Feeling stress at work is inevitable. In fact, stress can be a good thing that can fuel you to be more productive and can even boost your memory. But too much stress can overwhelm you and make you feel as if it’s impossible to get anything done.

When you start to feel as if you’re drowning in tasks and the stress begins to take root, it’s important to find ways to reduce your stress levels so that you can take control of your to-do list and power through it.

Here are a few easy ways you can adopt that should help to bring your stress levels down.

 

Move your body

Getting up and away from your desk for even 10 or 15 minutes when you’re feeling overwhelmed can do wonders for your mentality. If you can take a walk outside, you’ll get not only fresh air and some Vitamin D, but you’ll loosen up tense muscles, increase your blood flow and get a small rush of endorphins – which can help regulate anxiety. If a walk isn’t in the cards, though, even just stretching for a few minutes can provide some of the same benefits and will hopefully have you feeling refreshed when you return to your desk.

 

Chat with a colleague

A little social interaction is also a great way to cope with stress, and talking with a colleague about something that isn’t related to work can help take your mind off of what’s stressing you, and might even give you a renewed outlook on it when you turn your attention back to the job at hand. Just don’t use this as a way to avoid doing work ­– procrastinating and putting it off until the last minute will only result in even more stress.

 

Breathing Exercises

Sometimes, just breathing can help calm your thoughts and reset your attitude. Focused, deep breathing increases the oxygen in your body, which will decrease your heart rate and blood pressure, and it’s something that’s easy to do at your desk if you’re unable to get away. To practice deep breathing, inhale through your nose while counting to 10, then slowly exhale through your mouth while counting to 12. You can also find guided breathing exercise videos online if that’s more your speed. After a few rounds of deep breaths, hopefully, you’ll be feeling much more Zen.

 

Essential Oils

A passive solution to de-stressing is to use essential oils. More potent than the plants themselves, oils can be used in a diffuser, applied to your skin, or simply opened so that the aroma works its magic. For stress specifically, lavender is the best bet, but bergamot, sage, ylang-ylang, chamomile, and lemon are also great options.