National Stress Awareness Day: Mitigating Stress in the Workplace

In any career, at least some amount of stress in the workplace is inevitable, and regardless of your job responsibilities everyone is dealing with numerous stressors in life. Through just a few different activities you can do throughout the workday, you can rapidly increase your productivity, efficiency, and quality of work. Here are 5 tips on how to deal with stress in the workplace during your lunch break:

1. Grab your yoga mat

Taking a small time out of your day to do some yoga is easy and effective in reducing stress. Yoga has been proven to lower your heart rate and relax your body, so if you’re hoping to destress, this might be a great choice for you! As working in high stress environments can be mentally draining, yoga is a great way to improve your mental wellbeing. It is proven to increase body awareness, relive chronic stress patterns, center your attention, and sharpen concentration. Luckily, our office spaces located on Wolf Road are within minutes of multiple yoga studios, such as Good Karma Studio and Elevate 518 Studio.

2. Take a walk

Going outside and getting some fresh air for a walk is a perfect way to destress and reboot for the remainder of the day. This will encourage you to relax your mind and come back fresh and productive. Additionally, if you’re sitting down all day there’s a good chance your muscles are tense. The perfect way to loosen them up is taking a quick walk! Our office spaces are surrounded by some of Albany’s best walking trails and park areas, such as The Crossings and the Pine Bush Preserve.

3. Speak to a professional

Today, seeking a mental health specialist is easier than ever before… and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your office! Through online therapy services such as Betterhelp and Talkspace, you can easily video chat with a licensed professional about your stress and anxiety. It never hurts to see what your company offers in terms of mental health resources! Some larger companies such as PwC, Dell, and Delta are providing their employees with well-being coaches and on-site mental health professionals. Other companies such as Calm are providing their employees with stipends to pay for stress relieving services such as therapy, gym memberships, nutrition programs, and massages.

4. Eat brain food

Nutrition is extremely important in brain and body function. What you consume can influence your energy, brain function, and overall wellness. Food is a huge part of every person’s daily life, so why not choose foods that help mitigate your stress and balance your body. When stress occurs in the body, a well balanced nutrition will actually boost your resistance to the feeling. Our Wolf Road offices are neighbors to various restaurant options that promote a healthy lifestyle such as CoreLife Eatery, The Bowl, and Panera Bread.

5. Listen to music

The things we hear throughout our environment contribute to our stress more than you may think. Whether or not you know it, your subconscious picks up numerous stressful sounds that may be contributing to your anxiety. Since we are constantly hearing sounds in our environment, we might as well choose the sounds we listen to. Music has shown to have a profound effect on both emotions and the body. For example, faster music can make you feel more alert and focused, while upbeat music can make your feel optimistic and positive. For the reduction of stress, slower tempo songs are recommended, such as classical music and rainforest sounds.

Stress in the workplace is a large issue for people all over the world. Many people are overworked and tired, making their work and home life difficult to manage While stress is part of almost everyone’s lives, too much can be harmful to your body, weakening your immune system, causing high blood pressure, fatigue, depression, anxiety, and in some cases heart disease. Our Colonie and Guilderland office spaces offer all the amenities that can help you resolve your stress issues all during your lunch break! Tour one of our conveniently located Albany area office buildings today!