Some of us can attest to the admittedly unhealthy benefits of rushing a deadline with only an hour to spare as it somehow pushes you to produce your best work. But what people conveniently leave out is the constant headaches, lethargy, and generally high levels of irritation due to the lack of sleep. Did you also know that being under stress for an extended period of time may even cause irreversible cognitive damage?
Contrary to what you see in the movies, the last thing you want if you are prone to bouts of stress is regular cups of coffee throughout the day. So, step one for reducing anxiety is to become caffeine-free!
Avoid strong coffee and high caffeine energy drinks as they have the most caffeine in them. While there is some also in tea, it’s generally more healthy and calming due to the presence of an amino acid called thiamine but you would still need to limit your intake to two weak cups a day. If you smoke, try your best to stub out that habit. While nicotine may be a stimulant, the reason why you feel a release when you light one up is because you’ve become addicted to it.
Make sure you take regular walks to ensure healthy blood flow and because it’s a therapeutic experience. If you’re feeling stressed out at work, take some time to remove yourself from the situation and to clear your head. You’ll be surprised at how much it helps!
Creating lists to properly organise your tasks is also an underrated method to stay stress-free. However, most people go overboard with this and create lists that last for days, or sometimes weeks. That goes against the whole point of making lists, so keep your lists short and simple!