Simple Ideas For Lowering Your Stress Levels In Today's Hectic Offices

By: Sharon Mann
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:40:54
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher |

Rating:

 

Here are some great techniques to help you relax and keep your cool in the office and at home:

1. Deep Breathing. Inhale as much as you possibly can, filling your chest completely. Then exhale slowly, emptying all the air you just breathed in. Repeat several times.

2. Positive Imagery. Close your eyes and visualize an atmosphere that you perceive to be relaxing, such as a country meadow or a quiet trail in the woods. Concentrate on the image for several seconds, and you’ll be surprised how this can calm you down.

3. Let Your Body Go Limp. While seated in your office chair, imagine that you are a rag doll. Concentrate on letting your arms and legs become completely limp, as if they have no power to support themselves.

4. Change Your Outlook. If possible, go to a window (or step outside) and focus on something far off in the distance. Stare at the object for at least 20 seconds, thinking about nothing but that object.

5. Re-direct Your Thoughts for a Moment. When things get particularly stressful on the job, you sometimes need to take your mind completely away from the office. A good way to do this is by phoning a friend or relative and talking about anything but work. If making a call is not possible, look at a photograph of a friend and recount in your mind the fun times you’ve had together, or, look at photos of a favorite vacation place and momentarily relive the good time you had there.

Try each of the above relaxation techniques to see which ones work best for you in addressing daily pressures. Below are easy techniques for preventing and alleviating at least some of the stress associated with working in today’s fast-paced offices:

1. Know your limits. If taking on two extra projects last week pushed you to the extreme, be aware that taking on three this week could put you over the edge. In other words, you don’t always have to go the extra mile every time your boss asks you to. Most supervisors would rather see quality work, even if it means sacrificing quantity.

2. Take your time. If you have vacation coming to you, use it. You’ve earned it, and more importantly, your body and your mind need it to rejuvenate.

3. Don’t be afraid to delegate. Just because the boss asked you personally to do something, it doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help. If the job genuinely requires assistance from a co-worker, request it. The boss will understand.

4. Stay organized, stay on schedule. When you begin a new project, establish a schedule at the beginning by making a list of all you need to do. Then stick to the plan. This is far less stressful than taking a haphazard “seat of your pants” approach.

5. Give yourself a break. If you’re working on something particularly tedious, spend a few moments every half hour or so to relax and focus your mind on something else. Perhaps take a short stroll in the hallway, or get some coffee. These “mini breaks” can work wonders in reducing your stress levels.

Sharon Mann is an organizational expert for Pendaflex (http://www.pendalfex.com), the world’s leading maker of innovative organizing products and also serves as president of the Pendaflex “I Hate Filing” club, a dedicated group of nearly 100,000 office professionals who dislike filing but enjoy finding new ways to become more organized and more productive in the workplace. Sharon is the author of “I Hate Filing”, Everything you need to Get Organized for Success and Sanity at Home, on the Run and in the Office.

Article source: Expert Articles