10 Tips to Reduce Stress at Work

Too much stress can have a negative impact on your well-being. Stress can not only cause anxiety and depression, but can also have a negative impact on your health. Most people have filled days with little time to spare. Bad and unforeseeable things come up here and there, and the To-Do list keeps on getting longer and longer with no perspective of seeing light at the end of the tunnel. Learning how to cope with all this will be the deciding factor on your stress level.

Whether it is your boss that causes you stress or you simply have too much to do, keeping a positive outlook on things is the number one key to manage your stress effectively. Below are 10 simple tricks that will help you create a positive environment. It will help reduce stress, make you more efficient, and overall a happier person at work and in your personal time.

1. Be Well-rested

Getting enough sleep is crucial. Many people watch TV until late at night and then are surprised that they have difficulty falling asleep. As relaxing it may seem to you, watching TV causes your mind to keep running. Instead get some rest not just physically but also emotionally. Listening to calm music and drinking bed time tea are two great alternatives to watching TV and eating popcorn. If this still doesn't help you get a better night of sleep, pay closer attention to what you are eating at what time. It is advisable not to eat any later than 4 hours before you plan on going to bed. Having too much food in your stomach close before bed-time will make it much more difficult for your body to find rest.

2. Get up With Enough Time

Start the day on a positive note! Avoid cutting your time too short in the morning. Starting your day off stressed on time will leave a negative impression in your head that will carry on throughout the day. Instead get up with enough time to shower, to get dressed, and to eat a little bit of breakfast.

3. Eat Breakfast

Eating a balanced breakfast will fuel your body with viable nutrients and sustainable energy. Avoid eating on the run, but instead take a few minutes to sit down. Stay away from breakfasts with too much simple sugars and simple carbs as they will cause a quick spike in energy at first with a crash shortly after that leaves you off more lethargic than before you ate. A few slices of whole-wheat toast with some lean ham and an egg or two are a great way to start the day.

4. Dress Right

Make sure that you keep your wardrobe somewhat organized. Finding your work clothes easily will make it much easier to get ready in the morning. Pay attention to the colors you are wearing. If a suit and tie is part of your business attire, use "positive colors" such as blue and green. Especially blue is said to have a calming effect on people including yourself. A blue suit and/or dress shirt are great. If you like to wear more color, then do this in your smaller pieces of clothing such as your neckties. A light green necktie will give your outfit a fresh and positive look that will carry over to your attitude.

5. Beat Traffic

Know what time to leave and what route to take to work to beat rush hour. Spending an hour in stop and go traffic will cause your unnecessary stress. Also consider other forms of transportation or car-polling with close by living co-workers.

6. Organize Your Work-space

When you leave work, make sure to clean up your desk. You will be glad the next day! Starting your day on a clean and well organized desk is an important part on reducing stress at the office. In addition, having a clean desk will have a positive projection on co-workers and superiors. It shows that you are a well-organized person that pays attention to detail.

7. Plants

Bring more life into your workspace with plants. Weather you prefer the look of cut bamboo on your desk, or a larger plant in the corner is personal preference. Research has shown that plants will help in creating a positive and friendly environment that has a more soothing effect on people.

8. Pictures Give your workspace a familiar face by bringing in a few pictures of people or things that are important to you. Having a picture of your wife and kids on your desk will help reduce stress.

9. Be Productive Make a To-Do list at the beginning of each day. Prioritize each item based on importance and timeliness. Also estimate how long it will take to complete each task. Not only will this help you create an achievable goal for the day, but is will also help to track progress using time as a measure.

10. Communicate

Is your boss causing you stress? Keeping good communication will help! If your boss is not doing his/her part, take the initiative and open up the communication. Communication will help you know what is expected of you, as well as it is important for your boss to know what he/she can expect.

If you follow the tips above you will have done a great step in managing your stress. No matter what you do, keep a positive attitude and have confidence in your abilities.