Here’s a scenario: Monday morning rolls around and before you can even take a sip of coffee, you have a long list of to-dos. To make matters even worse, you have a jampacked day of meetings that clutter your schedule with little-to-no breathing room for breaks, lunch, or exercise.
Sound familiar? Stress can manifest itself abruptly and cause a domino-effect of anxiety throughout your work day. Not to mention, it can affect your overall quality of life and hinder your mental and physical health.
So, instead of letting stress dominate your life, here are a few simple habits you can adopt to help you cope with stress and alleviate anxiety while working.
Focus on Breathing
Mindfully breathing is highly underutilized. It’s a simple practice you can tap into at any point of your day, and the benefits include reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, and slowing your heart rate (just to name a few).
Simply carve out 2 to 5 minutes of your morning routine (or whenever) to focus on your breathing. To do this, try to sit in a quiet place and make yourself comfortable. Breathe in for 4 seconds and then slowly breathe out for 8 seconds. Repeat this process for as long as you please.
Eat Well
Have you ever taken a hard look at what you’re eating? If your day is filled with coffee and sugar, you’re probably doing no favors to your stress levels. Try to get plenty of servings of vegetables, fruit, and whole grains. Plus, be sure to block-out time during the day to eat. Your body will thank you!
Move
We weren’t built to be sedentary. Get up and move! Taking time throughout the day to stand up, walk-around, and exercise will help you stay focused and alert while pushing through your long list of to-dos. Keep moving–take a 30 minute power walk, walk up and down some stairs, or even try some lunchtime yoga.
Get Organized
Take a hard look at your desk. Is it clean or cluttered? Does it make you want to get to work or does it stress you out just looking at it? Keeping your workspace organized is a huge step in the right direction and will help keep your stress at bay.
This past year has been stressful, and we all could use a little help. Try creating new, healthy habits to keep your workday running smoothly and stress-free. Tweet @StarterNoise to share your favorite stress-relieving habits.
Derek Rundell, is a successful business leader, operator, and serial entrepreneur. Derek has founded, managed and sold businesses in the technology, media and finance industries. He sits on several boards and serves as an advisor/investor to numerous established businesses and startups. Startups are Derek’s real passion, and in addition to building his own portfolio of technology, media and financial ventures, he invests in and mentors startups and entrepreneurs. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and helping other businesses succeed.