It was such a nice surprise today to receive an email saying we have been nominated for the Telstra Small Business Awards! We feel so honoured, humbled and proud to receive this nomination. It’s such a great feeling to be able to help our clients and the community, and we love the work we do!
With this being said, owning a business or working for a business, can get stressful at times and burnout can happen. We would like to share 6 simple steps that can help make your work day less stressful and potentially help you gain productivity in your day.
Most of us spend majority of our time at work at some point in our lives. That's why it’s important that we feel mentally healthy, safe and stress-free (as much as possible), so we can perform our best and flourish in the workplace and in other aspects of life.
More people are now being absent from work due to stress or anxiety than the flu or physical injuries. People are also staying at work experiencing symptoms of stress and anxiety which is leading to lower productivity. Given this information, there’s no surprise that it’s important to look after your wellbeing, not only in everyday life, but also at work.
There are several risk factors that can influence someone’s mental health in the workplace, such as, team factors, individual characteristics, job design and environment, organisational factors, and home and work conflicts. Of course we can’t control all of these, but we can try to help ourselves feel better. Here’s how:
Start your day off the right way (whatever that may mean to you):
It’s not surprise that having a stressful start to the morning, will probably make your workday stressful and cause anxiety. Whether it may be with meditating for a few minutes every morning, or have a nutritious breakfast, or simply have a quick chat with a friend, partner or colleague.
Get organised:
The last thing we want is remembering that thing from that week that needed to be done like yesterday hasn’t been started - how stressful!! Luckily now with all the technology available that links calendars with phones and reminds us what we need to do can help with organisation. Sometimes just having a good ol’ fashioned diary or ‘to do list’ can help too.
Be present:
When we get busy, it’s sometimes hard to keep up with all of our life commitments. Coming into work thinking about it all can get stressful and messy, our minds start to wonder and think about all sorts of different things, even ones we can’t control. This is where a bit of mindfulness can help. Just take 5 minutes to slow down and think about what’s around you right now. There are plenty of ways to practice mindfulness!
Go for a walk during your break:
This can help you break up your day or reenergise you. Walking can also help you take your mind off stressful work tasks and is actually known to lift your mood, and of course is good for your physical health.
Practice breathing exercises:
When things get too much and the anxiety starts to rise, take a moment to just breathe - literally. Breathing exercises are simple and effective, and can be done sitting in your chair.
Speak out:
Talking to colleagues, friends, partners or even your barista while getting your morning or afternoon coffee, can help you feel more at ease with anything on in your mind. Having a social network is a strong tool to battle the stress of work. It can provide you with different perspectives or just let you vent so you can let it all out.
It’s no surprise the workplace is just as important as any other aspect of your life, so taking care of yourself at work is very important! Stress can interfere with excelling and being the best you can be.
If stress at work or in other aspects in life is getting a little too much and you would like some support and techniques to help, then give us a call to make an appointment with one of our team of Psychologists