If you're human-things bug you. If you're anything like me, nearly everything bugs you-sometimes even to the point of total overload. That level of stress is not good for you, and it's certainly not good for your interactions with other people-specifically if those people are the ones who are bugging you. I could try and be zen and tell you "just ignore it" or "water off a duck's back" but let's be real-how often does that really comfort you when you're trying not to snap? So instead, I've come up with some practical tips to try and cut down on the stress in your life.
1. If you work in a place where you can, wear headphones at work. This will cut down on the amount of sound annoyance you receive while working. For example, you wont be distracted by those coworkers that never stop chatting, the guy on the other side of your cubicle who burps and farts all day, or those coworkers who just don't understand that you silence your cell phone in an office.
2. Stay out of the passing lane. Nothing is more stressful than being in the passing/fast lane and some a-hole is going 5 miles under and holding up the line. It's a fact that there are too many people out there that don't understand how the passing lane works-and it just causes stress for those of us that do. But why do we always have to be in such a rush? If we just kept to the right, went the speed limit, and put some music on we'd save ourselves a lot of trouble. (Just ask my roommie, he gets 60+mpg staying at 60-65mph and doesn't have to stress about passing people.)
3. Leave your desk for breaks and lunch. That's exactly what breaks and lunch are for-to get away from the stuff you do and stress over all day. There are times I stay at my desk working on stuff over my lunch break and those are the days I go home feeling more beaten down than ever. Give your brain a break and go talk to a coworker, take a walk, or at least get outside for some non-fluorescent lighting.
4. Don't skip lunch. Skipping eating is not only not healthy for your body, but it also can cause stress binging later. Avoid the overeating by eating regularly.
5. Keep healthy snacks on hand, and a little bit of chocolate. We all know what hangry (hungry+angry) is, and we've all seen the commercials saying "You're being a cow, have a Snicker's bar" (well, or something similar) so keep a little healthy snack on hand, something like nuts or fruit (protein without the sugar crash) will keep you happier longer and lower the stress levels. Oh and having a little chocolate (dark chocolate is even good for you in small amounts) on hand for those mood-swing days is a lifesaver!
6. Drink lots of Water. Dehydration stresses your body out, and if you're body is stressed-all of you is stressed. It's hard to remember, but hydrate hydrate hydrate!
7. Kill 'em with kindness, a.k.a. be nice to people even if they aren't nice. You'll feel better, I promise-if not for just being nice, for showing them up by being super sweet even if they were a raging beeyotch.
8. Log off of Facebook. We all know that Facebook is a perpetual drama machine. Even if you don't have friends stirring up trouble there's always a minefield of stress on Facebook-friends going and doing something without inviting you (hello, feeling left out is stressful), people posting political rants they haven't researched at all (I hate when something political happens, because I realize I hate like half of the people I'm friends with on Facebook), passive aggressive status attacks, inviting you to play Candy Crush eight-million-and-one times, etc. I'm not saying forsake Facebook forever, just take a freaking break from it.
9. Unplug. We're too attached to technology in general. Turn off your phone and read a book or escape to the mountains where there is no cell phone coverage for a little while-even an hour helps (though I recommend an entire weekend for de-stressing). Cellular devices are causing so much more stress now that we're all attached to them like a lifeline.
10. If all else fails, do something silly. Stand up and dance like a fool at your desk or read Damn You AutoCorrect (I've banned myself from reading that at work because I absolutely can not control my laughter, it's ridiculous!). A little laughter or some movement can really take the edge off.
What do you do to relieve stress throughout the day?
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