27 Apr 4 Ways to Make Work Less Stressful

Life is too short to spend 40 hours a week panicking, let alone the 47 hours the average full time American employee spends at work. In honor of Stress Awareness Month (aka April), here are some tips for dealing with stress at work.

1. Act nowStress results when you’re in a situation that feels out of your control. Try to stay organized and be proactive when working on projects both large and small. This will minimize the number of tasks and requests you’ll feel like you have to react to immediately, keeping you less frazzled.
2. Take a brain breakWorking constantly for eight hours straight will tire your brain and, along with it, your emotional resilience. Schedule breaks throughout the day to breath and stretch to release the pressure.
3. Remember your bodyThe way you treat your body affects your brain, so remember to keep your body’s needs balanced with your mental ones. In addition to sweat, exercise produces endorphins that act as natural painkillers, improves your ability to sleep and reduces stress. Of course, sleep is a must for your well-being and diet is a biggie too. Low blood sugar can make you feel anxious and irritable while having high blood sugar can make you feel lethargic. Consuming small, frequent, nutritious meals helps keep your blood sugar at a happy medium so your energy, focus and mood stay resilient.
4. Remember the bigger pictureIf your next deadline or presentation feels like a life or death trial by fire, relax. Your negative perspective regarding the latest stressful office events is often the result of your own painfully tense mind, so try taking a more global perspective. Difficult projects and unreasonable co-workers are usually the results of bigger issues unrelated to you, so consider taking problems at work a little less personally. Meanwhile, remember the good things about your job, including the tasks you enjoy and the talents your job allows you to excel at. If you can’t think of anything positive about your current position, it may be time to consider other career opportunities.