Even though we are in the midst of a nasty recession, the majority of you out there have a job. Some 10% of you do not but nearly all of my friends, even those still in school, are working somewhere. But how many of us truly love our jobs? Who gets up at seven every morning and heads into work thinking there is no place he or she would rather be? I, for one, absolutely love my job. I deal with clients all over the world, work with a great team of individuals, and have a great time producing quality work for appreciative clients. I am one of the few who can honestly say that I love my job.
But there are times, even when someone loves his or her job, that stress can overtake them. I have had it happen numerous times as I work in the technology field. I would be worthless if I did not have the Internet. So when the net goes down so does my tolerance level. Or perhaps you are frustrated with the air temperature in your office. Or maybe it is the total on your paycheck at the end of the week. Perhaps you wish you had more vacation time to get away from the guy that sits beside you clipping his fingernails all day. Regardless of what it is that irritates you, stress is a normal daily routine for most of us in the so called real world.
So how can you handle all of this stress? Do you get upset, slam your fist on your desk, and scream at the top of your lungs? Or perhaps you hold it all in, head to the bar after work each night, and pound a few beers before heading home. However you deal with your stresses at work, I am here to tell you there are ways you can help avoid such stress. These five simple tips will help keep you motivated throughout the day, keep you well energized and rested for the typical nine to five, and will provide some insight into how you can survive another hard drive crash or virus attack. These are tips designed to help keep you stay stress and worry free.
Squeezing in a Midday Nap
This might be hard for some of you, but experts say that a short catnap in the afternoon can help revitalize you for an afternoon of progress and productivity. If you do have the luxury of working somewhere that allows you the opportunity to nap, make sure the nap is no longer than thirty minutes. Most of us are getting an hour for lunch, so grab a quick snack, head to the backseat of your car (or wherever you can lie down) and catch some snores. Now, just make sure you set an alarm so you are not missing any work or you do not sleep through the afternoon. (I have actually heard horror stories of folks sleeping at work and being so out of it they wake up and everyone in the office is gone. Hope that if this happens to you that you have coworkers who would wake you after an extended period of time.)
Guys like Winston Churchill and Thomas Edison were big advocates of napping. These guys, as well as many other great thinkers of our time, have been known to catch a few naps through their days. Taking a nap allows for the brain to rest, gives your body a chance to relax and rejuvenate, and allows you the chance to get back up and at it once you reach your time limit. I got to tell you that if I had the chance to nap for a half an hour a day I would take full advantage of that.
Eating a Berry to Push Through
The schisandra berry is known to keep you energetic and stress free throughout the day. I have actually never had one of these little guys, but experts suggest that you try to get 200 mg of the good stuff inside these suckers. If you cannot find nor like the taste of these berries, you can usually find supplements that produce the same ingredients that the berry holds. This berry is said to enhance physical and mental endurance and also provide you that Red Bull shot of energy. (Try to avoid drinking Red Bull if you can. Red Bull has the tendency to get you all hyped up and excited and then forced a big awful crash a few hours later. Sure, you could continue to drink these throughout the day but they are expensive and not the safest drink on the planet. I have read places that say you should only drink at most two o these a day.) I will take a handful of berries over that any day.
Open Up the Lines
Getting your blood to flow is a great way to relieve stress and to help keep you excited for the day ahead of you. Research shows that just by standing up and walking around every hour or so can not only burn a lot of calories but can also help keep your attention. The human body thrives and lives on our steady flow of blood and just by getting up and walking around you are unclogging any spots that chose to take a rest.
Work aside for the moment, this is also something that you should keep in mind when working out. Part of the reason you need to stretch is so that you can get the blood flowing prior to increasing your heart rate. Also, this is why you should stretch after you work out as well. This will help keep your muscles from tensing up and you will also feel a lot better walking home from the gym. So, every hour or so get up, walk around the office, and see if you do not feel more energetic when you get back to your desk.
Give Yourself Some Room at Home
When you leave the office around five and head home, do not rush in the door to open your laptop and check your email. (Yes, I am guilty of this.) Take some time to relax. Watch some TV, walk the dog, go for a jog; whatever you can do to get your mind off work. By doing this you are distancing yourself from your work and focusing on having a life outside of the office.
Another thing that this can help is your personal and family life. If you have a wife and kid(s) at home, taking time for them after work will mean more than you can imagine. Spend some time hugging and kissing your wife, playing catch with your son, or having tea with your daughter. This quality time will help build and keep your family life strong and healthy but it will also allow you a chance to distance yourself and be able to focus once you return to the office.
Turn the Cell Phone Off
This is not something I can do without some force. Experts say that a great way to refresh and recharge is to distance you from technology all together. That means no laptop this weekend. That also means no cell phone. I am not even sure if you should watch a DVD or the news that weekend. Distance yourself from everything. Read a book, go out for dinner, or head to the mall for some people watching. Whatever you do, stay off of the outlets that got you stressed in the first place. I will be the first to admit that my iPhone might as well wear a wedding ring as much as I am on it. But there are times that I need to realize I have to go off the grid and focus on the other things that are important in my life.
So no matter how hard it is to distance yourself from work, or to even squeeze a nap in during the day, these are proven techniques in how you can save some energy and feel a lot less stress in your life. Take my advice when it comes to stress; it isn’t pretty. Stress can cause any number of diseases, it can affect your quality of life, and it makes you seem like you are on edge all of the time. So relax, already, and take it easy for a change. Life is too short to be stressed out over stuff.
