9 TIMES NO MORE STRESS AT WORK

“Yeah, it's going well. Busy. A bit of stress, but other than that, it's okay.” Oh, how often I hear people (or myself!) say that. I think I’m definitely a bit stressed at work at least one day a week. Deadlines I won’t meet or I’ve been a bit too enthusiastic about making appointments. We all bring this stress upon ourselves, and you can also do something about it quickly. Follow these tips this week, and I’ll do the same because I could use them too. Here they come:

• Set achievable goals for yourself. So not those endless To Do lists that you won’t finish in a day and that already make you feel anxious just looking at them. Choose two or three things that need to be done; it makes it manageable.

• If you have a job where you sit a lot, it’s important to take a walk every now and then. You get so dull from sitting still and thus less productive. Otherwise, set a timer to take a short walk in the fresh air every two hours.

• “Good morning everyone, I’m really stressed, so I’m a bit grumpy.” You just say this right when you walk into the office. Once you’ve made it a topic of discussion, it already feels half as bad. Or ask your boss for a day off. Say that you want to seriously tackle the stress. Your employer will appreciate that more than if you call in sick and then lie at home under a blanket on the couch.

• Try to really be done with work when you finish. So don’t open your computer again as soon as you get home to finish a few things.

• When you get home in the evening, put your phone on airplane mode. Just go offline for a bit.

• Stress doesn’t just come from yourself, but also from others. Be careful that too many people don’t keep dumping their problems on you, because at some point, it becomes your problem. It’s okay to spend some time on yourself; that’s not selfish, just necessary.

• Try a lesson of yoga or meditation. It’s really not always as airy-fairy as you sometimes think. It also helps you breathe well, which helps against stress. A yoga school is always a zen environment, so you immediately feel calm there.

• Me time. Not necessarily my favorite word, but it’s really needed. Let the bath fill up with lots of foam or go to the sauna for an hour. Treat yourself to a pedicure or dive into a swimming pool. Be kind to yourself, and everything else will be fine.