Getting the Most Out of Your Technology Stack in a Rapidly Expanding Technology Environment
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Let’s face it, these are overwhelming times! Anxiety levels for many of us are high and likely to increase with all the uncertainty around us. The closure of schools and restructuring of many businesses has displaced workers and their families. Social distancing, cancellation of work gatherings and working from home has affected many social networks leading to feelings of isolation. Many are concerned about their own health and that of others, about their employment, and their financial security. Moreover for many of us, working from home is new, with blurring boundaries between home and work environments.
Anxiety levels are definitely heightened. Managing stress is important for the days and weeks ahead, and in the long run. Below are five simple, less than two minute options, that could help reduce some of your stress.
1.Count your breaths
The trick:
Silently count each breath (inhale, pause, exhale) you take for two minutes. Some people prefer to count during the inhale and some during the exhale, either is fine.
Why it works:
A practice that dates back almost 1500 years, breath counting is a great way to calm the mind. While you may be bored doing this at first, keep at it. Counting is not the focus here, it is the awareness of breathing that helps you practice mindfulness. Research has proven that positive mood is associated with better breath counting.
2.Try the Naam Yoga hand trick
The trick:
Apply pressure to the space between your second and third knuckles, that is the joint at the base of your pointer and middle fingers.
Why it works:
This technique rooted in Eastern medicine is a great way to ‘reset’ yourself. It supposedly activates a nerve that loosens up the area around your heart, and helps reduce anxiety and stress levels. Just like breath counting, it takes very little time and you can do it whenever you want.
3. Turn on some tunes
The trick:
Take a short break and listen to your favorite music for a couple minutes.
Why it works:
You have probably heard that listening to classical music helps reduce stress. It slows your heart rate, lowers your blood pressure and even decreases your stress hormones.
But it doesn’t have to be classical music really. Just listen to any type of music that you love as it will flood your brain with ‘feel good’ neurotransmitters which reduce stress. There are many studies that indicate, that listening to music that you like decreases perceived stress and increases your sense of personal control and well being.
4. Snack smart
The trick:
Schedule your snack times and choose healthy snacks like avocado, eggs, nuts, bananas, dried fruits and others with saturated fats or ‘good’ fats.
Why it works:
The connection between the gut and the brain is huge – it is called the gut-brain axis. And ‘stress eating’ which is sometimes called ’emotional eating’ is a real term. Emotional eating means that your emotions – not your body – dictate when and how much you eat. The first thing most of us want to do when we are feeling stressed, is to drown our anxiety with our go- to comfort food.
Stress eating does not have to be bad, as long as you do it right. There is lot of interesting data and research that supports the idea that the gut is a major mediator of your stress response. So instead of giving into those cravings, make a conscious effort to choose healthy snacks and try and schedule your snack times.
5. De-clutter your workstation
The trick:
Spend just a couple minutes regularly tidying your workspace, rather than letting things accumulate.
Why it works:
When our space is a mess so are we. Research has shows that our physical environments significantly influence our cognition, emotions and behavior, affecting our decision making and relationships with others. Cluttered spaces can have a negative effect on our stress and anxiety levels as well our ability to focus.
So clear your workstation, get that clutter away, and create both – a literal and mental space for yourself.