Tension in your shoulders, sweaty palms, a hazy thought process – sometimes you know when you’re approaching stress-ville. Other times, stress can come out of nowhere. When the latter happens, it’s important that you have methods in place to deal with your stress appropriately, especially while at work. Sure, everyone has bad days, but severe stress can be contagious. Don’t let the small things disrupt the rhythm of the workplace. Below, we compiled a list of a few ways to deal with stress:

Acknowledge

Stress is your body’s way of responding to a threatening circumstance. If you are experiencing symptoms of stress, acknowledge that you might be in a less than ideal situation. A lot of people make the mistake of denying their emotions, which prevents them from getting to the root of the problem. Acknowledging your feelings is your first step to getting to the cause of your stress.

Breathe

Remaining professional at work can prove difficult when dealing with upsetting circumstances. While it may sound too simple to be effective, meditating for a minute or two can do wonders. We’ve written a previous post about yoga poses that you can do at your desk – these poses can really help you regain composure, so they’re worth giving a try.

Reach Out

You may be tempted to unleash your emotions on the first person that enters your orbit, but fight the urge to do so. When it comes to talking about problems, stick with those you have already established a relationship with. Some people can’t keep a secret, and the last thing you want is for sensitive information about you to spread throughout the office.

Take Off

Sometimes stress can be a good thing – it’s what motivates us to get things done. Extreme stress, however, can lead to health complications if not properly dealt with.  You might not be coughing or sneezing, but that doesn’t mean a day off isn’t justified. Take a day off to decompress.

Put it on Hold

Your child’s school calls with news of a fight at recess. That item you ordered on Amazon is now out of stock. The in-laws are making an unexpected visit tomorrow. Sure, these situations are stressful, but it’s not the end of the world. And can you really do anything about them while at work? If you can’t, then don’t bother worrying about them. Accept that there are certain things you need to deal with after 5 o’clock. How do you deal with stress at the workplace? At LinkNow Media, we would love to hear. Let us know in the comments section below!