Start Your Day Well: Too many of us wake up and rush off to work, eating junk food bought from a coffee shop drive-thru window as we speed towards the work day. This hastened behavior frames our mental state for the rest of the day. Instead of rushing about, take a few minutes out of your morning for yourself. Start by sitting down at a quiet place and enjoying a relaxing moment. Whether you read the paper, sip some coffee or eat a nutritious breakfast doesn’t matter — just find time for yourself. (See “Start Your Workday With A Ritual“)
Be Comfortable: How comfortable you are directly affects your stress level. Make sure you pick comfortable clothes for work, even if you are required to dress up. Sure work clothes are designed to make you look professional, but that does not mean you need to sacrifice comfort in the process. Well tailored clothes will keep you looking professional and keep you comfortable. Check you ego at the door when you buy the clothes and get clothes that fit well, even if the size is greater than what you would like it to be. Another important comfort is your desk chair. Office workers spend the majority of their time seated, and an uncomfortable chair can lend itself to back pains and sore muscles.
Prepare For The Day’s Mistakes: While you should certainly strive to perform to the best of your ability, it is important to remember that mistakes are inevitable and part of the workday. We all drop the ball from time to time. When the mistake is discovered, fix the problem, not the blame. We must be able to roll with the punches and own up to our mistakes. Otherwise, the occasional hiccup will become a splinter in your mind, stressing you out for weeks on end.
Avoid Conflict: Interpersonal dynamics affect not only your emotional health, but your physical health as well. As great as it is to foster relationships in the workplace, it helps to avoid being too candid about your opinions on topics such as religion, politics or sociological issues. If you can, have a standing agreement with your coworkers to avoid these topics if you know discussing them will only cause undue fuss. This way the workplace remains peaceful.
Get Out Of The Office: Unfortunately, most office environments lend themselves to a sedentary lifestyle, which combined with poor diet and lack of exercise can profoundly affect workers both mentally and physically. We recommend getting out of the office during your lunch break to stretch your legs and get a mental break from your surroundings. Take a walk around the building or use gym facilities if they are available. Whatever you choose, just getting out of the office briefly will definitely help you center yourself.
Manage Trying To Be Perfect: Striving for perfection is admirable, but obsessing over perfection will only cause more harm than good. Perfectionists tend to spend so much time fussing over little things that it winds up costing valuable time, or may cause them to drop the ball altogether. As mentioned in Tip #3, mistakes are unavoidable. The more you obsess over avoiding mistakes the more your stress level will skyrocket, causing you to overlook something and stress out even more.
Stay Focused And Organized: Multitasking enjoyed a brief moment in the spotlight, but is now regarded as more ineffective than efficient. Doing an adequate job on several things at once doesn’t trump doing a great job on one or two things. Furthermore, splitting your attention means piling more on your plate, and the higher that pile grows the higher your stress raises.
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