How to reduce stress at work?

Work is an area of ​​life that we usually associate with the concept of “challenges”; It is not for less, because due to the dynamics of supply and demand, most of the people who need resort to paid work to maintain their well-being and independence have to achieve goals others.

In fact, unfortunately the cases of those who are subjected to a lot of work pressure are very common (even in people who are not low class and who do not see themselves in a precarious situation economic).

Given that, it is not surprising that work stress is one of the most common reasons for consultation among those who go to the psychologist. Now, beyond psychotherapy (which is the most effective solution), there is room for maneuver to try to learn by yourself to manage these kinds of problems. Therefore, in this article we will see different ways to reduce stress at work, simple strategies that you can apply to your day to day.

• Related article: "What is job welfare? The keys to wellbeing at work "

How to reduce stress in your day-to-day work: 6 tips

Stress is not in itself a psychological phenomenon that can be controlled at will, because it has its roots in mechanisms ancestral physiological and with much greater implantation in the human body than the ability to plan and decide rationally. However, that does not mean that we cannot do anything to modulate the consequences of stress or even to prevent excess stress by intervening on our environment.

Of course, learning to manage stress is a complex challenge, requiring both knowledge and practice. If we are also talking about managing stress in the workplace, things get more complicated: the job It is usually a place where situations and stimuli are not lacking that make us “put ourselves on guard” or be alert. But also in this kind of environment it is possible to gain dominance in the management of emotions and the psychological elements associated with anxiety.

Below you will find several tips and guidelines to know how to reduce stress at work, which may be useful as an introduction.

1. Make sure you are sleeping well

People who suffer from lack of sleep are much more likely to develop stress and anxiety problems. Not only because they are in a worse physical condition, but also because the lack of ability to concentrate at work makes their performance worse and tasks accumulate.

2. Practice meditation and Mindfulness

These exercises can be incorporated into your day to day dedicating about 10 or 15 minutes, and are of great help to enhance emotional balance and stop giving catastrophic thoughts more importance than they are.

• You may be interested in: "What is Mindfulness? The 7 answers to your questions "

3. Take regular breaks

Don't assume that minutes of rest are wasted time. On the contrary, if you manage them well, you will be enhancing your ability to perform at work without falling prey to excess stress.

It is much better for your health and for productivity that you rest 5 or 10 minutes every three quarters of an hour than that you insist on finishing all your work as soon as possible without stopping to give yourself a break. If you opt for the latter, in addition to suffering psychological wear and tear, you will end up resting here and there almost without realizing it and without having control over your work times.

4. Do controlled breathing exercises

Controlled diaphragmatic breathing can help you keep anxiety at bay when you have already started to notice its first symptoms.

In addition, it is an exercise that, if you work in an office context, you can perform without having to move and that does not attract attention. Breathe in and out using your diaphragm muscles, preventing your chest from moving more than your belly. As you breathe in, even the part of your back that is just below the ribs, in the part of the kidneys, should expand.

5. Avoid caffeine beyond the first thing in the morning

If you tend to suffer from stress problems at work, coffee should be confined to breakfast, as an aid to finish waking you up.

6. Make sure you are working comfortably

If you usually work in an uncomfortable environment, this will be reflected in your emotional discomfort even if you don't realize it. Make sure that your chair is ergonomic and fits you, check that the temperature is right, that the lighting does not force you to strain your eyes, etc.

Do you want to continue learning more about stress and anxiety management?

If you are interested in training in stress management both at work and in personal life, you can interest in the courses developed by the psychologist Lidia Dols, psychotherapist and creator of the project Gurumind. Specifically, in the training program "Stress: how to reduce it" The theoretical and practical keys are given to gain mastery in this aspect of life.