Relax on Labor Day

With Labor Day ahead of you, give yourself time to relax, unwind and enjoy the day off from work. Is one, two, or even three days really enough to eliminate the anxieties created by the workplace?
After the sad and horrific murders of the Virginia news crew, many companies will now consider conducting emotional stress management classes for their staff. Excessive stress can interfere with your productivity and impact your physical and emotional health. You can’t control everything in your work environment, but that doesn’t mean you’re helpless.  Stress can be managed.

Even the best of jobs have stress, expectations and overwhelming responsibilities. For some, stress is like a fuel or motivator that helps them get things done. However, workplace stress can easily overwhelm your life.  In addition, the emotional toll can drastically affect your mental and physical health. Untimely and erratic eating habits with little to no exercise can result in weight problems, anxietyinsomnia, even IBS and blood pressure. Job stress also frequently causes burnout, cynical attitudes toward others and yourself.

What can you do?  

Focus on the important things and stay calm when things don’t go well.
A method of reducing work-related stress can come from practicing guided visualization and mindfulness – a technique developed to train the mind to focus on the present. It’s like the yoga of the mind where it can help you and other working professionals relax in high-pressure situations. It helps relieve stress and prepare you for tough meetings, interviews or procedures. It can also help with staying focused on what’s really important in the larger scheme of things.

  • Make the most of workday breaks. Even 10 minutes of personal time will refresh your mental outlook.
  • Take a brief walk, chat with a co-worker about a non-job topic or simply sit quietly with your eyes closed and breathe.
  • If you feel upset or angry, walk away. Mentally regroup by counting to 10, then look at the situation again. Walking will also help you work off steam.
  • Set reasonable standards for yourself and others.
  • Stop expecting perfection. Your responsibilities and performance criteria may not accurately reflect what you are doing.
  • Team work -Working together to make needed changes will not only benefit your emotional and physical health, but also improve the organization’s overall productivity.

For more than a decade I have been treating clients who suffer from anxiety and stress at work. By using guided visualization and hypnosis I help eliminate the underlying stress that many often fall victim to. These recent tragedies have struck fear among many, adding more stress to our busy lives. Remember that it is not always something that you are directly a part of that can affect you, but viewing or witnessing a trauma can create a rippling effect of emotions that affect your body and psyche, inhibiting your ability to sleep with ease or be productive.

If you or someone you know is going through such anxiety or unknown duress, I can help. ~You Matter