4 Ways to Reduce Stress at Work

It’s Monday morning, you walk into work, and already the stress starts to build just thinking about  the week ahead. Glamour.com shares 4 ways to reduce stress at work, so you can feel on top of your game and a bit more relaxed throughout the work day.

 

Cross off an item from your to-do list. Do you ever look at your list of must-get-dones–which grows exponentially by the minute, it seems–and freak? Yeah, me too. But being able to physically take a pen to paper and scratch something off can make a big difference in your levels of stress–so tackling the rest of the to-dos doesn’t seem quite so impossible.

Chew a piece of gum. Research has shown that, not only do gum-chewers feel less anxiety (and are possibly even in better moods), they may also have increased blood flow to their brains–meaning they’re more alert. (Which, hello, can always be helpful on a Monday morning.)

Find one thing that makes you feel grateful at work, every day. No, it’s not always easy to find, but there’s always at least one reason to feel grateful at work–even if it’s small! Maybe it’s that you have a nice view of the blue sky, or the supply closet is always stocked with your favorite kind of pens, or you have a coworker who’s especially good at making you smile. Research has shown that gratitude can actually help your physical wellbeing.

Play a game online. I mean, wait until it’s OK to do this (like during your lunch break). But doing an online puzzle, like solitaire or sudoku, can actually decrease stress and improve your mood, according to research from East Carolina University. It’s a distraction that helps get your brain thinking about another task–and lets your nervous system take a break.

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