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As business professionals experiencing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression it’s easy to let stress get the best of us.  Maybe your company is experiencing layoffs, perhaps a spouse has been demoted, or the monthly mortgage payment is looming and you don’t know where the money is coming from.  Add these situations to our already stressful jobs and it’s no wonder that 43% of adults suffer adverse health effects from the stress in their lives.  To help combat this we’ve put together a handful of tips to help you deal with stress without ever having to leave your desk.

Tip #1: Simple Stretching

If you’re like most people you probably spend a good portion of your day behind a computer.  A few times a day take two minutes to try a handful of these exercises: loosen up your neck by rolling your head in slow circles, do the same with your shoulders, lift your hands above your head and cross them like an olympic swimmer diving into the pool, to stretch your forearm place your arm straight in front of you and pull your hand back towards your body.  This should get all those areas that tend to lock up during a long days work nice and loose.

Tip #2: Take 10 Deep Slow Breaths

Although this isn’t quite the same as an hour long meditation session, doing some controlled breathing can really help reduce stress levels by increasing oxygen to the brain and the release of endorphins (happy hormones) into your body.  Simply take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds, then release it and hold that breathless state for a few moments before inhaling again.  Repeat this a few times and you will instantaneously feel the difference.

Tip #3: Tea Please

Caffeinated coffee has been linked to increasing the perception of stress in our bodies by increasing the output of cortisol the “stress hormone” that regulates our blood pressure and blood sugar levels.  All that to say, if your experiencing high levels of stress you probably don’t want to go the local coffee shop and stock up on high levels of caffeine during your lunch break.  Tea (especially ginseng tea) on the other hand has been shown to bring hormonal balance and reduce stress level, so skip the coffee and make yourself a steaming mug of ginseng tea next time your circumstances are getting the best of you.

Tip #4: Keep The Multi-Vitamins Handy

High stress levels tax your body and deplete it of vitamins essential to your health.  Although you will get some of these nutrients in the food you eat (assuming you have a healthy diet) even the best eaters among us still don’t get enough nutrients naturally.  To counteract this keep a bottle of multivitamins by your desk and remember to take one each day.  Vitamin C will keep your immune system strong, Vitamin B will raise your energy levels, and Vitamin E has some great antioxidant powers.

Tip #5: Relaxing Tunes

Music has an amazing ability to help us regulate our moods and emotions.  Multiple studies have shown that listening to mellow or relaxing music lowers our blood pressure and eases the stress and tension in our bodies.  Of course, most of us don’t need scientific studies to tell us that music helps us relax!  Next time your feeling the strain put on a little Clair de lune or Ray Lamontagne and feel that tension slip into oblivion.

Post image shot by Michael Prince