If the mere thought of another busy day at the office saps you of energy, all you need is few tips to manage the stress and get the best out of it!
You can make stress management child’s play with these powerful yet quick and easy-to-practice tools and complete more work in relatively lesser time.
Tip #1 Relax & Rejuvenate
Have you noticed how beautifully our body has been designed to follow the day and night pattern of work and rest? In the same manner, it helps us maintain good health if we rejuvenate it periodically. One way we know to rest is through sleep. Another is through meditation. Each of these has its own importance and cannot be replaced by each other.
“In the time span between 12 am to 2 am, our body’s cells regenerate and refresh. This time needs to be devoted to sleep. If cell regeneration doesn’t happen, you might start aging faster and your skin might become dull-looking”, quotes Bharathy Harish, Sahaj Meditation Expert.
While sleep regenerates cells and eases the tired body, meditation provides energy to every cell of our body while also cleansing the mind. It frees the mind of wasteful thoughts and gives clarity. You can benefit immensely from 20 minutes of meditation every day.
“You may take Medha Rasayan or Narayan Kalpa after consulting an Ayurvedic doctor (Nadi Parikshak) as it helps ease stress and calm your system. It enhances the quality of sleep since you become peaceful and it sharpens memory too”, adds Dr. Shiksha Thakur, Ayurvedic doctor.
Tip #2 Take Short Breaks
The quantum of work we sometimes need to do at the workplace can make us slog for long hours. Since we are pressed for time, the general tendency observed in people is to continue working without taking sufficient breaks.
However, we suggest you take a break every two hours. It will not only refresh you but will also save you from boredom and dullness that may arise from working constantly.
Since you will be taking frequent breaks, you may keep it short so you don’t run out of time. Try this for a few days and you might be surprised to see that you are less stressed than before.
Be it a tea break, chit-chat with a colleague, or just shutting your eyes and meditating to relax yourself right at your desk, try not to avoid it.
Tip #3 Check Your Diet Pattern
Have you observed that we often tend to ignore our health when caught in the rut of work? The three 'Whats' of a healthy diet will take you a long way in keeping you healthy and energized:
1 - What time to eat?
2 - What type of food to eat?
3 - What amount of food to eat?
You can easily practice this technique and maintain a healthy diet.
A good time to eat is when you really feel hungry. You can do this by observing if you feel hunger pangs. Good food is that which your stomach can digest easily. Observe if you feel good after sticking to a particular diet—you'll know if it suits you or not. If you don’t experience uneasiness, restlessness, a burning sensation in the chest, or pain in the stomach, your diet suits you. If possible, avoid staying on an empty stomach for long as it can cause acidity.
It is said that if we eat small quantities of food every two hours, our metabolism rate remains high and food is easily digestible. This keeps us fit.
Respecting your body is important because when we treat our body with dignity and understanding, it responds well to us.
A heavy lunch can make you sleepy. We suggest you take only as much food as you need for lunch. Also, the first meal of the day is very important for good health as it gives us the much needed energy to work.
Since our metabolism is slowest at night, avoid having a heavy dinner. Heavy food at night causes weight gain.
Tip #4 Stretch Your Body
A few yoga postures every morning before office is yet another way to keep you fresh and awake throughout the day. Pep up your exercise time with your favorite songs and sing along. Maybe you can cut down on your social media or television time to get up early for a little stretching. Starting your day early is another way to feel fresh throughout the day.
We have some easy and effective desktop yoga postures just for you. These are designed to relieve stress in any part of the body that might get accumulated sitting on a chair for long durations or from long hours on the computer.
He Who Likes To Work…
Working as Senior Software Engineer for Sumeru Software Solutions, Harshal Jadhav never finds work a burden. He says, “Give me a hundred tasks every day and I will enjoy doing it. More work equals better focus for me”. Amazed with his unusual ability to enjoy work, we questioned him with the idea of digging a bit into what goes on in his mind to unveil the secret of his confidence and laser-sharp focus. To this, he replied, “It’s easy to keep calm and enjoy work only when I meditate every day. And I am proud to share that I’ve been meditating every morning for 13 years now. When I am peaceful, I am better able to relate with my team members and structure the day’s schedule accordingly”. Now, nothing deters him at work.
Harshal goes on to share that he loves swimming and trekking on weekends and that keeps him lively, not just alive. After a weekend well spent, he is ready to take on the challenges of life with renewed vigour and enthusiasm.
A lot to learn from the man who likes to work…
This is the first in a series of three articles on Best Ways to Beat Stress at the Workplace. Read its sequel for four interesting tips on work management.
