It has been reported that 83% of US workers suffer from work-related stress according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Stress can harm our health, causing chronic health problems and increasing the risk for stroke, heart disease and mental health struggles. Ignoring the root cause can result in long-term health issues that can affect home life, financial life and ultimately steal our quality of life.
Learning how to recognize cues that you are under stress can help get ahead of health issues and even stop them before they start. Let’s walk through some ways to take control of your health and instill balance back into your life.
1. Identify the Signs
If you continuously find yourself in a state of overwhelm and chronic stress, stop for a minute and pay attention to the signals that you are in distress. Ask yourself, what does your body feel like? How are you responding to family members? Have you kept your routines? These may be signs that your body and mind are feeling the effects of stress. The quicker you can identify this, the faster you can take action.
2. Move Your Body
Moving your body is one effective and practical tool to reduce stress and anxiety and help with resetting your mind. This can come in many forms and can even be coordinated into most work days. Whether it is taking a 15-minute walk during lunch or taking an early morning run, exercise can be a powerful tool in reducing mental health struggles.
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3. Yoga or Meditation
Finding yourself in a spiral of stress makes it hard to know what to do next. Sometimes a mental reset can be helpful through yoga or meditation. Even sitting at your desk. Podcasts, apps and YouTube offer guided meditations and yoga practices right on your devices. Try a 10-minute meditation each day to allow yourself a few minutes of mental calmness.
4. Write it Down
Thoughts racing through your mind? Overwhelm and negative thoughts can send you in an unhealthy direction. Writing down thoughts, feelings, gratitude, ideas or simply a to-do list can help set positive intentions for the day. Doing this routinely for just a few minutes can help shift your focus to a more positive outlook, aid in organization or practically provide a place to unload hard feelings.
5. Set Boundaries
Understanding your limits can have a huge impact on work-life balance. If work begins to creep into your family-life or relationships, it may be time to reevaluate your boundaries. Identify where the extra expenditure of energy is coming from at work and begin to form internal or external boundaries surrounding this. Whether you need to have a meeting with your manager or need to set limits for yourself, boundaries can help you say yes to the life you want.
6. Prioritize Preventative Health
Finally, consider the notion that preventative health is part of your job. Taking preventative health seriously sets you up for success. It pays into your self-care bucket while working to prevent some health conditions. Preventative health can look like meeting with your doctor annually, going to annual dental check-ups and prioritizing exercise and a healthy diet. Not only are there mental and physical health benefits, but preventative care can help reduce medical costs in the future as well. Caring for yourself is one simple step you can take to rebalance your life and keep your health at the forefront.
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