Seriously
stressed out at work right now? You're not alone. In fact, one survey
found that as many as 80 percent of Americans are too!
But it's
not just bad for your mental health. According to the CDC, problems at
work are more strongly associated with health complaints than any other
life stressor, including money and family problems.
Stress is
associated with a greater risk of depression, anxiety, heart disease,
gastrointestinal problems, and autoimmune conditions.
In fact, a recent Harvard and Stanford study found that workplace stress is as detrimental to your health as secondhand smoke.
Why?
Research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences suggests one way that stress can hurt our health. Inflammation
is regulated by the hormone cortisol, which is secreted by the adrenal
glands. The researchers found that chronic stress affects the
brain-adrenal connection and inflammation can get out of control.
This
is commonly referred to as "adrenal fatigue," which decreases your
body's ability to regulate inflammation and can promote the development
of chronic and autoimmune diseases.
As a functional medicine
practitioner, I see on a daily basis how job stress can affect our
health. I work with many patients whose well-being took a turn for the
worse in a stressful work environment.
Here are some of the tips I recommend to create calm for yourself (and others!) and combat stress at your job:
1. Set your alarm earlier.
The
seed of the day is the morning — so start it off right. Instead of
hitting the snooze button one too many times, give yourself plenty of
time to slowly wake up.
Have a glass of green tea and spend time
in silence, centering yourself for the day. Running around the house at
the last minute because you slept in sets off a stressful start to the
day.
2. Write a reasonable to-do list.
I recommend
getting to work a little early — that might sound horrible to some, but
it will give you time to yourself to focus your day.
Take a few
minutes out of your morning to make a list of what you would like to
accomplish. Start with more pressing needs then work your way to
longer-term goals. Highlight the tasks as they are accomplished .
This
approach will gather the mental clutter and organize it all into an
orderly list. The idea is that you'll become more productive at your
job. But also remember, if it all doesn't get done today, give yourself
grace — there is always tomorrow.
3. Organize your space mindfully.
Clutter
on the outside can cause clutter on the inside. Schedule time each week
to clean up your desk and office space. Throw away papers and items
that you don't need. Minimizing office mess is a great way to bring calm
to your day.
4. Create your personal Zen zone.
After
you have removed clutter from your work space, design an environment
that truly calms you. An aromatherapy diffuser with lavender or citrus
scents can give you a lift. And a small waterfall feature or some live
plants will bring some of the outside into your office. A little Zen can
go a long way.
5. Focus on each task, one by one.
As
you are moving through the day's to-do list, remain present with the
task at hand. Preoccupied thoughts on the future or the past can cause
anxiety and decrease your potential.
Don't make boring work a
means to an end, simply watching the clock tick by. However mundane your
to-do may be, honor it. Let that present moment be a meditation
exercise. Fully accepting the task decreases stress and can help bring
you inner peace.
6. Practice conscious breathing throughout the day.
When
we're stressed and holding in tension, our breath can become shallow —
which only feeds the anxiety further. Observing your breath is a
fundamental way to bring inner stillness to your day.
I recommend
conscious breathing to anchor you in the present moment. Whenever you
find yourself getting stressed at work, take a few moments to just
breathe naturally and focus on those breaths, letting worries and
anxieties diffuse and drift away.
7. Avoid texting and scrolling through social media.
As
many as 60 percent of employees check their social media accounts
multiple times throughout the workday. Compulsively checking status
updates, "likes," "favorites," and retweets pulls you out of the present
moment, distracting you and decreasing your productivity. It's the
perfect combination for stress.
LifeEdited founder Graham Hill,
an expert in the field of simplifying life, told me once that texting at
work today is akin to using the work phone off and on all day 20 years
ago. If you wouldn't be on your office phone all those times that you're
texting, chances are you should put your cellphone away. If you'd like
to learn more about how to unplug and give yourself a tech detox, read
my tips.
8. Ignore office gossip.
It's so easy to get
caught up in complaining about a certain co-worker, client, or boss.
Negative chatter and gossiping has a way of eroding mindfulness and
building a toxic work environment.
When you hear gossip at the
proverbial watercooler, just walk away or try to change the subject. Be
the change you want to see at work.
9. Eat calming foods.
The
foods we choose to eat have a profound ability to strengthen or weaken
our body's response to stress at work. I recommend enjoying healthy fats
like coconut oil and avocados that nourish your brain, the so-called
CEO of your stress response.
10. Avoid brain-zapping foods.
In
addition to feeding your brain with the right stuff at work, it's also
crucial to steer clear of the foods that zap healthy brain function.
That includes sugar and gluten, among other harmful items. The office
vending machine should never be an option — unless there are bags of
kale chips in there.
11. Head outside at least once during the day.
When
you have a break, go soak up some sun. Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin,
is essential for lifting your mood and brain function. If it's not a
sunny day, simply going outside can still refresh a stressful workday.
Find
a way to connect with nature. Even if there's just one tree outside
your office, go sit next to that tree! Sit still for a moment and
practice that conscious breathing.
12. Go to bed early.
Be
sure to get enough Zzz's at night to ensure you're recharged for the
next day of work. Research published in JAMA showed that optimal sleep
for most people is around seven hours per night.
By Dr. William Cole | Mind Body Green
