Is stress taking its’ toll on you in your workplace? In recognition of May being Mental Health Awareness Month, here are some customer-submitted ways to keep cool and stay productive in the office.
1. Take a brief, productive break by taking out all the trash in your office. A clean space will be a better place to work in. It allows you to think better and be more relaxed. Plus, you get a few minutes away from your desk to clear your head.
2. Add some color to your office to make it feel brighter and to be easier on the eyes. Lighter shades of blue and green promote relaxation and calmness in the office. You can also introduce real life green of plants into your office for a maximized calming effect.
3. Add some décor in your office. Just a few personal touches will do to make your space more comfortable without cluttering it up.
4. Consider starting your day with the most difficult task first. After tackling the bigger task first, the rest of your day is smooth sailing.
5. Delegate when possible. If you have too much on your plate, delegate.
6. Silence your email notification. Trying to read emails as soon as they come just adds stress to your already hectic day. With each email notification or audible ding, you get interrupted. And each interruption can take several minutes to come back from to get fully back into productive mode. Can’t turn off email notifications entirely? Try doing so then in just two hour intervals. You’ll lessen your interruptions, which lessens stress.
7. Interval relaxation. Breaks, no matter how short, are often underrated. Set a schedule to take a break every two-to-three hours so that you can get a brief reset to keep you productive throughout the day.
8. Move it. A little physical exercise will do you good and keep you sane. If you feel that the stress level is creeping up, try some stretching exercises.
9. A little music helps. A little music will help drown out distracting noise and bring a positive beat to your brain.
Too much going on in the workplace causes mental stress. Test out what methods work best for you to counteract the effects of mental stress to maximize your productivity and sanity.