Stress is something that affects us all on a day-to-day basis and it can take many forms, ranging from missing a flight to discovering your favourite supermarket sandwich has sold out.
In severe cases, it can provoke a number of psychological and physical symptoms, such as headaches, chest pain, nausea and anxiety. One of the most common causes of work- related stress is having a challenging relationship with your boss. A recent study conducted by the US polling company Gallup found that one in two employees have actually left a job “to get away from their manager at some point in their career.”
Some bosses can be particularly demanding, which may result in a fractured work-life balance that can exacerbate pre-existing stress.In a bid to alleviate work-related stress, learning mindful skills such as meditation, which you can use in the office, to help calm yourself down.
Mindfulness involves being as conscious as possible of your surroundings and has been said to boost productivity, curb anxiety and even improve romantic relationships.When conducted properly via things like meditation, mindfulness can elicit feelings of calmness that may enable you to drown out some of the stressful work-related noise in your head.
Similar to the concept of work-out buddies, building a community of like-minded people and co-workers who share your passion is important for long- term behaviour change. Employees can champion these efforts by gathering an informal group together and encouraging others to join along.
If we can learn to reframe challenges at work into opportunities to build resilience rather than create stress, we can have a really positive impact on our health and happiness. If you’re feeling stressed, the best thing for it is to sweat it out. The logic behind it is sound –exercise can clear your head and release mood-boosting endorphins that will energise you and help you feel less stressed.
Therefore, the best thing to do when you’re stressed is to choose exercises that complement your stress levels. Your exercise should be more mindful, like an active form of meditation – you could try a fast walk, a jog along the river, or try a Yoga class. All can help in trying to centre yourself again.
If you’re working with a trainer, you should let them know how you’re feeling so they can adapt your session, depending where your energy is at. HIIT – high intensity interval training – can help with stress because of its short duration and allows you to get rid of all the nervous energy that you have stored up through excess adrenaline. Yoga is great for stress as it engages the mind and body. By focusing on the physical poses it allows that inner chatter of your mind to fade as you concentrate on controlling your movement. Lifting weights allows you to focus on the moment and forget any worries or stress you may have and will allow your feel- good hormones out.
Meditation tips
1. Stop whatever it is that you’re doing.
2. Take some deep breaths and focus on the sensations of your breathing.
3. Observe what is going on and ask yourself four questions: ‘Who am I? What do I want? What is my dharma or purpose? What am I grateful for ?’
4. Proceed with your day and continue to think about your answers to those questions.
