4 Ways to Relieve Stress at Your Desk

The average office worker spends 67 days a year sitting at their desk, yet work can often be a source of stress that carries over into our home and family time. By learning a few simple tips, you can better manage pressures from work so that you can end the day calmer, happier and ready to relax. Here are a few ways to relieve stress without even leaving your desk.

Meditation

Though it may conjure up images of remote mountain retreats, meditation is completely desk-friendly and requires just a few minutes of your time. Meditation can work wonders for resetting your focus and helping you feel more present and calm.

It involves steering your attention towards one specific thing, whether that be your breathing or a feeling in your body, and guiding you back towards it whenever your mind begins to wander. It sounds simple, but can have a lasting effect on our overall anxiety and stress levels. If you’re not sure where to start, there are plenty of free guided meditation videos online, or apps that can help you build a long-term meditation habit. 

Desk Reset

You’ve likely heard a phrase along the lines of ‘tidy home, tidy mind’, and the same can be said for your desk. Not only does a quick declutter help give you a short break from your task, but numerous studies have shown that keeping a clean workspace can be hugely beneficial. That’s because clutter can make us feel stressed, anxious and even depressed.

A quick 5 minutes tidying up your paperwork, putting pens and stationery back in their rightful place and clearing away this morning’s mug will help to keep your stress levels down as well as improving your productivity. Doing this on a regular basis will also prevent your clutter from building up, and will stop you tidying up simply as a way to procrastinate. 

Stretch

When you’re sat at a desk all day it can be easy for your muscles to tense up, particularly in your shoulders and lower back. Stretching is not only good for your body, helping to relieve your aches and pains, but it can also help to prevent and alleviate stress. You don’t need to get your yoga may out (although if you have the time, feel free!) and there are many simple stretches that can be done at your desk.

Which stretches will work best for you will depend on where you tend to carry the most tension, and there are hundreds of resources online with stretches for you to try. You might also want to look into getting a flexible standing desk so you can easily change positions throughout the day. It’s another way to get moving that will help improve your mood. 

Switch Off

It’s never a bad idea to get a break from your screen. In fact, there is some suggestion that you should take a 5 minute break for every hour of work. Instead of switching to your phone and scrolling through social media, use this time to completely disconnect.

Having a pen and paper handy to simply do a few minutes of doodling can promote calm and help you destress. It can even help with memory retention! Don’t worry about creating something picture-perfect. This is much more about the act itself than the end result. Even simple swirls and shapes will achieve the desired effect.

Of course, prevention is always better than cure, and a workspace designed to minimize stress can be invaluable. If you would like some help in creating an office that works with your wellbeing in mind, we would be delighted to help. At Rapport Furniture, we offer a complimentary in-store design consultation, where our experienced design team will help you every step of the way in creating your dream space. To book your spot, simply head over to our contact page and we will get back to you shortly.