It is difficult to avoid becoming stressed out and burnt during a long workday, even if you love your job. Sitting at a desk for up to 10 hours a day, your hands cramping up from typing so much, and your eyes tiring from staring a bright screen non-stop is brutal, and there is no real way to avoid these things in most careers.
You need to find a way to make your days easier, and here are some simple tips to lower your stress during a long workday and keep you refreshed.
1. Drown Out The Noise With A Good Soundtrack
Frankly, I can’t imagine any workday without listening to music. I have seen people keep their eyes focused at the computer all day and never once find a way to listen to something better than their coworkers munching on chips.
Whether it is by loading up your phone or an MP3 player with some albums or soundtracks, by putting an Internet station on in the background of your workstation, or going the retro route and plugging in a radio, hearing your favorite songs is a simple way to put a smile on your face and make time go faster.
2. Download A White Noise App If You Aren’t A Music Buff
If you can only handle “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin one more time, and you aren’t fond of the newest music trends, then there isn’t much sense in blasting stale MP3s all day to keep you going.
Whether it is through an iOS or Android app, or via many great Internet sites out there, there are some innovative ways that allow you to play white noise for hours at a time. Thunderstorms, rain, birds chirping, summer noises, or whatever else you find refreshing… there’s an app for that!
3. Don’t Take Your Lunch Sitting Down
There seems to be a common misconception that every time you eat it has to be sitting at a table. Even if it isn’t hand food like pizza or a sandwich, most places have counter high enough to lean against to enjoy a meal standing up, so stand and get your blood flowing!
Then, go for a quick walk. That simple 30 minutes to an hour of moving around will prepare you for the rest of the day sitting down and give you something to look forward to each lunch break.
4. On That Note, Make Something To Look Forward To
Four hours in the morning, lunch, four more hours in the afternoon. Doing this every day for years gets old, fast.
If every day you have something to look forward to, whether it is during your lunchtime or after work, then that sense of anticipation will help speed up the day. I always like making a really good lunch and going beyond the boring sandwich, so those 30 minutes in the middle feel that much longer.
You can also save something really fun to look forward to after work, like catching up on a Netflix show or finally getting to the rest of the leftovers.
5. Take The Time And Realize This Isn’t For You
Maybe there is no simple way to put it: This job may not be for you. I found out the hard way after a past career choice that made me realize I shouldn’t be this stressed, especially doing something 40 hours a week.
There are stressful moments that we can’t avoid, and then there’s constant stress. If your job is taking a lot out of you every day, every week, every month, then maybe you should consider a job that leaves you happier at the end of the day, and you know what? That’s okay too!
