The Simple Trick to Beating Stress at Work
By Stepy Kamei
You may have heard that the World Health Organization, or WHO, recently decided to include "workplace burnout" as an official medical diagnosis. It's good to know that the medical community is taking this health issue seriously since it really does impact a lot of people, perhaps more than many of us realize. Whether you've been a victim of burnout at the workplace yourself, or you just want to know what you can do to prevent it before it develops, it's a good idea to learn more about easy and simple ways to beat stress at the office before it gets the better of you and your health. Simply picking up a few healthy habits can make a big difference between succumbing to burnout and being able to get through a period of high stress. To start on your journey toward better mental health in the workplace, you can take up the habit of practicing mindfulness in your everyday interactions.
What is Mindfulness?
At its core, mindfulness is simply a series of practices anyone can use at any time in order to relieve stress, center their thoughts, and improve cognitive function. When practiced regularly, mindfulness helps you stay calm and focused during moments of stress. Furthermore, mindfulness can keep you focused on the task at hand, leading to an increase in productivity. Finally, you'll be better equipped to stay fully present at any given moment, which can improve communication skills with your coworkers.
Applying Mindfulness at the Office
To start with, you may have heard of such a thing as "mindfulness meditation." It's an incredibly simple and easy practice to start up with. Simply take five minutes out of your day to go someplace quiet. Sit down on a comfortable chair or couch, close your eyes, and be aware of your breath. Count to four on each inhalation, count to four while holding your breath, then count to four while you exhale. This simple exercise can help slow down your breathing, which is important in fighting anxiety since rapid, shallow breathing can often make anxiety worse. Furthermore, when this is a regular habit, it can help you be aware of when your breathing becomes irregular during times of stress, and you will know how to slow it back down.
Learning about and practicing mindfulness can also help teach you how to notice things that are happening around you without necessarily placing unnecessary emotion or judgment on those events. For instance, through a filter of mindfulness, you might be able to spot a problem brewing in the workplace without feeling the need to assign blame, stress out, or panic. Instead, you'll be better able to calmly assess the situation, before rationally figuring out what needs to be done next. You'll spend less energy on feeling upset, and more energy on being productive instead.
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