5 Ways to Add Peace to a Stressful Day in the Office

When you’re dealing with stress or boredom at the office, use these 5 simple strategies to add a little peace and calm back into your day!

Picture this: you’re sitting at your desk at work. You haven’t left your office all day. You have a deadline coming up. The work feels overwhelming, and you’re panicking about whether you can get it all done. You’re getting irritated at every little thing. You’re hating your job, and you feel ready to snap!

Or how about this: you’re bored out of your mind, working away at your computer. The work just seems dull and tedious. You want something to look forward to. You find yourself distracted, deciding to check social media or funny Internet memes, just to have a fun mental break! But then you have to drag yourself back…

I’ve been there, too many times to count. The corporate world can be extremely stressful and boring at times. Here are 5 ways to deal with that seemingly unending office stress and find some peace!

1. Take a 5-minute meditation break.

If you’re super busy but getting frustrated or irritable, doing a quick meditation can be a wonderfully easy way to reset yourself. Sometimes it’s difficult to convince yourself you need a break when you have a deadline. But if you’re having a mental block, or the pressure just feels like it’s building, a short break can have lasting positive effects. Knowing that the break is only 5 minutes can help relieve the feeling of guilt you may have setting the work aside. (You can even choose to do 3 minutes if you like.)

So put down your work. Push your chair back from your desk. Put in some earbuds and choose some tranquil music to listen to. Set a timer so you can fully enjoy this time and avoid temptation to check the clock or truncate your break. Then choose a guided meditation if you like, or simply enjoy being still, and close your eyes. A guided meditation can be a great way to turn your thoughts to a different subject other than your work. Take some deep breaths, which will physically calm your body and ease tension. Focus on relaxing your muscles, especially areas that feel tense. When the time is up and you open your eyes, you’ll feel as if you’d actually stepped away from the situation and now you’ve returned, renewed and ready to keep on.

2. Get outside and go for a walk.

A change of scenery can do a world of good. Seeing the sunshine can instantly brighten your spirits. According to Healthline, the sun’s rays boost production of serotonin in the body, stabilizing your mood, lessening anxiety, and increasing happiness. Even going outside on a rainy day with the proper gear can be energizing; just breathing fresh air instead of recirculated indoor air provides the body with more oxygen. Find a walking path or trail or a nearby park and enjoy any natural sights you find. Take a few moments to observe the colors of flowers or greenery. Stop and literally smell the roses, rather than just walking by without actually seeing your surroundings. Seeing something colorful can be a wonderful rejuvenation after seeing the monochromatic colors of an office setting.

To get even more benefit from this, plan to get outside every day. Take a longer walk at lunchtime, or go for 2 short walks in the mid-morning and mid-afternoon (this can help with that afternoon slump). Dress appropriately for the season, and bring comfortable shoes to work to change into. Bring whatever will make you happiest when walking outside, whether that’s extra layers, a nice warm jacket, snow boots, rain boots, sunscreen, sunglasses, or a hat. It’s definitely possible to enjoy a walk outside on even a snowy winter day, provided you plan ahead!

3. Take time to actually enjoy your lunch.

No matter whether you pack your own lunch or buy it, make sure you enjoy it. Choose a really yummy food that you know you love. If you bring your lunch, leave your desk if you can and pick a spot either in the office (maybe a break room if you have it) or outside. If you don’t feel comfortable doing either, turn off your computer screen so you’re not tempted to check work emails (or even worse, actually work during lunch!). No matter where you choose to eat, try to put your phone away and focus simply on the food. Savor each bite; smell each morsel when you bring it up to your mouth, taste the flavors when it hits your tongue. If you’re able to eat outside, enjoy the feeling of the outdoor air and do some people-watching. After you’re done eating, take a walk to get the blood pumping and stave off that food-coma feeling.

Similar to this, you can pick a yummy snack to enjoy in the mid-afternoon. Take an actual break and focus specifically on the food and how it tastes. Having this to look forward to in the afternoon can be uplifting as well.

4. Take full advantage of time spent outside.

When you’re just dealing with too much stress at the office, enjoy your breaks outdoors to the fullest extent you can! If you’re eating lunch outside, find a pretty park or fountain to sit by. Take a book and a blanket with you and enjoy some time reading on the grass. If you work in a city and there are street musicians nearby, enjoy the music they play. If there’s a festival, a farmers market, or other special event going on, feel free to explore it during your lunch break. Same goes for a museum or an art gallery. These breaks from the ordinary can be quite stimulating, adding a dash of spice to your day.

Enjoy the beauty of nature, even in the city. Observe the urban animals, like squirrels, ducks, or birds. In the winter, don’t be afraid to look up and let snowflakes land on your tongue, just like you did as a child. Make a snowball and toss it at an inanimate object, or even make a snow angel if you’re in a park and no one’s around (because it’s snowing and people tend to stay inside)! (I did mention above to plan ahead for the proper gear!) Taking part in these childhood joys can certainly bring back that simple unadulterated happiness, even as a working adult. I’ve done all of these many times during my days in the office, so no need to feel embarrassed, it’s fun!

5. When you can’t leave your desk, enjoy some fun music.

Put in your earbuds and find that great song that always makes you happy! Try a Spotify or Pandora station and rock out to songs you haven’t heard in ages or find some new favorites in a loved genre. Shuffle the music on your phone so you hear a song that’s maybe been buried within your music library. Whatever it is, find a song that instantly brings joy when you listen to it. Dance along in your seat while you work; no worries at all if others look at you, they’ll just see that you’re happy, and no one needs to apologize for that!

Do People Really Do These Things to deal with office stress??

I’ve spent many years in a corporate office setting, and I’ve always been amazed at how much each of these tips always boosts my mood, yet how underutilized they are by most people. It’s quite common for folks to stay attached to their desks all day and even work during lunch. Almost everyone seems to be scrolling on their phone when taking a break these days. Taking a quick meditative break instead helped me calm down many times when I just felt overwhelmed. Quite often, I’ve been the only one (or one of just a few) going outside for walks. I’d go outside every single day, no matter the weather, and enjoyed every minute with childlike zeal! (And don’t think for one second that I’m one of those extroverted types who always feels secure in my skin no matter what I’m doing – quite the opposite.) But if you’re the first in your office to do these types of activities, people will inevitably see that wow, it’s a good idea, and some may even join in! All it takes is one person to start a trend!

Takeaway

So when you’re just frazzled from worry, or just dealing with too much stress in the office, try one of these 5 tips! After enjoying the mental break, you should be able to think more clearly and have more patience!