Do You Have a High-Pressure Job? Here Are Some Tips to Keep Your Calm, Relaxed and Healthy

If you have a high-pressure job, you’re likely putting in long hours and dealing with plenty of stressful situations in the course of your working day. It can be easy to let things creep up on us and get to breaking point, so it’s vital to avoid this, to put in place some strategies to promote calmness and help ensure your lifestyle is as healthy as possible.

You may be thinking that there’s no way you can squeeze anything else into your already jam-packed day, but keep reading for some tips and hacks to help you relax, whatever work throws at you. From freeing up some hours to techniques to unwind, incorporating these ideas into your life will deliver real, beneficial change.

Enlist Help at Home

Many of us resist hiring in some help around the house, battling on despite our long working hours and the fact that we’re frazzled. There’s no shame, however, in enlisting assistance, and doing so means you’ll be able to carve out a little more time in your hectic day to relax or do the things that you enjoy. It’s crucial for your mental and physical health to have the time and space to unwind and enjoy yourself regularly; this can protect against burn-out, too, and even help you to sleep better at night.

Think carefully about the hire that would bring the greatest benefit to your everyday life. You could consider employing a cleaner for a few hours a week or getting a team in to do a deep clean every month. After a stressful day at work, don’t feel like cooking? Check out the best-prepared meal delivery service, which takes the hassle out of cooking while ensuring that you’re still eating delicious, nutritious meals. This is a great way to improve your overall wellness and will prevent the understandable temptation of reaching into the snack cupboard when you’re too tired to even think about putting together a complicated meal.

Other help around the home you could consider is a laundry and ironing service, window-cleaning provision, or an oven-cleaning service, or you could hire someone to look after your garden for you. Anything that will free up some extra time for you in the day, and alleviate the time pressures that may be preventing you from relaxing, is worth looking into.

Relaxation Techniques

Taking up a practice like yoga or Pilates is great for body and mind and can deliver an array of benefits, from improved posture to reduced stress and anxiety. Signing up for a class, either in-person or online, could be one of the best things you could do to uplevel your lifestyle and help to manage pressure at work.

Breathwork

Having a few emergency techniques to use at work if the stress is piling up can be helpful. The first one is all about breathwork and mindfulness. Create a few moments of deep peace in your day by finding a quiet spot, sitting up straight, relaxing your shoulders, and closing your eyes.

Now breathe deeply. The idea is to concentrate on your breaths going in and out, focusing on the inhalation and exhalation. Notice any tension in your body, and try to breathe it out. If thoughts or anxieties are in your mind, notice them as you would the clouds passing in the sky, but don’t engage with them; let them drift on. After a few more deep breaths, open your eyes and continue with your day.

Focus

The second technique to quickly calm down is to change your focus. This can have an almost immediate effect if you’re feeling anxious, angry, or overwhelmed. Doing this could be as simple as looking out of a window and noticing what’s going on or taking a quick walk around the office or the block. Even switching to another task for ten minutes can be effective.

Separate Work Life From Home Life

This may not always be possible, but take all measures possible to create a divide between your work and home life. For those that work at home, this may be particularly tricky, but it can be done. Establish a ‘finish work’ routine to mentally separate work from home and help you to relax at the end of the working day. This routine could involve playing some music as you tidy your workspace, and even changing clothes, to tell your mind that it’s now time to put the stresses of the day to one side.

For those who travel to work, the commute home is a great opportunity to decompress as you physically leave work behind. Allow yourself this time to think about work situations, problem solve, make some notes, update your diary, and send emails while you’re on the train or bus ride. As soon as you step off or out of your car, try to be strict about keeping your focus on your home life. Have a relaxing bath, play your favorite album, or enjoy a cup of tea when you get in the door to further underline the home-work divide.

Making some time for self-care is an important way to stay happy and healthy, no matter how pressured your job is. It can feel impossible to carve out the time for this but thinking creatively about ways to bring calm into your life that work for you can help you to enjoy both your job and your home life even more.