Stress is constant. Stress is what helps us survive in dangerous or unpredictable situations. Stress is inevitable and unavoidable.
Sometimes, it is our superpower and sometimes if unregulated, poison for our body and mind. Today, workplace stress is one of the main sources of external stress in our daily lives.
So, regulating stress is an essential skill to survive in the workplace habitat. Let’s be efficient and use stress as our superpower instead of letting stress kill us.
What do you know about stress? Here are some facts on how stress affects us:
Not all stress is bad, scientists refer to “good stress” as eustress or “a moderate or normal psychological stress which is beneficial for the experiencer.”
Good stress pushes you to do, it increases your focus, motivation and gives you a sense of excitement towards the experience or challenge.
So, are you stressed or eustressed?
Stress can affect you physically, emotionally and even your behaviour patterns. Symptoms of stress can include:
Cortisol, a stress hormone causes the accumulation of abdominal fat as well as enlarges your fat cells. Stress is usually the root cause of most heart diseases.
Thus, regulating stress, especially at work, is crucial. Here are some suggestions on how you can stop stressing and start destressing at work.
Take a Walk
Yeah, get up from your chair, look for that exit sign and start walking for 10 minutes. Anywhere is fine, just walk on.
Walking helps your blood circulate, which gives more oxygen to the brain. Walking or just moving can also release endorphins and can improve your mood instantly.
1, 2, and Squeezeee!
If you're feeling frustrated and stressed, look for something to squeeze. Get your hands on a massage ball or a handspring and squeezzeeee!
You can even use a plushie, cushion or pillow anything that you use to grip and squeeze. Exerting force helps you release the tension caused by stress.
Chewing Chewing Gum
If you're feeling grrr....try to chew some gum to destress! Studies have shown chewing gum can help reduce the stress hormone, cortisol.
Other studies have also found that the sense of stress relief was greatest when people chewed more strongly. Well, where are your bubblegums at?
Just keep Breathing
There are many types of breathing that can help calm your stress. The 4-7-8 breathing exercise serves as a natural tranquilliser for the nervous system.
This exercise is easy as you just need to inhale through your nose for the count of 4, hold your breath for a count of 7 and exhale completely through your mouth, to a count of 8.
Just pick any breathing exercise that you feel comfortable with and practise. Controlled breathing can help you regulate your stress levels.
Listen to Your Favourite Playlist
Soothing music can help you enter a state or place of relaxation when you are in the workplace. Do you have a playlist for work?
Customise or just look for playlists on Youtube, keep searching to get the best track to get you in a relaxed and productive mood.
Sometimes, however, stress can overwhelm employees and understanding an employees’ state at the workplace is imperative in creating a productive workplace.
Feet’s can help companies understand their employees’ state in the workplace. Feet’s pulse survey and social platform is a tool to drive employee engagement for a better workplace environment.
Get Feet's to help you and your company regulate stress for a greater workplace environment.