Looking at the current situation increased stress is a common thing in our day to day life. However, with the start of a new month that is the month of June, I feel that I am getting motivated and isn't it refreshing to start a new month. I am one such creature who feels energised with everything new, be it a start of a month, New Year, relationship or friendship. I am sure many of you reading the article now feel the same way. Mondays are not very favourable for most of us but to be honest, is it one of my favourite day of the week. I can start my Mondays with a fresh look and can ignore the things that did not do that well during the last week. I’m going to thrive in all of the discomforts and difficulties I was unable to do previously. I feel a little vulnerable in doing this but I am also trying to stay true to one of my favourite age-old sayings: “Comfort zones are beautiful places but nothing ever grows there.” So here I am, diving head-first into the rather public licking of my wounds, the learnings I take each month in my selfcare healing and the growth I experience throughout. Brace yourself, it’s about to get real .
How to reduce stress at work ?
GETTING THE S*** DONE
The number one thing that I do is to make sure that I keep my cortisol levels under check by analysing what were the key factors for my failure during the last week. Maybe it was S*** that was supposed to be done and I have been ignoring it because either it is not easy or it gives me a lot of stress. This way I can ensure that by the end of the week nothing is looming over my head. I try to do brainstorming with my team and make sure that we find out cool ideas to deal with the required job. I was speaking to one of my team members who informed me that her husband went back to work last week after the lockdown was over and things at his workplace have changed. His work has introduced a new structure whereby if by Thursday you’ve managed to get everything you need to do done, and have had a productive week, you can take Friday off in the form of a long weekend. Sounds like a dream right? I can help you reduce a lot of burnout. Now immediately I realised that I pack a lot of things into my weeks/months calendar and I always go through a stress symptom because it is too much on my plate and I want to socialise. I always aim to be more productive during the start of the week so that by the end of the week I am not feeling like a headless chicken. This way by the time it's Friday evening I am almost wrapped up with my work and have time for getting ready for the weekend to spend time with my husband or my family and friends. I always make sure that I have a to-do list ready by every Sunday evening which helps me in blocking out a day to ensure all my deadlines are met/having clarity over what needs to be done rather than trying to keep a mental tab is an absolute game-changer for getting sh*t done.
TAKING BREAK FROM NEWS AND SOCIAL MEDIA
Consistently hearing stories about the pandemic breakout and the fights happening all around the world puts me into anxiety. Especially all the news either true or false constantly hits my subconscious mind and makes me feel emotionally stressed. I have figured out the best way to get rid of this is by making sure that I detached myself from any unnecessary gossip topics or articles from the internet. Also, I try to watch movies and read good books that will help me constructively increase my knowledge while relaxing my mind.
YOGA AND MEDITATION IS A GREAT START TOWARDS SELFCARE
I have always been aware that exercising is great for my body and mind however in my fast-paced life I often overlook it and try to put this in the secondary category giving other things priority. I might have taken life and health for granted unless I realised the effect that I was facing on my health daily. So I started indulging in yoga and meditation and trust me guys even if you can dedicate one hour of your daily schedule for yoga and medication the benefits are countless. It not only helps me to stay fit, but also reduces the risk of future health conditions like heart disease, and even boost the immune system. Yoga and meditation have helped me with mental clarity and calmness by reducing depression and anxiety. Breathe it all in with meditation and breathing exercises as they are designed to help the calm mind and relax our body, so they’re a great way for me and my team members to relieve stress. Somethings even during working hours all of my team members including me we practice a quick 10-minute meditation and feel instantly calm and focused. Indulging in selfcare is essential for all of us in the current times .
It is natural to be stressed with all the situations going around however you can beat the negativity by staying as much positive as you can. Set your goals and incorporate some great positive activities to make you feel good.
Are you into setting intentions? What are you planning for the month of June to make your July the best yet?