De-stressing at Work
Stress is that illusive distraction that can hinder your ability to really focus your attention. With so many potential sources of tension or demands for your attention, the most effective strategies for getting productive have everything to do with first getting grounded.
start where you are. Make it a goal to arrive ten minutes early to work every day. Spend 3-5 minutes just getting adjusted to your environment by getting comfortable, taking a few slow deep belly breaths, and letting go of outside distractions. Breathe in relaxation and breathe out tension.
organize. So much of the day can be wasted on poor organization. Review your schedule, get your work space cleaned up, and prepare for the day. Taking those few extra minutes at the beginning of each day will save a lot of time in the long run.
acknowledge the positives. It is easy to get hung up on short-comings and ways that you can do better- but it is just as easy to give yourself credit for the positives. Let yourself take moments every day to be optimistic, proud, and aware of the good things. Look for the positives and take mental notes of them.
random acts of kindness. This is possibly the easiest and most rewarding daily task! Find opportunities to compliment someone, help them out, or make a moment of their life better in any way. Do this without expectation and for the pure joy of making someone else feel good.
tech-free time. This may be the most challenging of all five! Take a few breaks during the day and leave all of the screens behind. Check messages or make personal calls before or after eating lunch. Try not to distract yourself while you eat. Zoning out on Twitter, Facebook, NPR, etc... is only adding more stress to your day- even if you believe you are getting some down time.