Out and About STYLE Magazine Issue 4 Vol. 2

UNDERSTAND YOUR STRESS.
To manage the stress around us, we
must first find its root cause. Keep
a journal to track and measure your
stress levels. Identify when stress
occurs and what happens in those
moments. Was it a conversation
with a colleague? Was it a deadline
for a big project? What were you
feeling? What was the environment
around you? What happened after
you experienced this stressor? Did
you raise your voice? Did you leave
the situation and walked out? Take
a moment to reflect your stressful
experiences and observe yourself in
that situation.
Once you have established how
the stressors are triggered and
identified your responses to them
that affect you negatively, reframe
your understanding towards a
positive response. Accepting
that stress is a part of life is
fundamental; understanding that
there are positive ways to manage
it is even more important.
Sometimes, we deal with stress in a
way that is not healthy, such as lashing
out on a colleague or binge-eating.
Next time you feel stressed, practise
some healthy responses such as
doing some exercise or taking a few
deep breaths before responding. If
you are working from home, maybe a
quick breathing or yoga session can
do the trick. If you are in the office,
perhaps just stepping out for a walk
or grabbing a coffee can help slow
down the emotional response that
can potentially be detrimental to
your health and career.
In the corporate world, embedding
productivity within a well-being
framework is possible. For example,
at Bessern, Dubai, we work with
individuals within organisations,
providing them with tools and
strategies to manage their stress
levels as well as help them build
productive habits that prevent chronic
stress from taking over. These small
daily hacks really make a difference
to thrive at work, with measurable
impact on their performance and
personal well-being.
TAKE TIME TO REST AND
RECHARGE.
I know we hear these words over
and over again: make time to rest,
recharge your energy, get enough
sleep, and similar pieces of advice,
but this proves to be one of the most
essential aspects of managing stress.
You only have one body. It needs rest.
You are not a machine, and as much
as some of us wish we could work
tirelessly without consequences, the
body and mind need the necessary
downtime to function at its optimum.
When at work, even taking a few
minutes to listen to some music or
a podcast to distract your mind a bit
can do the trick. Perhaps picking up
the phone and calling a loved one
could be another way to do a quick
recharge.
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