13 ways to quickly stress relieve and increase productivity in the workplace

 Even if you love your job, you probably feel squeezed like a lemon from time to time. New messages are poured into your inbox, managers and colleagues demand a report from you, you are forced to look for the necessary information on the network, and at the same time even more important and urgent matters are found all the time. Even the light level and temperature in the office can be a source of additional stress. All these factors are superimposed on each other, and now you are already suffering from a headache, seizing on anxiety and tossing and turning from side to side at night, unable to fall asleep.

But no matter how easily stress builds up during the day, you can just as easily resist it, and without leaving your desk. Try these 13 ways to reduce stress, improve mood, and increase productivity at work.

1. Write down your problems

Whether you're preparing for an important presentation or the results of a future project, simply writing down the issues of concern can help reduce stress and improve productivity. Anxiety about an evolving situation impairs short-term memory, wasting the power of your brain's processor. By writing down problems, you will stop running them over and over in your head and identify the true sources of stress. This frees up your short-term memory resources so you can act more efficiently when the need arises.

2. Watch funny videos

Laughter not only helps you relax and clears your brain, but it also reduces stress responses. It lowers blood pressure and heart rate, improves blood circulation, relaxes muscles and promotes endorphin production. And it not only helps fight stress, but it also enhances creativity and productivity.

3. Turn off the monitor for 10 minutes

Monitors of computers and smartphones, TV screens attract our attention from the moment we wake up until we go to bed. The resulting computer vision syndrome leads to eye fatigue, headache and neck pain, nausea, and increased anxiety and depression. So try to disconnect as often as possible - literally. Instead of going on a social network break or texting a friend, turn off your monitor, close your laptop, and rest your eyes. Read a book or magazine, take a walk (just don't play Pokemon Go!), Or make yourself a coffee and chat with a colleague.

4. Try progressive muscle relaxation

This relaxation technique relieves muscle tension resulting from stress. You need to tense and then relax the major muscle groups for five seconds each. This will help slow your breathing and heart rate, stabilize your blood pressure, and relax.

5. Pet the dog (or take a walk in the park where the dogs are walking)

Playing with your dog can help lower blood pressure, release mood hormones such as oxytocin into the bloodstream, and reduce the production of the stress hormone cortisol. By the way, dogs are great listeners, so you can feel free to share your concerns with them without fear of judging you.

6. Snack, but don't overeat

We are often advised not to seize stress, but sometimes you can treat yourself to a treat without harming your figure. In fact, eating a healthy snack will help your blood sugar rise a little and, as a result, be in a good mood. The key is not to reach for the donut box, but to choose foods that have proven effective in reducing stress, such as berries, nuts, dark chocolate, and oatmeal. Also, remember to eat slowly, enjoying every bite, and not chew on the run.

7. Breathe deeply

You don't have to go to a yoga studio to experience the full benefits of deep breathing, which can lower blood pressure, help relax and calm the nervous system. Plus, it's a great way to relieve stress - quickly, efficiently and discreetly, even in a crowded office. Just breathe in in four counts, and then breathe out in the same way for four counts.

8. Listen to music

Music, especially classical music, is a powerful stress management tool that can help lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and harmful stress hormones. It also improves mood and self-esteem. (Here's my personal stress reliever playlist as an example. Share your playlists in the comments!)

9. Take up meditation

Recent studies have shown that a few minutes of meditation a day can have a significant effect on stress levels. What's more, meditation improves focus and mental ability and even increases the density of gray matter in the brain. You can download a free meditation app like Calm, listen to meditation podcasts on iTunes, or watch video meditation on YouTube to carve out a few moments of peace for yourself right at your desk.

10. Look out the window

Take a few minutes to just look out the window and tag. Admiring nature helps you relax and slow your heartbeat, and by dreaming you open your creativity and may find an unexpected solution to a problem.

                           Relaxing nature sounds heavy snow fall

11. Remember what is important to you

Do you have a thank you journal? Don't be too quick to dismiss the idea - keeping a thank you journal reduced stress levels by 27% in a group of Stanford students, and recent studies at Yale and Columbia Universities have shown that using thank you journals increases focus, responsiveness, and energy, and boosts immune health. system and reduce anxiety.

12. Call your friends

When you interact with a close friend, your body's production of the stress hormone cortisol decreases, and talking to your loved one can trigger what is called a "relaxation response." So the next time you're worried about making a deal with a new client, call your friend or mom.

13. Take up a pacifying hobby

Solve a Sudoku, spend ten minutes knitting, read a chapter of a detective novel, take care of a bonsai plant - whatever your hobby, it helps you take your mind off work and focus on what you love, which means it can be a great way to reduce anxiety and stress.