Everyone needs to relieve work stress — whether you’re back in the office or working from home. When stress consumes you, it’s harder to focus on tasks, and irritation and annoyance quickly cloud productivity. Besides, did you know that increased stress, especially chronic stress, is bad for your health?
So, how do you de-stress when you’re right in the middle of the workday? Or, how can you lower your stress levels in a general sense when you work a high-stress job? The answer depends on you and the things you find relaxing in your typical day-to-day routine — when you have time, of course. Let’s look at five simple ways you can relieve work stress.
1. Morning Meditation
The way you start your morning impacts the remainder of your day. Creating a morning routine with meditation helps you mold the picture of how the day will play out.
People have used meditation for centuries to relieve stress and the anxiety that often attaches itself. Meditation is a great way to slow down and minimize all the unruly thoughts jumping through your head at any given time.
The average person has 60,000 thoughts over the course of one day, so you can see why meditation is beneficial. Some of us get intimidated by the thought of meditation.
How does it work?
What do I need to do?
Am I even doing this right?
These are all typical questions that flow through our heads when we try meditation for the first time, maybe even the first few times!
Try this next time.
Set your timer for five minutes and sit quietly and still while you keep a clear, focused mind. When you start thinking about what projects you need to do, deadlines, or anything else — kick the thought out of your head. The overall goal is to quiet the mind.
2. Visualize the Outcomes You Want
After you’ve done your morning meditation, it’s helpful to envision how you want your day to play out. It’s a simple technique that allows you to mold your day, especially when combining visualization with a fleshed-out to-do list.
Many of us stress about upcoming projects, sometimes imagining the worst possible scenario. If you’re guilty of this, try switching it up. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and see the outcome you want for yourself.
From a spiritual perspective, everything around you is pure energy. So, when you’re capable of fostering positive energy around your intention and visualizing what you want to happen, you send that frequency out into the universe. Sounds a little far-fetched, sure, but don’t knock it until you try it!
3. Beat the Mid-Day Slump
Nothing is more stressful than coming back from your lunch break and struggling to keep your head up and eyes open. This usually happens between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., due to your circadian rhythm taking a mid-day dip or consuming a carb-heavy lunch.
This is stressful for many reasons, but most of all, it’s stressful because we can’t seem to snap ourselves out of it naturally. If you find this happens more often than you’d like, here are some quick fixes so you can get back on track — stress-free.
It helps to keep a secret stash of our CBD Focus Shots at your desk. They’re easy to take, discreet, and contain 75mg natural caffeine, combined with energizing L-arginine and 20mg of broad spectrum CBD to give you a boost in energy and cognition when hit with a case of the sleepies at your desk. We like to joke and call them “limitless shots.”
Alternatively, you can take a quick walk around the office, find a window to soak up some mood-enhancing sun rays (since it decreases melatonin production), or drink some water (which enhances cognitive function).
4. Focus on What You Can Control
No matter what field you’re in, it’s not uncommon to get ahead of yourself, putting more on your plate than you can handle.
It’s something you have to get ahead of and adjust, so you’re not struggling to keep your head above water every day.
A whopping 83% of people in the workforce state they’re under extreme stress in the workplace. A lot of this happens when we say “yes” when we don’t have room on our plates. Focus on what you can control and plan accordingly.
If you have a hard time bringing this concept to life, make a list of all of the things you can control and focus on those things. As far as the things you can’t control, it never hurts to create a game plan for the future.
5. Maintain Work-Life Balance
We always hear about work/life balance, but what does this mean? Having proper work/life balance means having the necessary separation between the two entities.
This is no easy task in some cases, especially if you have a demanding schedule and high-stress job in a general sense. Some of the signs of poor work/life balance are neglecting your personal hygiene and overall needs, increased stress, anxiety and depression, and no boundaries between work and home life.
If you relate to any of the above, here are some ways to enhance your work/life balance. First off, try to find a job doing something that you actually enjoy. When you’re doing something you loathe, it’s easy to get stressed and annoyed.
Secondly, create a clear separation between home and work. Don’t take your work home. Don’t work off the clock.
Last, but not least, try venturing off on a solo wellness trip, if possible. This is challenging for some of us, but it doesn’t have to be a lavish trip — unless you want it to be.
Try venturing out to the beach for the day to take in the relaxing atmosphere (if you have access), or immersing yourself in nature for a walk or a hike — anything that increases your peace!
Looking Into Your Stress-Free Future
These are just a few ways to increase your inner peace and relieve stress during the workday. Still, CBD provides an excellent alternative when you want to cut to the chase, but you can combine some of the methods with CBD to enhance your results.
When stress builds upon you, take a deep breath and remember that life is too short to be stressed. Plus, it’s terrible for your health!
Looking to take the edge off? Try our CBD + CBN Oil Calming Tincture. Or, if you’re looking for a great night’s sleep, try our CBD Oil Sleep Tincture.