By Theresa Lambert
It won’t come as a surprise that in this world in which we are always connected it has become increasingly difficult to disconnect. At work, we often experience “rush hour” and for some that has become business as usual.
When our wellbeing suffers from chronic stress due to worries about what we have to do next, it can lead us to feeling exhausted and unfulfilled with work we once loved. And contrary to what we believe, that is that working more, longer and harder will help us, in actuality, we just can’t seem to get ahead of the ever-growing workload.
In short, it’s time to slow down and up-level your experience at work. Here are 3 simple tools you can use to increase your wellbeing and reduce your stress.
Tool #1: If you can’t go into nature, bring nature to you!
Because of our obsession with DO-ing, most of us have forgotten to practice just BE-ing. One of the fastest ways we are able to reconnect with ourselves is to be out in nature. But the reality is many of us may not have access to nature just around the corner so let’s aim for the next best thing. Buy yourself a plant and put it on your desk!
Yes, you heard me, placing a plant on your desk or in your office can help you reduce workplace stress. A recent study conducted in Japan found that looking at a plant on your desk for 3-min whenever you feel “tired” can greatly reduce your stress level!
Pretty awesome! So, for an investment that can be as low as $5 for a succulent plant, you can reduce your stress and at the same time brighten up your desk… and your outlook.
Tool #2 Find your Anchor
“Health is a state of Body. Wellness is a state of BE-ing.”
– J. Stanford
I love the quote from J. Stanford that reminds us that “Wellness is a state of BE-ing”! Keeping on this trend, in order for us to up-level our wellbeing we need to find ways that connect us to an ideal state of BE-ing!
Take a moment and think about a time, moment or experience that you were super present in and most importantly happy and relaxed. Answer these questions:
- Where were you?
- What did you do?
- Who was with you?
- What was the best thing about it?
- How did you feel?
Now that you have a clear image of when you experienced this, is there anything that reminds you of this time? This could be an image, jewellery, perhaps a random item in your home, a person, a colour, a scent of something. Go ahead and write it down.
The item you find that reminds you of this, is your anchor! Make it a habit to look and ideally touch (or smell) your anchor at least three times per day. The more senses you engage the better this works. You could do it in the morning as you wake, at lunch and before you go to sleep.
If you want even more of a boost from this, set your timer for 1-minute and close your eyes while you are touching the item. Step into that experience, what can you see, hear, smell, taste, feel? Visualize yourself in the experience for 1-minute and watch your energy levels and wellbeing rise!
Tool #3: Connect with colleagues over lunch
This tool isn’t only fun, by setting a lunch-date we are stopping ourselves from the terrible habit of eating our lunch while we are working. Not sure how that was ever a good idea, but through-out my career it seemed to become standard.
Creating an experience around lunch and including human connection in this experience is super powerful. It can bring joy to the day to connect with your colleagues and spend 30-minutes talking about anything other than work. It is a well needed break in your day, yet it also fosters the state of belonging; one of our fundamental human needs.
When we feel connected to others and foster relationships that help us feel connected and heard we can significantly increase our wellbeing and experience at work.
“The business of business is relationships; the business of life is human connection.”
Robin Sharma
About the Author
Theresa Lambert is the Founder and CEO of Theresa Lambert Coaching & Consulting. Drawing from her nearly 20 years of experience in the industry and most recently her six year tenure as the General Manager of Nita Lake Lodge she brings both a real world view and proven applicable tools to support her clients by helping them smash through the cycle of feeling stressed, stretched and on the edge of burnout, and instead transform their experience so they can be wildly successful, have more fun and inspire the next generation of leaders to follow suit. Learn more at www.theresalambertcoaching.com.