Free Tips on Stress Relief
Deep Breathing
Take a slow deep breath through your nose and down into your stomach. Make sure you do not shrug your shoulders. Imagine the breath being drawn to the back of the throat and down. Exhale slowly through your nose. Practice this often-when you are in a line, at a traffic light, waiting for your doctor! Breathing is the simplest and quickest form of relaxation.
Grounding Exercise
Look around your environment and silently count in your mind 5 things you can see, hear, and feel. Then repeat for a count of 4,3,2,1. Each counting cycle has different objects. Start doing this when you start to feel anxious. Practice it when you are able.
Journaling
Journaling your thoughts and feelings is an excellent way of calming the mind. It also helps with problem solving.
“…everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
Victor Frankl
Other Tips
- Exercise - walk up a flight of stairs or around the block.
- Get outside for your lunch break. Sitting in the lunch room with people complaining will only fuel the stress.
- Focus on what you are doing and not on the person that is causing you stress. Rehashing what someone said yesterday is pointless.
Think positive. A stressful situation can be considered enriching instead of distressing. When you think a thought, ask yourself-“does this make me feel good or bad?” If the answer is bad then rethink the thought.
If spiritual, pray for strength, understanding, and compassion.
- Limit the amount of time you are connected to the office. Downtime is essential to reboot your energy.
- Prioritize. Not everything is critically important. Decide what needs to be done first and focus on completing one job at a time.
- Plan your leisure. Make sure you do something nice for yourself.
Shed the "Superwoman/man" Urge.
No one is perfect, so don't expect perfection from yourself or others.Ask yourself,"What really needs to be done? How much can I do?Is the deadline realistic?What adjustments can I make?"