8 tips to keep stress at bay during the working day

As a business owner it is highly likely that at one point or another (and possibly more often than you like to admit) during your working day you feel your stress levels rising. Quite often the days are a blur of meetings, deadlines and people needing your attention and it can often feel like you haven’t had time to catch your breath let alone find the time to reduce your to-do list. You probably dream of a day to yourself but can only laugh at the endless self help guides that tell you to book yourself into a spa for the day as “work can wait”. If this sounds like you then hopefully this short blog will help you find that happy medium between keeping your eye on the ball and reducing the increasing stress levels and enable you to tackle each task with a clearer head.

I spoke to a variety of small business owners and asked them what little things they do throughout the day to keep the stress at bay and here are our 8 favourites..

Make your own tea or coffee – It’s all too easy to sit at our desks, staring at a screen but if you fancy a hot drink why not use that time to give your eyes a rest, stretch your legs and think about something trivial for a few minutes.

Use mundane activities too think about the positive parts of the day – If a job or activity doesn’t require too much brain power, photocopying for example or even going to the loo, use those times to think about something good that has happened that day or week. With enough practise you will find that your thoughts automatically focus on the positive every time you do something that doesn’t need too much attention.

Laugh – This may sound a bit vague but laughing helps to reduce stress so if nothing has made you laugh that day, head over to YouTube and watch a cat video or two!! If you can, share it with a colleague as this will help to get rid of any pent up tension in the office.

Don’t constantly check your emails – Unless you are waiting on something really urgent, try switching the notifications off on your emails and checking them at set intervals instead. By checking them every hour (or few hours if that is feasible) you will allow yourself to focus on one task at a time rather than trying to multi task.

Go outside – If your working environment allows, take a minute to just stand outside and get some fresh air.

Have little reminders of your non-working life nearby – Whether this is a photo of your dog on your desk or your favourite band as the background on your computer (I have both!!) these little reminders of your personal life will give you a little smile and remind you that there is more to life than work even on the most stressful days.

Pack yourself some lunch – Try not to buy lunch each day as you are more likely to forgo it if you are busy and extra effort is required. If you have a packed lunch all ready to go you will look forward to it more and, therefore, take the time to eat. Make sure you pack yourself a little treat too!

Listen to your favourite music on the commute home – If it’s safe to do so, this will help you transition from work you to home you and is a good way of leaving business at the office. If you’re commuting alone or with very understanding people, sing along. Singing reduces stress and who doesn’t love a little car boogy?

If you have any tips for relaxing during the working day please send them to me and maybe I can put together a volume 2 🙂

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