Returning to your office place after a period of home working can take some adjustment. Especially if your workplace has changed in terms of procedures.

Stress is becoming increasingly covered in the media as our busy schedules take their toll and we regroup following an ‘unusual’ few months.

It is important to realise that it is not so much the stress that is important, but our response to it. Some people thrive in an environment of tight deadlines and heavy workloads, others prefer a slower less intense pace.  Equally we must be aware that short burst of stress are rarely damaging, it is the sustained sources of stress that adversely impact our bodies and minds.

We believe that prevention is better than cure, so enjoy 15 quick fire stress busting tips for the workplace!

It’s not easy to implement all at once, and some may not be appropriate for your workplace or role, so pick one and test it out. Pay attention to how you feel when you are doing them or have done them. If they help then continue to use it and pick another. If they make no positive impact then move on and find one that does.

1. Make a daily to do list. When you’ve finished an item put a tick by it or highlight it with a highlighter pen as opposed to a striking it out.  For some people this has a better emotional impact as it signals completion and achievement to the brain rather than deletion.
2. Put your voicemail on if there is something you really need to do and don’t want interruptions.
3. Keep your inbox to a screen full at the most.
4. Handle your emails or post once. When you open it do what is required there and then, it is easier than keeping many things ongoing and remembering.
5. Learn to say no. Find out what is required of you with respect to the request and if you cannot do it in the time frame, be honest and say so. Over committing yourself is never a good plan.
6. Learn to say yes! Sometimes we say no to things because they will take us outside of our comfort zone. If there is something you want to do then say yes even if it takes you to that place. Growth will happen when you say yes to things too.
7. Take regular breaks. Our brains can concentrate for about 90mins and then after that if we don’t have a break our performance begins to diminish.  Just 5 minutes can recharge batteries. Work in a maximum of 90 minute cycles for any piece of work too, before taking a break or completely changing what you are doing.
8. Define what success is to you. Everyone’s definition of success is different, so be clear with yourself what your definition of success is. Not what you want it to be, or what someone else thinks it should be…what it is to you!
9. Wherever possible commit to switching off from work when you leave it. At the end of the day spend 5 mins writing down what you want to accomplish the next day and then go home and forget about it.  It will be there for you in the morning. No sneaky email checks!
10. Keep a folder with positive feedback you have received and compile a list of achievements throughout the year. On days where you feel like you have gone nowhere get it out and remind yourself of your successes.
11. Make time to have a chat with a colleague you get on well with. Laughter and being with like-minded people is a great way of boosting your morale.
12. Leave a clear voicemail message managing everyone’s expectations. If you’re really busy then ask people to leave their name, number and a message so that you can prioritise your response based on the urgency. This at least makes people think about what they’re going to say.
13. Categorise your workload/tasks into 4 categories
    1. Not urgent, not important
    2. Urgent, not important
    3. Not urgent, important
    4. Urgent, important

Focus most of your energy on the activities which fall into the last 2.

14. Break large tasks into smaller activities. Break them into as small, manageable and quickly achievable tasks on a to-do list as you can.
15. Schedule time for yourself doing whatever it is that you enjoy doing that refreshes you. It could be a nap, chatting to a friend, reading a book – so ask yourself what you could do to refresh yourself each day. Just 30 minutes a day doing something you want to do can help you to deal with stressful situations more effectively.

Ongoing or chronic stress can start to have an impact on your mental health. If you are finding that your workplace is a source of stress and nothing seems to help it might be that you need additional support from a professional to work out what is going on and support you.

Hypnosis can help with stress and uncover any unconscious blocks holding you back and help you to deal with stress in a healthy way.

Call or email now to have a chat and book an appointment at my Chester Clinic.

01244 915 745

info@tranceformhypnosis.co.uk