If you’ve never tapped an anxious foot under your desk in the office or felt tired and depressed, you’re in luck, as even seasoned employees and managers sometimes feel insecure. Here are some simple tips to help manage anxiety and stress at work.
Give up Multitasking
There’s nothing worse than trying to do everything at once: it’s stressful, tiring, and prevents concentration. To avoid unnecessary anxiety, take care of yourself beforehand: write down all the tasks with a “To-Do” status, choose one from that list and look at it again only when you’re done with the first one. Keep up the good work.
Have Lunch at a Cafe
If the weather permits, you can take takeout and grab a bite to eat in the nearest square. The fresh air on the way to the cafe, the walk and the change of scenery is a good opportunity to exhale and reset. Do something that will distract you from your work tasks, for example, play 20Bet live casino games or read your favorite book. Most importantly, try not to think about what you will have to do when you go back to the office. A break is freedom from business, not savoring work tasks to the point of nausea.
Sacrifice Perfectionism
The pursuit of perfection is great, of course, but have you ever tried doing well and not gnawing at yourself for not doing better? If you’re a perfectionist, you probably work hard, but you think it’s “not enough,” get worried and start working even harder.
To avoid falling into this trap, try to praise yourself. Don’t be that strict parent who only pays attention to C’s, but never notices the A’s. Praising yourself for the work you’ve done is a simple and enjoyable action. Make it a habit. It’s much better than pushing yourself.
Set Boundaries
Often stress causes unpleasant communication with colleagues: demanding tone, constant reminders, references to the urgency of the task. In such a situation, the best thing you can do for yourself – is to set boundaries. For example, like this:
“I’m sorry, but I’m not ready to answer that question right now. Let me get my thoughts together and text you within the hour.”
“Please don’t distract me. I remember about this task, but I’m dealing with a higher priority right now – as soon as I’m done, I’ll get right on to yours.”
Call a Friend
Literally five minutes to recover. Talking to friends and loved ones is an instant return to your comfort zone, where you don’t have to pretend and hide your fatigue and worries. But you can complain, blow off steam and get support, and then on a wave of emotional lift back to work.
Shut Down Notifications at Work
Endless notifications are a real evil. If you’re already anxious, it’s better to minimize their attack and put a mute on work chats – it’s okay if you miss another meme or discussion among colleagues about who gets what coffee.
Also, you won’t have to worry if they send you a new task: you’ll be able to deal with your current tasks in peace without thinking about how much more there is to do.
Focus on Your Breathing
Anxious that your thoughts are performing a dead loop? Try paying attention to your breathing. It’s important to forget about what’s going on in your head for a couple of minutes and get completely into the physical sensations. This exercise helps you to ground yourself – to feel connected with your body and to remember that everything is actually normal and there is no reason to be so anxious.