I’m really lucky. I love my job. But, I still need to wind down at the end of a busy day.
Here are my favourite ways to relax, de-stress and enjoy life:
1. Cuddling with my children – of course this is my number one favourite activity.
2. Cuddling my husband – well OK, this is my joint number one favourite stress buster.
3. Cuddling the cats – the kids and husband aren’t always accommodating so the cats come in third. It’s well known that stroking a pet can reduce your stress levels.
4. Exercise – this is not actually a favourite as I’m not that fond of exercising. But, when I exercise regularly I sleep better, have more energy and I’m generally much less grumpy. So, I like the benefits (and so do my family and colleagues) a lot.
5. Lying in bed listening to BBC Radio 4 or the World Service. I find this helps stop my mind from ruminating on work issues – especially if I’m awake in the early hours.
6. Being pampered. This doesn’t happen very often but having a massage, facial or, my personal favourite, reflexology certainly does the trick.
7. Practising the piano – another good one for distracting the mind – now which was middle C again?
8. Reading a good book, painting, stargazing, listening to music, cooking, watching films, going for a walk the country, visiting friends and family … too many interests – not enough time. Ho hum!
9. Having a plan – I have recently discovered planning. It’s fantastic. It means more gets done, my stress is reduced and important things like relaxing and enjoying life are built into the day!
Here at Business Training we’ve been developing a Time Management course which is when I discovered the benefits of planning.
I never thought I had time for planning. But that was back in the days when I worked chaotically. I often found I had to rush jobs, or discovered jobs not done (hiding under the piles of paper on my desk) leaving me feeling overloaded and really stressed.
However, spending the first few minutes of each day planning has saved me so much time. I know where I’m up to with projects, who should be doing what and by when,
which job I should be paying attention to and which can wait. Plus, because I’m organised my desk is clear. It’s been a revelation.
And, by the way, the course is fantastic. A big thank you to the course writers and developers. It’s made my life so much better.
Finally, tell us what stresses you out at work by joining in with our discussion on Facebook.
