things each month cause you unneeded stress. Some examples include past due bills, laundry piling up, or deadlines at work.
Once you identify the problems in your life that consistently stress you out, you can begin working to eliminate them by planning ahead.
If money problems seem to be constantly plaguing you, it may be time to consider coming up with a budget. A budget can help you to meet your financial goals by setting aside money for those important bills so that you dont have to worry when it comes time to pay them.
If you have issues setting aside time to do housework or laundry, you could set aside one day of each week to take care of these duties. For example, you could do all the laundry on Sundays and clean the house on Mondays.
Be sure not to pile too much work onto one day, or you could risk becoming even more stressed from the amount of work you have to do that day.
Step Two: Tweak your Morning Routine
Step Three: Get More Sleep