Workplace stress is a problem that seems to be as old as the hills and doesn’t seem to ever feel like disappearing. Of course, stress is also linked to outside situations, such as the current Covid-19 pandemic and any stressors you might be dealing with at home.
All of this can easily eat into the time you spend in the contemporary office and cause you to feel under pressure or overwhelmed.
Employers are certainly opening their eyes to the importance of deal with stress in the workplace, but some of the easier management techniques are actually some of the most effective. For instance, have you ever considered that being more active in the office could help you to manage stress on a daily basis?
Exercise is beneficial on so many levels. Not only does it help you to maintain a healthy weight, keep your risk of developing heart disease lower and combat other health risks, such as depression, anxiety, and diabetes, but it can help you to banish stress too.
Remember, office workers are classed as living sedentary lifestyles. This is pretty insulting if you’re quite active outside of the office, perhaps you go to the gym, but the amount of time you spend sitting in your office chair is enough to do the damage. As a result, being more active in the office is beneficial on many different levels.
What is Active Working?
Active working basically means you get up and move around more during your day. It also means you take advantage of specific office furniture types that help you to be more active whilst you’re completing your daily tasks. For example, stand height desks could be ideal for this because a sitting and standing routine is classed as exercise and therefore helps you to grab the associated benefits.
There are other options too, such as standing meetings, walking meetings, active seating methods, and generally moving around more, such as using the stairs instead of the lift. It’s about being mindful of how much you’re moving and how much exercise you’re getting. The more you get, the better you’ll feel, and the more you’ll be able to deal with stress at the same time.
You see, exercise helps to distract your mind from whatever you’re stressed about. It also prompts your brain to release feel-good hormones and endorphins, which help you to combat the negative feelings associated with stress.
Of course, you can’t go running marathons during your working day, so check out these subtle yoga poses you can try in your break time, to help banish stress from your day.
Source - https://www.wrike.com/blog/7-exercises-reducing-stress-infographic/
You could even work as a group with your colleagues and have an impromptu yoga session - that will really boost team spirit and help to banish stress as a whole.
Getting up and moving around more is something we should all be doing, regardless of whether we’re feeling under stress or not. However, when stress takes hold, it’s very easy to avoid doing anything other than sitting and worrying about the problem at hand. In this case, take our advice and push yourself to be more active. It’s a small tactic that will have major benefits and will certainly move your mind away from the problem and towards a more positive direction.