30 STRESS RELIEF TIPS & EXERCISES YOU CAN DO AT WORK (OR ANYTIME)

Here’s a post on 30 stress-relieving tips you can do to practice self-care while at work. This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!

 

Here’s a list of 30 stress busting and burnout prevention tips you can do to help reduce stress and tension while you’re at work. Remember, little things add up so the more tips you incorporate into your work day, the more effective they all may be!

1. Relaxation Breathing: this is the #1 classic anti-stress exercise because it works! If you’d like to go deeper into the practice of deep breathing, “Breathe” by Belisa Vranich is a great place to start. Take a minute to simply meditate on something relaxing while you breathe freely or pray for peace and calm.

2. Far-Sight Focusing with Deep Breaths: in this exercise, you avert your eyes from the screen and focus on something (preferably out the window so you can fill your mind with something in nature) for at least 20 seconds to give your eyes a rest while also doing some deep relaxation breathing. Not only will this relax you, it’s also effective for maintaining eye health with the formula: “Look at least 20 feet away, for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes of screen time.” 

3. Schedule regular breaks during your work sessions or study time. You can use the Pomodoro method with an online digital timer or this cute aesthetic analog timer for your desk. During your breaks, don’t just browse the internet, get up and take a short walk around your office space to give your mind a rest and get your body moving.

4. Chew some sugar free gum. Chewing gum is scientifically proven to reduce stress and muscle tension, plus it adds a bit of fun to your day.

5. Numerous studies have revealed that listening to and playing music lowers the stress hormone called cortisol. If you’re in a private workspace, take a break and play an instrument like a guitar, mini-keyboard or even something like a kalimba (thumb piano) which is easy for even non-musicians to play. 

6. Turn away from the screen or get up out of your chair and listen to an upbeat, energizing song that you love to dance to. If you can dance around this is a great stress busting activity, otherwise, take a brisk walk around the office while listening to upbeat music on earbuds. Here’s a link to my favorite noise reduction earbuds, TOZO NC2’s, highly recommend these!

7. Get up and do some gentle stretches, especially stretching out your neck and shoulder areas.

8. Take a break and read from a book of inspiring proverbs or quotes or look at a coffee table book of inspiring photos.

9. Drink some refreshing water and hydrate.

10. Drink a warm cup of tea (not a sleepy tea though, ha! Here’s a post with a list of the best teas to drink to de-stress while at work.)

11. Eat a healthy snack.

12. Listen to some calming classical music while you work.

13. Get out a notebook (here’s my favorite 120gsm lined journal by Emshoi) and take 5-10 minutes to check in with yourself and journal about how your day has been so far and any challenges you’re dealing with.  If you have a secure computer you can even create a digital check-in journal online or in a document or note. (This is what I do and it’s like having a friend to check in with periodically during the day, I find it super helpful and therapeutic.)

14. If you like to draw, draw something in your journal. Draw anything that can be an artistic expression of your current mood, word art or anything you enjoy drawing. Here are some of my favorite colored pencils if you’re looking for quality pencils to draw with: Prismacolor Soft Core Colored Pencils (for vibrant colored softer lines), and Prismacolor Verithin Colored Pencils (for more thinner/sharper lines).

15. Take a few minutes to practice healing visualization. Close your eyes and visualize the last peaceful place you remember visiting. Imagine yourself there, what did you hear, what did you see, what smells were in the air? 

16. Take 5 minutes to look at the camera roll on your phone (not social media!) and re-visit some fun memories. 

17. Diffuse some essential oils, many of which have been scientifically proven to ease stress, boost mood, improve work performance and memory cognition. If you’re not sure what oils to diffuse, look out for a helpful post of some of the best essential oils to diffuse at work coming soon. 

18. Talk to a trusted co-worker or friend about any work frustrations you may be facing.

19. Pause and take time to celebrate the wins of your day so far. Sometimes we can be so focused on the to-do list we forget to celebrate the good parts of the day we’ve already experienced!

20. Take a few minutes to daydream about your weekend plans or an event you’re looking forward to.

21. Bring the outdoors in by placing some small plants in your office space. From boosting productivity, lowering stress and improving the quality of your indoor air, there are numerous scientifically proven benefits to keeping plants in your work space and environment. If you’re not into the long-term maintenance of plants, you can simply bring in a small bouquet of flowers, put them in an aesthetic vase and keep it on or by your desk.

22. If you DO have plants in your office area, take time to check them and water them. 

23. Invest in and use a shiatsu chair massager. It’s an investment, but this was a game-changer for me!

24. If you’re allowed and have a place to lay down, take a short cat nap and recharge. 

25. If you have a standing desk, make sure to set intervals to change your position from sitting to standing.

26. Take a walk outside for an exercise break and get some fresh air, preferably where there’s greenery & nature nearby. Here’s a great article on the growing evidence that time spent in nature is stress-reducing and healing.

27. If you can’t get outside but you’ve been inside all day, try to get to a window and get a few minutes of basking in the sun and take a sun break. 

28. If you’re in a space that has no windows (my heart cries for you) purchase some inexpensive nature scenes wall art (tropical beaches, etc.) as this study shows that even looking at nature scenes on the wall is proven to reduce stress & anxiety and promote healing. You can check out this post on my beach aesthetic desk layout for some FREE Beach Desktop Wallpapers as well!

29. Weather permitting, eat your meals outside. (I swear by getting outside as much as you can during your workday.)

30. Think of a funny memory and laugh.  If you can’t think of one, take time to curate a list of funny memories and jokes that you can reference easily and read it often.

31. BONUS: Organize your desk space 😀 or workspace and de-clutter from the day.

This was a post for those looking for the best stress relieving exercises and tips you can try at your desk or work space. Hope it was helpful!