Feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or burned out at your job? You’re not alone – work stress is ubiquitous today As a lifestyle blogger, readers often ask me how to destress at work when they feel frazzled or tense The good news is many effective stress relief strategies can be done quickly and easily, even in a busy office setting. In this article, I’ll share my top tips for taking mini “stresscations” throughout your workday. With small doses of relaxation, you can keep stress under control and maintain your cool at the office.
Take a Short Walk
If you sit at a desk all day, one of the fastest ways to destress is to take a quick walk – even just around the office or outside for 5-10 minutes. Moving your body helps relieve muscular tension and gets your endorphins flowing to calm the mind. Bonus points if you can walk outside and get some fresh air! If you can’t leave your desk, even just standing up to stretch or pace while on a phone call can help.
Do Some Deep Breathing
When you notice stress building, stop what you’re doing and spend 60-90 seconds taking slow, deep breaths. Inhale through your nose, feeling your belly expand. Exhale slowly through your mouth and relax your body. Deep breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system to lower blood pressure, heart rate, and anxiety levels.
Practice a Mini-Meditation
Apps like Calm, Headspace, and Insight Timer offer quick meditation sessions for beginners. Even just a 2-3 minute breathing or body scan meditation can help you destress. Close your eyes, follow the guidance, and tune into your senses – this “mini-reset” breaks rumination patterns.
Stretch Your Body
When your mind is spinning, stretch your body to relieve tension. Neck rolls, shoulder circles, wrist flexes, and spine twists can be done discreetly at your desk. For a fuller stretch, find an empty meeting room or hallway to do lunges, quad stretches, or forward folds.
Make a Prioritized To-Do List
Stress often comes from feeling overwhelmed and disorganized Make a prioritized bullet list of your top tasks and take them one item at a time Crossing completed items off your list gives you a sense of control and achievement,
Chat with a Colleague
Venting to a trusted co-worker helps get worries off your chest Even 5-10 minutes of empathetic listening from a friend can boost your mood and reduce feelings of isolation. If possible, get out of your work environment to chat over a walk or coffee break
Watch Funny Youtube Videos
Laughter really is great medicine when feeling stressed. Take a tech break to watch funny videos of cute animals, bloopers, or comedy sketches to lighten your mood. Give yourself permission to giggle – it releases tension and endorphins.
Snack on Dark Chocolate
When you need an afternoon pick-me-up, grab a small piece of dark chocolate from the office kitchen. The sweet treat can help satisfy cravings and the cacao triggers the release of neurotransmitters to boost your mood.
Use Essential Oils
Keep a bottle of lavender, rose, or citrus essential oil at your desk. Rub a little on your wrists or temples and inhale deeply. The aromatherapy compounds interact with receptors in your brain to promote calmness.
Step Outside for Sunshine
Sunlight exposure and fresh air naturally boost your serotonin, vitamin D, and energy levels. Even just 5 minutes outside can rejuvenate you. Take a short walk or find a sunny outdoor spot to close your eyes and turn your face upwards.
Listen to Relaxing Music
Pop in your earbuds and play soothing instrumental or nature sounds to mute office noise. Music at around 60 beats per minute, like gentle classical or acoustic guitar, activates your relaxation response. Avoid lyrics, which can be distracting.
Drink Herbal Tea
Make a cup of chamomile, passionflower, or mint tea and sip it slowly at your desk. The calming herbs interact with your brain’s GABA receptors to ease anxious feelings. The warm cup also gives your hands a soothing focal point.
Doodle or Color
Keep an adult coloring book or notebook at your work station along with colored pens and pencils. Allow your mind to wander as you doodle abstract shapes and designs. This engages your creative side and reduces repetitive thoughts.
Have a Healthy Snack
Hunger can exacerbate stress, so keep nourishing snacks on hand like nuts, fruit, yogurt, or hummus and veggies. Proteinrich foods increase alertness while complex carbs boost serotonin to calm your nerves. Avoid heavy refined carbs that can cause energy crashes.
Look at Nature Photos
Studies show viewing images of nature scenes activates your parasympathetic nervous system to lower blood pressure and heart rate. Keep inspiring landscape photos as your desktop background or smartphone wallpaper for quick relaxation.
The next time work has you feeling tense, try these effective techniques to take “mini-vacations” throughout your day. By pressing reset and restoring inner calm, you can tackle each task feeling refreshed, focused, and revitalized!
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1 Use a relaxation spray or rollerball
The nose and memory are closely linked, so using a relaxation spray or rollerball can help you to create a pattern of mindful moments, and you’ll instantly feel a little bit better each time you smell that familiar scent.
Doodle for a few minutes
If you have a pen and paper handy, doodling can provide a welcome distraction from your current situation, and give you a different activity to focus on. The pleasure gained from doodling can reduce your stress levels, and enable you to take a different approach when you return to working.
3-Minute Stress Management: Reduce Stress With This Short Activity
How to de-stress at work?
Take a Deep Breath This is one of the easiest and most beneficial ways to de-stress at work. Deep breathing helps increase oxygen flow throughout the body and can be done in two simple steps: First, breathe in slowly through your nose, filling up your lungs completely, and then slowly breathe out through your mouth.
How can I cope with work-related stress?
Work related stress can be managed by developing healthy responses to fight stress. Tackle the main reason for stress. Learn methods to relax and have a healthy meal. Also take time off when you feel overwhelmed.
How can de-stressing at work improve your productivity?
De-stressing at work can help you identify and overcome challenges that arise throughout the day. Many de-stressing methods only take a few minutes, allowing you to do them at your desk or on your lunch break. Understanding how to relieve stress can increase your motivation, improve your productivity and help you feel more satisfied with your job.
How do you tamp down workplace stress?
Try these tips to tamp down workplace stress: Identify your stressors. Write down what stresses you out during the workday and how you respond. Perhaps morning traffic makes you late and cranky from the start, or a noon meeting causes you to forgo lunch for chips instead.
