Tips for de-stressing in the office

You may love your job, but that doesn’t mean you don’t get overwhelmed every now and then. One of the secrets to stress management is by incorporating calming activities. Here are some methods that can help you de-stress at work:

Go for a quick walk
Sometimes the best thing is to get away from the office momentarily. Try doing so by taking a quick walk. This can be inside or outside the building, weather permitting. You’ll be able to stretch your legs and clear your mind. That way, you’ll be able to concentrate more when you get back.

Listen to calming music
Although you may want to crank some familiar tunes at work, a great way to create a relaxing work environment is by calming music. This can be anything from yoga music to a waterfall track. That way, you won’t get carried away with singing lyrics to your favorite songs and lose your train of thought.

Eat a healthy snack
Just about every office has an endless supply of coffee to drink, but that might not be your healthiest bet. Instead of sipping on the caffeine, grab a healthy snack like an apple or a banana. This can improve your focus and fill you up if you’re feeling hungry.

Drink a glass of water
Sometimes the root of our stress is dehydration. In addition, if you’re not regularly drinking water, you may experience headaches. To combat this adverse side effect, make sure that your body is getting enough water throughout the work day.

Take a break
Give your mind a break with photos, artwork or a book. The more creative, the better. Try honing your writing skills and transcribe a hand written letter for someone inside or outside of the office. In addition, depending on the season, you could even knock greeting cards out of the way. That way, you’ll have more down time at home.

Stretch
If you’re sitting in a chair all day, your body is going to get sore. In addition, this can make you tense and even more stressed. The best way to combat all this is by stretching throughout the day. Here are some stretches you can do make sure your muscles don’t tense up too much in your chair:

• Shrug your shoulders, and lift them high above your ears. Hold them there for a few second and release. Repeat this as many times as it’s comfortable for you. This can help relieve tension in your neck and shoulders if you spend a lot of the day hunched over at a desk or at a computer.
• Sit up tall in your chair or stand up. Then, stretch your arms overhead and interlock your fingers. Lift your chin, tilt your head back and gaze to the ceiling.
• Whenever you’re feeling antsy, just take a lap around the office to stretch out your legs.