Stress is a natural phenomenon in life. It is a good defense mechanism to protect our body from dire situations and therefore ensure survival. However, stress should only be experienced for a short period of time. It’s not meant to be chronic, or in our modern times, every day. Chronic stress can lead to the production of cortisol hormones, which are dangerous to our health. Cortisols are not only responsible for our weight gain, but they also dampen our health and well-being.

We live longer than our forefathers; but we suffer more from a thousand artificial anxieties and cares. They fatigued only the muscles, we exhaust the finer strength of the nerves. ~Edward George Bulwer-Lytton

How do you beat stress? Here are our top tips:

Take breaks

Humans are said to be productive for just 6-8 hours a day. Working longer than that is overworking, which may lead to brain shutdown. We feel drained, and all we want to do next is to lie on the bed and sleep. Why do we feel this way? That’s the body’s way of telling that it needs a break, rest.

That’s why it’s important for you to take a break, no matter hectic your schedule is. Commit to taking few, short breaks. Break refresh your mind and energize your body. They enable you to maintain productivity and concentration.  If you’re continually re-energized, you’ll be able to finish your work on time while delivering a high-quality output.

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.  ~Ovid

Practice relaxation techniques

Now that you’ve already scheduled your breaks, it’s important that you rest properly. Take time to learn some relaxation techniques to de-stress yourself. You can do a quick yoga to help ease the tension on your muscles or nerves. You can also have a power nap to relax your brain for few minutes.

If you don’t want to risk sleeping longer, you can opt to do some meditation to clear your mind. Or if you have longer breaks, you can exercise to release the cortisol hormones in your body. Exercising is an excellent way to de-stress because it produces endorphins, which are known yo uplift one’s mood.

But if you’re not up for some strenuous work yet, reading a book or listening to music will do.

Create Your Own Sanctuary of Safe Haven In Your Home

One of the main reasons why we look forward to going home after an exhaustive day at work is because we want to relax. We want to free ourselves from the confines of the office that seems to burden us with stress and pressure. And since you’re already at home, take this opportunity to transform your house into your safe haven.

Not necessarily the entire house, but maybe you can have a “relaxation room.” It could be your living room where you lie on the couch lazily or a library room where you can read books after work. You can also treat yourself some bubbly, relaxing bath after a long day.

Have a support network around You

If you feel like you can’t bear the stress anymore, it’s time for you to seek some external help. If your workload is too much to bear,  try to talk to your boss. Gently ask them to take off some responsibilities or reassign them to someone else. Make them understand that you’re doing your best, but your health will be at stake if you keep on getting more projects.

Also, the burden of your personal problems becomes unbearable, talk to your friends. Your friends may not be able to help you solve the problem right away, but “a problem shared is half solved.”

Stress is an ignorant state.  It believes that everything is an emergency.  ~Natalie Goldberg, “Wild Mind“