This article has also been published by the author in the health section of her website http://www.tearingmyhairout.com
For most of us, it the first day back at work following time off for Christmas and New Year. For some, it is just another Monday morning. If you are here in London, you will be greeted by darkness, snow and ice on the grounds as you make your way to work this morning.
And as you get stuck in with work, sneaking in a quick sandwich lunch at your desk, you will probably not be out in the daylight until the weekend. It all sounds cold, dark and depressing. It would have been good to have had a less frantic start to the week but it appears that everyone else is on a different timetable to you and suddenly you are inundated with a million and one urgent deadlines.
You feel the benefits of the time off quickly dissipate, as the stress of your workload start to build up. It seems as if you had never been away from work. That holiday seems like a lifetime ago and you are starting to lose control.
But don’t worry, help is at hand! Life doesn’t need to suck and there is no need to tear your hair out. Check out below our top tips for energising yourself, being productive, retaining control and being happy.
10 tips to maintain control and banish the blues in 2009!
1. Start your day by being good to yourself
Turn your morning routine into a “me” ritual. Have you ever seen cats stretch in the morning? Have a good big stretch when you wake up. As you stretch, a little chant or mantra that you find helpful, will help you wash away any tension. This might sound silly, but try it, it works wonders. If you don’t have a mantra that helps you relax, how about something like “I wash away all my worries.” “I am goddess, I am beautiful and I am in control.”
You can repeat your stretch and mantra even right now at work. If you don’t have the luxury of your own private office or feel self conscious stretching in front of your work colleagues, take a toilet break, and stretch away.
As you take your morning shower, close your eyes and really enjoy the warm water trickling all over you. Repeat your mantra and feel yourself attain deep relaxation.
If you are so inclined, nothing would make you feel even more in control like a brisk walk before starting work, (perhaps your walk to the station), or working-out in the gym.
Enjoy a healthy breakfast before you start work and cut down on the caffeine.
2. Breathe
OK, so you are currently in the thick of things and can’t exactly go back to the morning ritual above. This is perfectly fine. Whenever you are, and what ever you are doing, you can simply breathe. Your brain requires the right amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide to function properly.
To achieve an immediate state of relaxation, take a few seconds to practice the following breathing exercise. Sit upright on your office chair, with your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands on your knees, relax your back, and breath in slowly, feeling the heaving from your stomach, and not just your chest. As you breathe in, hold your breathe to the count of 5, and breathe out slowly to the count of 5. Repeat this exercise 5 to 10 times and you will immediately feel yourself getting calmer.
3. Visualisation
The power of visualisation is one of the untapped mysteries of our times. Visualise yourself calm, in control and successful. If you are able to do this whilst doing the breathing exercises above, even better.
4. Make a plan
Nothing helps with retaining control than having a plan in place, ticking off things from your to-do list, and the feeling of regaining control by knowing that you are making some tangible progress. If you are inundated with seemingly demanding deadlines, take a few moments to plan a to-do-list. You may then realise that things are not as hopeless as they seem and that there are things in your list that are not as urgent as others. Be firm, confident, and negotiate deadlines if you are able to.
By making a list, clarifying your goals and mapping out your plan to tackle these tasks, you will feel more in control and will have the satisfaction of feeling less over-whelmed as you tick off things from your list.
5. Stop for lunch and get some sunshine!
Sometimes we get carried away with work and convince ourselves that we are too busy to even stop for lunch! It is so easy to fall into this habit but the reality is that the 15 minutes you spend wolfing down a sandwich with one hand, and tapping on your computer with the other, might not be the most productive use of your time.
Even if you are completely snowed with work, get into the habit of taking 20 minutes out of your busy schedule to have lunch. Buy your sandwich or salad and allow yourself at least 5 minutes in the daylight or sunshine for essential Vitamin D and some fresh air. A recent study indicates that the brain’s production of serotonin rises with increasing exposure to sunlight. Serotonin is the important chemical which helps the body perform functions which include control of appetite, sleep, memory and learning, temperature regulation, mood, behaviour, cardiovascular function, muscle contraction, endocrine regulation and depression
Chronic lack of sunshine can lead to depression, or Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) which occurs in the dark winter months.
Listen to your favourite uplifting music on your i-pod whilst you are outside or do some breathing exercises. You will find yourself revitalised and energised by the short time spent outside, away from recycled office air.
6. Write yourself a love letter
One of my mantras is “I am goddess, I am beautiful and I am in control.” Feeling the love for yourself helps to relax, feel in control and to have the self belief and confidence that you can achieve any goal you set for yourself.
Even if no one else appreciates that fact, don’t forget that you are a babe, or the THE dude!
Write yourself a love letter stating all the wonderful attributes that you have and send it to yourself. Reading this private letter or email will reinforce your self-belief, wonderful thoughts and positive energy.
Alternatively, you can re-read a loving note, email or text from a loved one, or recall a conversation with someone who makes you happy. This will remind you of just how wonderful and much loved you are.
7. Surround yourself with happy objects
Some people have pictures of loved ones on their desk at work or postcards from their favourite holidays. You may even have your favourite object on your desk, perhaps a silly little object that means something special to you, a stress ball, laughing Buddha or that shell your loved one discovered by the seaside. Focus on these objects for a few moments. Rub the shell and recall the memories and joy associated with them. This will help sooth you and will help you relax and focus on your activities.
8. Be kind to someone and smile at strangers
The cliché giving is better than receiving might play a part here. If you are having a bad day, there must be someone out there who is having an even crappier day.
Have you ever had your spirit lifted by someone being unexpectedly nice to you? Let someone know that you are grateful to have them in your life. This does not need to be a loved one. How about some kind words or words of gratitude for your secretary or a junior worker who is having loads of shit dumped on them? Some psychologists believe that people who write “gratitude letters” to someone who made a difference in their lives score higher on happiness, and lower on depression and that the effect lasts for weeks!
Smile or say hello to strangers in the work lift and be cheered up by a smile in return. Practising a positive attitude can do wonders to your future happiness and outlook.
9. Eat healthily and drink water
Forget about loading up on coffee or sugary drinks to help you through a busy time. Drink water instead. Also, do not load up on junk food or takeaways because you are busy or stressed. Make sure you’re eating a healthy balanced diet full of goodness, especially B Vitamins and essential fatty acids which help with mood regulation. Ensure that you are eating plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, oily fish and whole grains.
10. Get in touch with your inner child!
Set aside a few minutes at the end of the day to play like a child. Fish out the mousetrap, yo-yo and even that Playstation game might do just fine! Savour everyday things, watch children laughing and playing. If you have children, play with their games or play with them! It is difficult to remain stressed when you have the ability to get in touch with the child within you.
Be happy
TMHOgirl is a London based professional fascinated by people, life and the internet. She has a website where she has embraced our right to choose to be a nation of opinionated moaners, whiners and wannabe writers. The website features articles and members’ posts. Check out more of her take on life, register for free and post your own articles at http://www.tearingmyhairout.com
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7/08/2010
10 Tips to Banish Monday Blues, Bad Moods, Stress and Get Back in Control! | Office Stress Relief Tips
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