The study also demonstrated that rumination (not just the events of the day) is directly related to increased physical responses to stress. If you’ve experienced this kind of stress, you may have noticed that the same thoughts replay over and over again in your mind creating an endless loop and increased worry. This thought pattern not only does nothing to help solve the problems at hand, and but can also interfere with healthy practices that can help create inner peace—like restful sleep.

Engage in physical activity

We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space. Certain scents like lavender, pine, sweet orange and lemon can have a calming effect — so consider aromatherapy and how essential oils can help you chill out. Many online and smartphone apps provide guidance on these techniques. Although some require purchase costs, many are available free of charge.

Tie Up Loose Ends Before You Leave

Developing some effective conflict resolution skills can help you prevent minor disputes from becoming major headaches. Make sure that you’re managing your stress before you even start your workday. If you are getting to work already frazzled, exhausted, and at your wit’s end, it’s going to much more challenging to handle other stresses that work might throw your way. Make a conscious effort to spend more time with your most optimistic colleagues.

• This thought pattern not only does nothing to help solve the problems at hand, and but can also interfere with healthy practices that can help create inner peace—like restful sleep.
• Whenever reasonably possible, disconnect physically and mentally.
• One way to maximize your commute time is to listen to audiobooks, either fiction (for fun) or nonfiction in an area where you’d like to grow.
• When you’ve experienced worry and chronic stress for an extended period, your mind may tend to jump to conclusions and read into every situation with a negative lens.

Making the Most of Your Time

Their positive outlook can help balance out the pessimism you might encounter elsewhere and boost your own resilience to stress. While perfectionism has some positive benefits, it can also be highly stressful and lead to burnout. Keep in mind that you’ll likely be able to tackle work issues more effectively when your core needs are being met. Keep in touch with trusted friends and family to help cope with stressful work situations.

Healthy emotional processing involves thinking about things realistically, often finding ways to solve problems or find the positives. Rumination typically involves repetitive thoughts that only focus on the negative. Co-rumination involves continually revisiting and talking about problems with friends. This type of behavior can lead to negative feelings and exacerbate feelings of anxiety and depression.

Don’t let post-work stress control your life — seek professional support from Talkspace today. Seeking professional help through therapy can allow you to develop coping strategies for managing stress. Online stress therapy makes the process as easy as possible — it’s convenient, affordable, and effective. A licensed therapist can share effective stress management techniques. When you first begin, set a time limit so you don’t get stuck in rumination. Multiple studies have found that 20 minutes is an effective amount of time for positive mental and emotional change how to destress after work without sliding into rumination.

• Her books, including “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do,” have been translated into more than 40 languages.
• Even consider forest bathing, the practice of immersing yourself in the great outdoors.
• According to science, running keeps your brain young, fights off anxiety, and boosts your mood.

If your schedule allows for it, you might try taking short exercise breaks throughout the day. This can help you blow off steam, lift your mood, and get into better shape. Multitasking was once heralded as a fantastic way to maximize one’s time and get more done in a day. However, people eventually began to realize that if they had a phone to their ear and were making calculations at the same time, their speed and accuracy (not to mention sanity) often suffered. Keeping yourself organized can also mean avoiding the negative effects of clutter, and being more efficient with your work.

• If you start becoming aware of how you feel, you may find yourself emotionally exhausted and pessimistic by the end of some days.
• When possible, try to avoid people who don’t work well with others.
• Dr. Borland says that supplements may help, but more research is needed to fully understand all of their benefits.
• So, the best way to unwind after work is to shut your phone down and enjoy some tech-free time—unless you want to stay awake all night counting sheep.

You can access Talkspace from the comfort of your home or wherever you are. Improve overall mood and energy levels to cope with work stress by using essential oils of soothing fragrances like lavender or chamomile. Using essential oils for stress can generate a calming atmosphere, and research shows it can aid in reducing stress levels. It can be a helpful thing that motivates people to act, and can even save your life in a dangerous situation. Most stresses we experience are small, like getting caught in traffic on the way to a party or losing an earring on the train to work.