Recognise the Warning Signs of Stress
Some jobs have such high demands on your personal time that they practically become a way of life. The pressures and unpredictability of these types of jobs make it very difficult to find time to relax.
Say for example, many who work in the grocery industry deal with customers face-to-face on a daily basis.
This kind of high level customer service and constant interaction can take a toll on emloyees’ wellbeing and drain them as well over an eight hour shift. Mixing this exhaustion with other job responsibilities creates a perfect storm for stress. So, how does one cope?
Ironically, jobs devoted to improving the wellbeing of others can be stress-inducing themselves. They call for excellent problem-solving and time management skills, as well as being sensitive to people’s needs.
How does someone working in the health care industry eliminate stress without sacrificing the quality of their work?
Well, the solution is not as hard as you may think or want it to be. With little changes in your lifestyle and habits, a great deal can be achieved to bring harmony in your work-life balance.
Try simply leaving the building you are in and taking a short (10-15 minutes) walk around the block when you are feeling stressed, you will be amazed at how much better you feel. Most of us don’t realize that exercise releases endorphins that make us feel good.
Research indicates that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise performed 3x over a week for 20 minutes is the most effective at helping manage stress levels. Even short bursts of 5 minutes of cardiovascular exercise stimulates anti-anxiety effects.
Here’s a good one. Try breathing in to the count of 4. Hold for 7 counts, breathe out for 8 counts. This is a well-known relaxation technique and works out like a charm. It also comes in handy when you are dealing with pain.
Eat a piece of fruit if you’re hungry. Don’t load up on the sugar and caffeine because you will experience a rebound crash in about an hour or two. You’ll end up feeling worse than you were already.
Go to a place where you can be alone for about 10 minutes and imagine that you are in a location that you’d find relaxing. Imagine that you are in a beautiful beach all alone with waves caressing your feet. Feel the comfortable warmth of the sun on your skin. Listen to the sounds of birds flying overhead. Feel the sand on your feet and legs. Sounds wonderful eh! Relax…
Research has shown that people who pray have positive correlation with the Almighty and they do handle stress better.
Stroking an animal can be very soothing and comforting. There are now programs where volunteers take their trained pets into hospitals and convalescent homes. It has been proven that stroking pets can help patients get well faster.
Smiles are a universal greeting. They make you look more pleasant and trustworthy, as well as releasing endorphins- making you feel better too. Smiling is very important for our wellbeing, as people who smile live longer, are less stressed and more successful in life. Tip: Smiling can add 7 bonus years to your life! So Get Smiling…
Play an online game. Participate in a hobby. Hang upside down from your bed, walk backwards around the block, wave at the cars passing by, or dance in the living room. Do anything that brings out the kiddo in you!
Multi-tasking is your enemy, if you want to reduce stress. Do you try to talk on the phone while answering email or eating lunch? There must be a reason that there is a law requiring employers to give their employees a lunch hour. Grab it!
Get out of your own head for a bit and look for someone to do something for. Maybe all you’ll come tup with is “Nice Shirt!”, bur still it is a good start. The joy of giving is unexplainable and is always spontaneous.
That’s what you are, you know! No one says that you need to start wearing a Superwoman or Superman cape. Put the one that’s hanging off of your shoulders into the closet. Or better you burn it.
Everyone makes mistakes – even you. Carrying the burden of guilt and unforgiveness towards yourself and others is mighty heavy. Lay down that bag of bricks on your back, You’ll feel a lot better.
Tell someone what you’re going through. If there is no confidante in your immediate circle, there are endless numbers of online communities where they are discussing the very thing that is bothering you, right now. Chip in and give away your feelings.
Make a list of everything that is stressing you right now. Tear the paper into tiny pieces and throw it away. It’s amazing how much better this silly activity can make you feel. If that doesn’t work, try burning it. Have a little personal ceremony in the backyard, throw a letter that has all of your secrets on it in the flames, and watch your worries floating away with the smoke.
There isn’t an unwritten law that says that you have to stay in your stressful situation. If it isn’t practical to get out of the situation, try this: Say this to yourself, “I used to feel that “XYZ” was causing me stress. I now give it back to “XYZ” who owns it.
Picture Courtesy: InnerDrive
One of the primary symptoms of job stress and indicators that burnout may be on the way is sleeplessness or sleep disturbances. People with desk jobs and mentally taxing work are “exquisitely sensitive to even minor sleep loss.”
Taking a 5 to 10 minute break every hour helps workers stay focused and productive throughout the day. Breaks are especially important to people who do mentally demanding work.
It doesn’t matter if it’s at work or outside, setting goals for yourself that you think are fun lessens stress. Perhaps you’d like to learn an instrument or a new language. No matter what it is, by continuing to learn, you empower yourself with knowledge and become more active in other areas of life.
On the flip side, when something happens that you have no control over, don’t get frustrated and worried. Instead, recognize you cannot change them, and focus your attention on areas where you can have an influence.
This discussion will not be complete if “YOGA” is not made a mention. It is an age-old practice with its origin from India that has helped heal almost any kind of mental and physical ailments. Follow the link to see the The Best Restorative Yoga Poses to Relieve Stress.
Say goodbye to tension and stress with these tried and tested true restorative poses. Hold each one for 2 to 3 minutes, or as long as is omfortable.
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