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New ways to improve wellbeing at work
Recent studies have highlighted some interesting findings where experts recommend the following evidence-based tricks for keeping anxiety levels down:
- Do someone a 5-minute favour – volunteering helps people connect with others, which aids in the recovery of all types of anxiety. You can achieve the same effect at work by, say, grabbing a cup of coffee for someone who’s having a bad day. Simply spot the need and, for five minutes, you be the one to fill it.
- Let yourself procrastinate – in one particular study, a researcher gave people a task and allowed some of them 5 minutes ‘playtime’ where they were able to let their minds wander onto other things. Those who did, generated ideas that were considerably more creative than those who got stuck into the task straight away. By providing this simple access to alpha state brainwaves, their subconscious minds were obviously given the chance to chew away at the problem in the background.
- Play with a puppy – not sure how some of you are going to manage this, but plead with your boss, if necessary. Another study showed that when employees brought their dogs to work, they felt less anxious, more uplifted, yet just as productive as they were on canine-free days.
- Disappear for a bit – take a 10-minute walk daily – it helps to put it in your calendar – and don’t ruminate about your work when you’re gone. Instead, listen to a podcast, make a phone call, do a walking meditation, or bring a friend to talk about something totally non-work related.
- Hide your phone – even if you’re not using it, simply being able to see a mobile phone hinders your ability to focus on tough tasks. The mere presence of a phone also makes people trust and like each other less than if it weren’t present, according to recent research.
- Take a break before lunch – people who take breaks in the morning feel more restored and less emotionally exhausted than those who take breaks in the afternoon, a recent study found. Morning breakers were more likely to say that they were satisfied with their jobs, too.
- Have a chat with your co-workers – social time is really valuable, even for introverts. To truly detach and reap the productivity and wellness benefits of a solid break, though, you really have to find a way to keep the conversation office-content free.
- End the day as you mean it – a recent study found that if people think they should be reachable after work, they feel less in control and have more of the stress hormone, cortisol, swimming around in their bloodstream. Meanwhile, another study showed that as long as the work gets done, putting in more hours doesn’t actually make you appear any better in the eyes of your boss.
So, if your goal is to feel better, you need to get your head out of work, allow the brainwaves to slow down a bit so you enter a relaxed, daydream-like state for a few minutes and then return refreshed, revived and ready for action!