Flipping off too many other drivers on the way to work? Fuse getting shorter? Um, guilty as charged. Come to think of it, these days it seems like most of us are wrapped a bit too tight. While obliterating stress isn’t even an option for most of us, we can at least try to get a handle on it without having to join a monastic sect.Here are a couple of ways you can help take the edge off your day:
GET A TOY: Grab a stress ball and squeeze it when you’re on the phone with the client from hell. Looking for something more manly? Stash an 8 or 12-pound dumbbell in your desk drawer and do a few reps in between emails. In a pinch, grab a bit of bubble wrap and pop a few cells for the sheer, juvenile pleasure of it.
KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS: If every meeting you go to winds up being a half an hour longer than you’ve planned, then you’ll probably spend the day trying to make up the time – and getting fairly tense as a result. How to combat the time crunch? Get sneaky – pad your schedule by 15 or 30 minutes, once in the mid-morning and once again in the mid-afternoon. This way if your meetings end on time, you’ll get a few extra minutes to deal with the business of the day, and if not, at least your entire day won’t get screwed up, just part of it.
GET LOST: At lunchtime, try to get a quick workout in – nothing fancy, just a fast walk around the office park to help break up the tension of the first half of the day, and re-energize you for the second half.
THROW THE BUM OUT: Got a time-sucking superior or subordinate who makes you uptight? Next time they sit down in your office, give them a minute or two to state their business, and then stand up like you have to go somewhere, or excuse yourself to go to the men’s room. The mere act of standing up and starting to move will help (literally) move the conversation along.
HOT STUFF: Home at last. One of life’s simple pleasures and tension reducers is a hot bath. Experts suggest water temperature of about 100 degrees is the sweet spot, but go with whatever feels comfortable for you. Unwind your muscles by soaking for about 15 minutes and do nothing. No calls, no texting, no TV, no radio. Go ahead – we dare you.
NO, NO AND NO: If you tend to create your own stress by overbooking yourself, give yourself a vacation. Politely decline or cancel our invitations for a week or two, so you can do what you want and need to do, like maybe get a bit more sleep, hang out with your kids or take their mom out for a quiet dinner.
