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Time and spirits are getting shorter in the office. What can we do to help our employees and ourselves to self-manage stress?
First, it’s easy to continue to focus on the future instead of spending valuable time, as a workgroup or team, enjoying our past successes. Good bosses can start by using more praise, thanking their people in personal, proactive, and sincere ways for the quality of their work.
One of the keys to managing stress is having the right perspective. Many people are working longer and harder than ever, just to keep up with the economy, their financial needs, and their desire to spend time at home. We can all feel stuck on a treadmill, with no end in sight. This can lead to conflicts between employees with different opinions about what and how things are done. It can be helpful for each employee to take a moment to catch their breath, pause for a second, and then provide a response to a colleague that is based on clear thinking about strong emotions.
Second, it is important to keep in mind the concept of work-life balance. It may not be possible to do it all in one day. As Teddy Roosevelt said: “Do the best you can, with what you have, where you are.” This means that, as an employee, you should be content to give your best effort, knowing that there are many distractions in the office as you try to achieve your goals. As a supervisor, you need to be flexible and realistic about how much you can do yourself and how much your employees can accomplish.
Regarding personal stress management, the acronym “REDS” can help: Relaxation, Exercise, Diet, Sleep.
Relaxation means taking the time, each day, to find a quiet place to close your eyes for a few moments and completely relax your body, from head to toe. Even 15 minutes can make a big difference in your energy level.
Exercise means that you try to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. Many busy people buy pedometers and try to record the suggested 10,000 steps in their daily work, home, and exercise routines. Exercise burns stress as well as calories.
Dieting means you avoid too many feel-good foods and focus on eating small amounts of healthy servings, in moderation. Too much alcohol, sugar and fat increase stress levels and the waistline.
Sleep needs are a big key to managing stress. We are a sleep-deprived culture and most people rarely get the eight hours they need to reset their minds and bodies and prepare for the day ahead. Developing pre-sleep rituals, such as showering, listening to soft music, reading, or writing a to-do list by your bedside tonight, can help prepare your mind for sleep.
It is always a good time to focus on two keys: gratitude and optimism. We all have things to be thankful for: good health, connections with family or friends, continued employment, some money in the bank, and hope for the future.
Finally, maybe a little zen thinking can help too. Everything in life is a series of moments. If we take the time to enjoy the small moments in the office: a pleasant atmosphere, familiar and friendly colleagues, and new business on the horizon, all is well.