breathe
If you're feeling stressed, take a deep breath. Taking a couple of minutes out of your day to practice a couple of deep breathing techniques will almost give the same affect as an hour long yoga class. Plus- stepping away from your desk for a couple of minutes will be more convenient in the long run than staring blankly at your screen for a full day!
Forget the Problem, Focus On The Solution
80% of the time, you'll realise that you're making a mountain out of a molehill. Step back and assess whether the thing that's bothering you is an actual, real-life issue, or whether it can be forgotten about. For the other 20% of non-molehill issues, try to spend your time working out a solution rather than dwelling on the issue.
Learn To Switch Off
Know that a break, is a break! During your breaks you should be able to completely forget about work for a while. Eat a snack, watch half of your favourite show or delve into a magazine or book. Relaxing in this way will refresh your brain activity and get you ready to carry on with the rest of your working day. Over the weekend, disconnect. If you have a work phone, make a vow to only check it once every 24 hours, and only respond if it's an absolute emergency. If it can wait, leave it until Monday.
once a day rule
If you're not waiting on something important, try to check your e-mails and messages no more than twice a day. Check them first thing in the morning, then last thing before you leave. Using this method will allow you to prioritise tasks and will prevent you from worrying about adding new tasks to your list throughout the day.
finish what you start
If you're feeling stressed, take a deep breath. Taking a couple of minutes out of your day to practice a couple of deep breathing techniques will almost give the same affect as an hour long yoga class. Plus- stepping away from your desk for a couple of minutes will be more convenient in the long run than staring blankly at your screen for a full day!
be 'right now'
The same goes for future events, try not to think about your next promotion or job progression, focus on what you're doing right now. Focus, drive and determination right now, will get you where you need to be in the future.
reward yourself
If you've had a busy day, week or month and you're feeling drained- take some time out. Listen to yourself and schedule some time to completely relax. If your managers aren't exactly the rewarding type, take matters into your own hands and treat yourself following your hard work. Even if it's something minor like a sleep in!
be comfortable
If you're already up to your eyeballs with stress, the last thing you need is to feel uncomfortable. Your employer should ensure that you have adequate seating as part of the company's health and safety regulations. A comfy office chair can make all the difference in terms of productivity.
Lists, Lists, Lists
Writing lists can help you to prioritise tasks and ensure you don't forget anything important. Compile a short list at the end of every day for the work you need to do the following day. You'll soon establish a routine and be able to manage your workload more effectively.
Preparation
Try to avoid packing your bag on a morning. Where possible, use the evening before to prepare everything from your lunch box to your outfit. This way you'll get an extra 5 minutes in bed and you'll be able to enjoy your morning coffee and breakfast in peace- start as you mean to go on!
keep it simple
Try to keep your office desk content minimal. Clutter, and unnecessary items can be distracting and will subconsciously take your focus away from the task at hand.
theres always tomorrow
Don't panic if you don't get something done today. That's life, and sometimes we'll be faced with unexpected events that prevent us from getting the job done. Tell yourself that tomorrow is a new day, and that you'll be able to get the job done then. Beating yourself up will lower your self-esteem and motivation, causing more stress than necessary.
perfection isn't always appropriate
If you expect yourself to complete every task at a level of perfection, you're not always going to achieve it. This can leave you feeling down and will damage your self-esteem. Try to aim for 'good' instead, this way you'll know you've completed the task to a reasonable standard and you can move on to the next on feeling accomplished.
don't guess, ask!
Communicate with your colleagues- instead of stressing yourself trying to figure out how to go about completing a specific task, simply ask someone. Chances are you'll get a helpful response, reduce the risk of making a mistake and you'll get to indulge in some normal human interaction for a couple of minutes!
