The gift of mindful stress relief for your body, mind, company and safety
We’ve all been there… The phone won’t stop ringing. The email notifications ding endlessly. The responsibilities and challenges keep piling on with no relief in sight. The cacophony of stress triggers is in full swing. Feeling some stress is normal, especially when dealing with challenges or deadlines. Chronic stress, however, may affect your physical and emotional well-being.
As companies place more demands on employees, stress levels can rise to unhealthy levels in the workplace. Work-related stress can cause significant problems, including frustration, challenges with communicating, poor decision making, difficulty concentrating and decreased efficiency, all of which may result in safety hazards.
Additionally, stress can also lead to health problems such as insomnia, headaches, depression, and hypertension, which can have a direct impact on the quality of life. Some signs of stress include: headaches, fatigue, insomnia, low energy, changes in weight/appetite, anxiety, increased heart rate, sweating and low self-esteem.
RELATED: How Workplace Stress Hurts Your Bottom Line
Managing stress can improve workplace performance and productivity. Plus, it just feels so much better! It all starts with a sense of building mindfulness, becoming aware of how you are feeling. As a restorative yoga instructor and meditation guide, I am a big fan of deep breathing and mindfulness meditations. The key is to discover what works for you.
According to Healthline.com, here are some steps you can take to keep your job stress to a minimum:
- Recognize it
- Write it out
- Recharge
- Manage your time
- Balance work and play
- Reframe thoughts
- Rely on others
- Meet your needs
- Relax regularly
- Avoid gossip
- Embrace the imperfect
- Take a trip
- Talk to your boss
- Seek help
And don’t underestimate the power of laughter. Mayo Clinic data shows there is compelling evidence that laughter can have a positive effect with both short- and long-term benefits, which we shall explore further in our next issue. No joke.
Until then, think about giving yourself and your employees the gift of mindful stress relief, for your body, mind, company and safety.
