Stress is a common issue plaguing every workplace today and most employees are leading stressful lives managing both home and work fronts.
Increasing stress levels at work is indeed a matter of serious concern. Since sometimes, this cannot be handled by self on an individual level. Some help from the top management, leaders and HR directors could help employees feel relaxed at work and perform much better than they actually do.
Focusing on employee well-being is very important for every organisation, because when employees feel care and valued for their contributions, they tend to perform better on job, thus resulting in increased productivity.
What are the causes of productivity burnout? According to a study by The American Institute of Stress, as much as 46% respondents argue that workload is the main reason why employees experience stress at their workplaces. This amounts to a significant one as, compared to people issues 28%, and juggling work/personal lives at 20% and lack of job security at 6%.
Stress impacts physical, mental and emotional well-being of employees. About 62% workers frequently experience work-related neck pain, 44% are report stressed-out eyes, 38% complain of hurting hands, 12% had called in sick and 34% experience difficulty in sleeping because they are too stressed out to lead a normal balanced life.
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Before the stress gobbles you up, here are some powerful stress relievers that you can perform right from your desks, to not allow it to impact your health or leave you drained off energies towards the end of the day.
The American Institute of Stress called this breathtaking activity as the ‘best stress reduction’ technique to reduce stress levels at work. Simply by pausing your working activity and doing a few deep breathing exercises, you can feel naturally relaxed and this will help your mind focus better and stay calm in chaotic stressful life.
When you take a deep breath, greater amounts of oxygen enters your system to help blood circulation to the brain and other organs deprived of fresh air. Also, a deep belly breath can be an alternative remedial measure to reduce the impact of stress on your mind and body.
It is not always possible for you to take a short walk around office owing to deadlines and work commitments. However, if you experience productivity burnout at times then, stop everything that you do, including all the urgent calls and tasks. Then simply close your eyes for a few minutes and take deep breaths. When performing this deep breathing exercise, imagine as if you are now relaxing in one of your favorite places such as beach, mountains, bedroom or anywhere you love being the most.
Indulge your senses into imagination to give relaxing visualizations to your brain, such as to calm down nerves and work later.
Working relentlessly for hours without leaving desks for long can cause muscle pain and make you very tired – both brain and body. To avoid this, relax your body in the most comfortable position and get some power nap to feel better. On weekend, indulge in self pampering and massage sessions to offer some relaxation to the tired muscles.
Take work seriously, but do not take yourself too seriously in the process that you have almost forgotten to laugh, share jokes with your colleagues during breaks and smile. Laughter is the best medicine to relieve you of stress and most of it all, there is no fee charged to experience mirth, immense joy and satisfaction in your daily workings.
To giggle could benefit you so much more than you can imagine. It helps stimulate a stress-releasing hormone called endorphin to relax your body. Moreover, a hearty chuckle could stimulate blood circulation and reduce hypertension.
You need to know and understand yourself, about the activities that help you distress such as a nice shower, listening to soothing music, or movie etc. If you are among the ones who seek for auditory healing, then music is the best stress buster.
However, if you like to engage in a visual experience to calm your mind – then movie watching could be a fun activity to catch up with friends. Summing this up to say, there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to reducing stress at work. Each individual has a unique way of dealing with it and feeling better.
If these quick stress relievers performed right from the convenience of your desk haven’t worked out wonders as in your case, then try calling in for a vacation and talk to your manager about the increasing workload. Maybe your team lead could help sharing the work pressures with other colleagues and deliver you of the sole responsibility to manage it all.
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