It doesn’t really matter what you do for a living, if you’re dealing with career stress, it can invade your entire life. Maybe you haven’t even made it to the professional world yet and are stressing about potential career decisions during college, or even high school. Because our careers define so much of who we are, it is natural to place a huge emphasis on anything to do with these issues. However, living in such a state of stress is extremely unhealthy, and this mental exhaustion and eventually have negative impacts on all areas of your life, including your career itself. The next time you find yourself feeling overwhelmed by your career, try some of the following ideas to help de-stress and re-center permanently.
1. Make a dream board
When you wake up in the morning and prepare for your day, it can be easy to become automatically overwhelmed with stress. Whether it’s a boss getting you down, a workload that’s always heavier, or a worry that you may not be headed down the right career path, these types of negative thoughts can set the tone for your entire day. Instead, it’s much better to focus on the reason you’re going to work in the first place: as a path to fulfill your dreams. Making and using a dream board is a great way to learn to focus on that truth every day. A dream board is a visual representation of your innermost goals and dreams. To make one, find images to mark every dream that you have. Maybe you want to reach a fitness goal, are determined to start your own law firm someday or want to perform in front of thousands of people. Find images that represent these dreams, write them down, or draw your own designs, and post them all on your dream board. Every day when you wake up, look at your dream board and remember why you are here on this Earth and what you truly want. Take that mindset with you throughout your day.
2. Learn to meditate mentally
Meditation does not necessarily require any of the elements you would normally think. There is no need to find a quiet place in the mountains or stretch out on a yoga mat, or sit in your back yard with your legs crossed to find mental peace and stillness. On the contrary, true meditation exists within you. Meditation is detachment from the crazy thoughts of the mind and connection with your innermost being. The ability to connect with that can be honed in any location. All it takes is awareness of your thoughts and the desire to stop the noise. The moment you experience stillness in your mind, you are experiencing a different state. You can do this at your desk, walking to lunch, or even in the bathroom stall. Knowing that you have the power to control your thoughts at any time is the first step toward de-stressing and releasing career pressure.
3. Always incorporate movement
No matter what daily activities need to be accomplished, if you really want to help your mind and body release stress, you should never go a day without some form of physical activity. Figure out what you like to do, or learn a new way to exercise. You don’t need fancy gym memberships or loads of equipment to get a good workout, or to at least move around. Taking a walk, stretching for 20 minutes, doing some sit-ups, or taking a swim are all great ways to release nervous energy. Just find something that you enjoy doing. And, if you don’t enjoy any kind of physical activity, it’s time to get a trainer or head to the gym to make yourself get started. Physical well-being is a huge part of mental and emotional health, so it should be a top priority if you truly want to decrease your stress.
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