It’s essential to take time for wellbeing exercises that can alleviate tension that builds up throughout the day. Benjamin Robinson, a Physiotherapist at Teladoc Health UK, discusses relieving stress at work in his article below.
Due to the demanding nature of our jobs and life in general, we can all be exposed to stress in the workplace. There are several ways to manage stress. Exercise increases overall health and sense of well-being, which puts more pep in your step every day. It also has some direct stress-busting benefits.
Physical activity may help bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner’s high, any aerobic activity, such as a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike, can contribute to this same feeling.
Exercise can provide stress relief for your body while imitating stress effects, such as the fight or flight response, and helping your body and its systems practice working together through those effects. This can also lead to positive effects in your body, including your cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems, by helping protect your body from the harmful effects of stress.
After a fast-paced game of racquetball, a long walk or run, or several laps in the pool, you may often forget the day’s irritations and concentrate only on your body’s movements. As you regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you stay calm, clear, and focused in everything you do.
Regular exercise can increase self-confidence, improve mood, help you relax, and lower symptoms of mild depression and anxiety. It can also improve sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression, and anxiety. All of these benefits can ease stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.
Exercises that are useful to help manage stress are:
The list is not exhaustive. The key to exercises at work is to make them enjoyable and time-efficient.
Desk-based exercises such as these are a good place to start to get your body moving. Alternatively, there are very easy ways to move, such as getting up from your desk and doing three sets of 20 squats.
Alternatively, doing yoga poses for 5-10 minutes in a quiet office or home space can help calm the brain and allow the body to move more freely.
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