5 quick ways to deal with stress at work.

The level of work-related stress among Europeans was measured by the authors of the "Workforce View in Europe 2019" report ¹ . What turns out? Work causes the greatest stress among Poles, while the Dutch feel best in their workplaces . The industries whose workers are most stressed are healthcare and finance . However, whether we work in services, media or any other industry, work remains a source of great stress. How to find a moment to relax at work?

Breathing as a stress reliever.

Breathing techniques work well in any stressful situation. Deep, calm diaphragmatic breathing allows you to calm your mind and calm your body. It's simple: we sit comfortably, but with our backs straight, and we start - we take a deep breath through our nose, feel the air flow into our belly so that it rises, and exhale calmly through our mouth. We repeat deep breaths, concentrating on this activity, until we feel relief.

Mindfulness for stressed people.

Be careful. Here and now. Focus on the stimuli, both internal and external, at this particular moment. Let your thoughts, emotions and sensations flow. Can you smell the coffee? Great, focus on him. A breeze from the window? Excellent. Everything that happens inside and outside deserves attention. Give yourself time for it. This form of meditation has a positive effect on your well-being , reducing tension and improving your mood, as well as allowing you to calm down. This method is used by both psychologists and psychiatrists working with patients with depressive and anxiety disorders, often recommending it as a method supporting traditional treatment . Don't think about the next meeting, don't think about the next client or report for a moment. Just be and feel. You can read more about mindfulness here .

Tense up. And relax.

The heart beats fast, breathing speeds up, fatigue creeps into the head and body. These are symptoms of stress and are unavoidable at work. Try a simple method - tense and relax your muscles strongly in turn. When you do this alternately for several minutes, the body begins to relax, the heart calms down, and breathing returns to normal. Also because the head is busy with the task of mobilizing and relaxing the muscles. You can start with your feet and end with your face, and the duration of muscle tension should be 10-15 seconds . You can do such exercises even at your desk or in a meeting . Of course, every hour it is worth getting up from the computer or other workstation, stretching, taking a walk around the corridor or around the building.

Massaging the ear as a way to relieve stress.

Chinese medicine comes to the rescue for everyone stressed by work. It turns out that ear acupressure, i.e. simply a massage of this part of the body, allows you to calm down - the method is so effective that it is sometimes used in hospitals2 ^both on patients who are waiting for a treatment/surgery and on those who have already undergone it. him. Where to massage? At the height of two-thirds of the ear - this place is called the "Shen Men" point, and gentle pressure on it helps reduce stress and adds energy.

Another way to deal with stress is to change your hand.

If you are right-handed, hold the cup with your left hand or brush your teeth with it. What for? Thanks to this, you will allow the left hemisphere of your brain to take a break, and you will also break away from the usual patterns for a while. The brain likes it.

Other, easy and effortless methods will also be helpful: remembering that a break is to rest, drink and eat something, and not to answer another phone call, or taking in the space around you - a harmonious environment has a much better impact on your well-being than chaos.

Bibliography:

1. “Workforce View in Europe 2019”, Automatic Data Processing, March 21, 2019, adp.pl.
2. Kober A., ​​Scheck T., Schubert B., Strasser H., Gustorff B., Bertalanffy P., Wang SM, Kain ZN, Hoerauf K., “Auricular acupressure as a treatment for anxiety in prehospital transport settings.” Anesthesiology, 2003.
3. Davies K., "5 Simple Ways to Relax at Work (Without Leaving Your Desk)", inc.com, accessed January 3, 2022,
4. Kliber M., “11 ways to take an effective and caring break at work.” Monikakliber.com, May 30, 2017