The world is full of challenges at the moment and many, many people are feeling the stresses and strains of their working life, whether they’re working full time, part time, or looking for jobs.
In fact, this 2020 survey found that just 1% of the UK workforce claims that they don’t suffer from work-related stress. Plus, the second most common form of stress in the UK (next to work) has moved from family-related stressors to financial worries.
With the government’s furlough scheme ending this month and many people back to work again, we’ve taken the opportunity to put together a guide to shaking off work-related stress so that you can relax and strike a balance between your work life and your personal life.
Recognise your personal signs of stress
Stress can present itself in different ways for different people, so knowing how it affects you so that you can spot the signs can be really useful. Some common symptoms of stress are:
- Anxiety
- Fatigue
- Muscle tension
- Sleep problems
- Headaches
- Restlessness
- Trouble with focusing
However, there are some less common symptoms and you might feel stress in more unique ways, so being aware of your own symptoms can help you identify not only when you’re stressed, but when your stress is taking a toll on your mind and body.
Exercise during your breaks
Exercise is proven to be a fantastic stress buster! It produces feel-good endorphins, strengthens your body so that you can fend off some of the physical effects of your stress, and can take your mind off what you have on your plate.
So, if you can exercise at all during your breaks, even if that’s just going for a short, brisk walk, it could really help reduce your stress levels. As a rule of thumb, the more exercise you’re getting the better, just make sure that you’re (1) physically able to do the exercise you’re taking on and (2) not using exercise as an excuse to procrastinate and letting your workload pile up!
Floatation therapy
We know that floatation therapy is an excellent stress reliever – we see the results in our clients every day!
If you’ve not heard of it before, floatation therapy is a one-of-a-kind experience that allows you to entirely relax your mind and body, quite literally taking the weight off.
When floating in 10 inches of body temperature Epsom salt solution, you’re completely weightless and you’ll be stripped of your senses, meaning that, in this unique environment, your mind and body will be able to fully relax for a whole hour.
This treatment is wonderful for easing stress and anxiety, as well as having many other health benefits. To find out more or to book, click here.
Assess your work/life balance
As much as it is an important part of our lives, work isn’t the be all and end all. How is your work/life balance? Are you making enough time for yourself? If not, carving out enough time for yourself is crucial.
Once your working day has ended, try your best not to keep checking your emails and, if you’re working at home, be careful that you’re not working too much overtime because you’re not able to put your laptop down.
Setting boundaries and learning to say ‘no’ is a really important aspect of having a good work/life balance. For example, if you work 8 hours per day and you’re being given 10 hours of work to do, you need to be able to push back and claim a good amount of time for yourself.
Massage
Massage is known to have some awesome benefits. If your work life has an impact on your body (for example, if you’re sat at a desk from 9 am – 5 pm or you’re involved in a lot of physical labour), massage could really help your body to let go of some of its tension.
We have a team of massage therapists at Re:Set, each of whom have their own specialisms. To find out more about the benefits of massage and our massage therapists, or to book a session, click here.
Prioritise and manage your time
Sometimes our workload can get out of hand if we’re not prioritising or managing our time effectively. That can be incredibly stressful, especially if deadlines are piling up and you’re not doing your work quick enough.
For the best time management, you first need to figure out exactly how you’re spending your time and how that can be improved. Spend a week documenting your habits, tracking how much time you spend on which tasks… and how much time you spend procrastinating. Once you know where your time is going, you can then begin to manage it properly.
Planning your time the day before makes sure that you know exactly what’s on your to-do list when you start work. And, if it helps, set timers to let you know when it’s time to move on from one task to another.
There are lots of time management apps and tools that can help you, too. Try SelfControl if you’re easily distracted and Todoist if you struggle with organisation.
If you have too much work to do in your allotted time, it’s really important that you speak to your manager and try to get it reduced. Or, if you’re self-employed, spend some time figuring out exactly how much work you can take on in a month, quarter or year.
Seek professional help if you need to
If you find that your stress if overwhelming you and nothing is helping you to relax, or you feel that your stress is taking a toll on your mental and physical well being, it’s really important that you speak to a professional about it, whether that’s a GP, a counsellor, or even a service like Samaritans.
If you would like specialist help OK Rehab specialises in addiction treatment. This treatment is available via both inpatient and outpatient treatment providers. We also work with clinics that are able to facilitate treatment taking place in your own home, who are able to provide professional intervention and home detoxification. Check out their website at www.okrehab.org
These are just a handful of ways that you can keep your stress levels down at work. All of our treatments at Re:Set Mind Body Soul have been designed to give your health and wellbeing a big boost. Take a look around our website to find out more.
