Stress, you can’t escape it. Whether it’s stress from work or life in general, it has its way of creeping into your life and stealing your happiness. There is a difference between good and bad stress. Good stress lasts for short periods of time and is usually related to a task that has a determined end point. Bad stress, however, lasts for long periods of time, alters your mood and makes you feel sick. Thankfully there are three things you can do throughout your day that can help combat stress. I challenge everyone, myself included, to try out these three simple things that neuroscientist Richie Davidson has determined to help reduce stress and bring happiness back into your day.
First, before you start work, take 5 minutes to meditate. But, “How do you meditate?” you might ask. Well don’t you worry (get it: stress=worry), the folks at Mindful have you covered. Visit their page here to learn how.
Second, write down 3 good things that happened throughout your day. These can be small but they help bring attention to the fact that although the day may have been challenging, there most likely were at least 3 things that went well. I have the saying, “Every day may not be good, but there is good in every day” displayed in my house as a reminder of this.
Lastly, perform 1 act of kindness every day. A great opportunity to do this is while you are at work. It brings happiness to both you and the person you help.
These are all pretty reasonable and easy things to do that can really make a difference in your work and everyday life. What have you go to lose except a little stress?