By Kay Pascale
Work takes up a big chunk of our everyday lives. The average employee in America will work almost 2,000 hours every year. Most employees, even those working entry-level jobs, get tasked with multiple responsibilities and have to manage competing priorities. All of those tasks can add up and unfortunately lead to unnecessary stress.
If you’re not careful, stress from work can get the best of you, causing you to burn out and feel overwhelmed. While you can be proactive and pick up a mindful hobby to ensure your time away from the office isn’t consumed with emails and deadlines, that sometimes isn’t enough. Here are five other natural remedies you can try to say goodbye to work stress for good.
1. Meditate
Meditating doesn’t have to involve curling up in a yoga pose and lighting candles while breathing in incense. You can easily practice meditation techniques to decompress at work and get through the work day. Start with simple breathing exercises to relax your body and calm your mind. You’ll be amazed at how refreshed you feel after simply focusing on your breathing for a few minutes.
2. Use An Essential Oil Diffuser At Work
Essential oils are extremely popular right now and claim to do everything, from relieving headaches to aiding in digestion. Having an oil diffuser at your desk might help melt some stress away during the workday. Lavender, chamomile, and rose are all common oils that help to relieve stress and tension. Just make sure your coworkers are okay with you diffusing before you bring one in.
3. Drink Tea
Like essential oils, certain herbal teas can boost your mood and help you feel calmer at work. If you’re having an exceptionally busy day, try making a hot cup of tea. Not only will the warmth of the tea relax you, but the herbal ingredients will help, too. Try teas that have passionflower, lavender, valerian, or chamomile. All of these flowers and herbs contain properties that help calm the nervous system. You could also try a few other teas that have been known to relieve stress.
4. Eat And Sleep Better
When you’re not eating the right foods to fuel your body, it can stress you out on a cellular level. This can negatively affect your day-to-day life and, eventually, your work habits. The same is true for lack of sleep—we all know that you work better when you’re fully rested. Designating your bedroom to be a peaceful space at home might help you improve sleep quality. Keep electronics out of the equation and remove all distractions that could keep you up at night.
5. Take A Walk
Taking a break from the office and getting your body moving can do wonders. Whether you’re stressed about a project on a looming deadline, or you just need to get away from your computer screen for a while, the physical effects of taking a walk can tremendously benefit your mental state at work. Taking a moment to step away from the pressure, get the endorphins flowing, and breathe in some fresh air is a natural stress reliever. If your body is in pain and you don’t feel like exercising, do some lower back stretches at home to help you out.
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Images via Pixabay
