Steve Correll and the cast of The Office makes millions of people laugh.
But real world workplaces tend to have the opposite effect. They can be the source of stress, which is one of the eight areas of weight loss resistance.
In Part 1 of Working Out the Stress During the Workday, I talked about some ways to reduce stress during the workday. Here are a couple extra tips to help you relax from 9 to 5 (and beyond).
Be mindful of your body. Hey, remember that hunk of cells, skin, nerves and muscles that transports you around all day? You know, your body? Pay attention to it. Give it a break.
For example, do you feel tension in your neck, back and shoulders? Is your jaw clenched and your face tight? If so, take a minute and stretch. Walk around the office – move. Drink some water, keeps those muscles loosened up.
Your body needs breaks too.
Lights out for your eyes. If you’re sitting and staring at a computer screen for hours, your eyes are going to need a time-out. Or two. Or ten.
Here’s a simple exercise: With your palms facing your eyes, gently place them over your eyes and block out all the light. Keep the light out for two or thee minutes.
This momentary respite will do them well.
Keep it light. You don’t need to tell The Weight Loss Comedian the importance of keeping things light. Humor can be an ideal tool for diffusing stress in the workplace.
Naturally, you’ll want to use discretion and be humorous when appropriate. But try and send out an informal, humorous message to a coworker. Or share a cartoon or two. Find the funny side of life, and you can lighten the mood throughout the workplace.
Give yourself a pat on the back. Hey, you do good work. Give yourself a hand now and then. Take a step back and recognize yourself for a job well done.
Make the workspace a pleasant place to be. It’s amazing what a few nice photos, pictures and a splash of color can do to a workplace.
If you think you’re stuck in a dreary situation, try and liven it up with some plants or art.
And don’t hesitate to put up some photos of your loved ones. Photos of my little guy and my big guy are all around my office, and whenever I need a smile, I just look their way.
Positively avoid the “negaholics”. You know these people – nothing is ever right, nothing is ever good enough. They are toxic waste dumps of negativity, and they spew forth day and night.
While it may be hard to avoid these people entirely, you don’t have to encourage them. If they start with their belly-aching, tune them out or change the subject. Don’t play that game.
Those are just a few tips to get you started. On a future post, I’ll talk about some exercises you can do to further relieve stress in the workplace.
