Stress is imbued in our culture, and only a few of us know the joys of living a stress-free life. Although stress at work feels natural, it shouldn't be part of your every day, especially if it is causing you anxiety and stopping you from excelling in your career. There are many ways to ease stress and remain productive at work, and the following are five habits you can try anywhere, including work.
Practice mindfulness
Our mind has a sneaky way of unleashing a whirlwind of thoughts that often cause us to worry and become more anxious. A practical method of stopping such negative thoughts from taking over is by practicing mindfulness. Zen gurus often share the importance of the art of mindfulness—a habit we can become better at by making time for meditation. Even five minutes of meditation every morning can significantly shift your state of mind, but you shouldn't stop there. You can practice mindfulness even in a bustling work environment by remaining conscious of your breath and focused on the present task to keep your mind from going into overdrive.
Fuel up with the right energy
It is easy to think that anxiety is the mind's issue since it plagues our mental state, but how we treat our body significantly affects how anxiety affects us. If you are on a high-sugar diet and you forgot the last time you worked out, then you can't expect your mind to function optimally.
Fueling up with the proper nutrients is critical to keeping anxiety at bay. Your anxiety doesn't need the continuous fluctuations of a sugar spike and crash. The difference felt when you eliminate sugar from your diet is immense. Try doing away with sugary food or drinks for at least a month and see how much calmer you feel. Additionally, your body needs daily positive experiences when it comes to a raised heart rate resulting from an intense workout rather than caused by fear and worry.
Ask for help
Even in high-pressured work environments, you can always find a good soul to help you out when you are struggling. If you feel bogged down by the pressure of your workload, speak up. Set up a meeting with a manager, someone from human resources, or another colleague you trust and share your struggles. A fresh perspective on your work issues is essential if you hope to alleviate anxiety and overcome your battles so you can enjoy your work rather than worsen your mental health. If work colleagues aren't an option, find a mentor or a trusted friend to share your concerns.
Be gentle with yourself
We live in an age where we value productivity over everything else. Working after hours feels essential, answering emails on a Saturday night is a must, and writing long to-do lists in bed has become part of our lifestyle. These habits have taken over days spent outside without phones, eating dinner with family or friends without gadgets, and moments of doing absolutely nothing.
If the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning is looking at your phone, no wonder anxiety is an issue. Avoid looking at a screen when you wake up to check emails or browse through social media to see how better other people's lives look. Instead, keep your phone on airplane mode and spend the first hour of your day having breakfast in peace, doing yoga, looking at the sky, or taking a peaceful shower. Anxiety is cruel, unrelenting, and terrifying at times, so why not take the gentle route by being kinder to yourself?
Accept anxiety
Finally, if you want to ease stress and anxiety in the workplace, it is best to accept your state of mind. Accepting anxiety doesn't mean succumbing to the negative spiral. Instead, it is about respecting your mental state as it is and acknowledging that anxiety is present.
Remember, you are not your anxiety. You are not your thoughts, nor are you your emotions. As the best Zen teachers will tell you, we are something far beyond and more still than thoughts and feelings, which are ever-changing. Once you grasp this concept, you will find it easier to accept your ever-fluctuating mental state and emotions.
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