Many of us feel overwhelmed by work.
Your job is stressful. Your hours are long. You have challenging colleagues, managers, and clients. Your days are filled with surprises out of your direct control. Too much work, too little time.
Excessive work stress affects your well-being. It impacts sleep quality, impairs thinking, and clouds judgment. When we feel anxious, it’s hard to be fully present with the people that matter to us. This robs us of the joy we desperately need.
Left unchecked, stress can be a soul-crushing vicious cycle.
Create Space
When you feel anxious, you first need some headspace. Here are a few things you can do to relax your body and mind.
- Take a deep breath: Inhale as deeply as you can, hold for a few seconds, and slowly release the breath until you can no longer. Repeat for a few minutes until your breath naturally slows down. Focus on the rising and falling sensation of the breath around your nostril, your lung, and your diaphragm. Give the breath a few minutes of full focus. See how that feels after.
- Take a shower or bath: A hot shower will bring your comfort. If you need an extra dose of clarity, take a cold shower for at least 10 seconds, or for as long as you can endure. You will appreciate how fortunate it is when we have access to hot water. That will change your perspective. If you have a tub and need a special boost today, take a bath. It’s a treat.
- Get exercise: Go for a light walk around the neighborhood or at your favorite park. If you can, play a sport that requires your full attention for at least 20 minutes. Run, bike, or play a racket sport. Sign up for a class in your community. Exercise is not a waste of your time, even if you are busy. It strengthens your body, boosts your mood, and resets your brain. You need it.
Find a Path Forward
Once you are in a better state of mind, here are three things you can try to identify the path forward.
- List what makes you anxious: Grab a pen. Write down everything that troubles you on a piece of paper or in your journal. Be thorough. Include challenges at work and at home. This exercise helps you externalize the sources of anxiety. Once you can see the problems with more clarity, they become less scary. You know what you are working with.
- Observe the list with curiosity: Review your list and ask yourself some questions. Which issues matter the most? Which ones are time-sensitive? Which concerns give you the most pain? On those issues, what is one small action you can try immediately? Does it make sense to ask someone for help? If your friend has this same concern, what advice would you give?
- Identify three small actions: Once you take some time to reflect on your list, select three actions that you can take today to tomorrow. Maybe you need to message a co-worker for assistance, clarify priority with your manager, or set up a one-on-one meeting to align on expectations. Maybe it makes sense to request a day off to take care of yourself, counsel with a friend on a tricky situation, or find a book that will give you a new perspective.
By creating space, you may be able to see the source of your stress more clearly. By exploring a path forward, my hope is that you will identify one or two things you can reduce the tension in your life.