When work gets overwhelming and your to-do list is running rampant, it can feel like you’re being pulled in multiple directions at once. Continuing to push through the stressful, busy moments may feel like the only way forward, but the constant stress on your mind and body can lead to performance errors, burnout and countless health issues in the long term.
The answer? Forming healthy habits to assess your stress levels and clear your head when the going gets tough.
Top 5 tips for clearing your head
1. Meditation
Meditation is becoming increasingly popular amongst business owners and workers worldwide. This mindful activity is moving into the workplace to reduce stress, alleviate tension and allow workers to clear their head. Meditation doesn’t require you to be spiritual, recite any mantras or practice in a group, in fact, it can be done quietly in your office, after work at home.
Even 3 minutes of focused deep breathing can drastically reduce stress and clear a foggy mind.
2. Exercise
It’s well known that exercise reduces stress and releases endorphins into the body to boost your mood. Yet how many of us make exercising a regular habit? Preparing your exercise schedule ahead of time, just like you would a boardroom meeting, is a great way to stay on track and inject regular stress relief into a busy week.
3. Spend time outdoors
Often the stress and overwhelm can affect us even more when we’re cooped up inside for a large portion of the day. Getting outdoors, even for 10-20 minutes, can greatly improve your mental clarity and reset your energy levels. Set aside time for outdoor breaks during your workday to ensure you are maintaining balance.
4. Take time out
Do you often find yourself working long hours with little to no break time? While it may feel necessary to work through the busy periods, taking small amounts of time out can be beneficial to your body and mind, giving you accelerated focus and energy. Schedule time out into your day to ensure you are switching things up and allowing your body and mind to reset for a moment.
5. Write it all down and prioritise
One of the best practices to minimise overwhelm is writing down your entire to-do list and creating a priority structure to move through each item with clarity and focus. Getting into the habit of doing this each evening before you leave the office will reduce your stress at night and allow you to start focused each morning.
