It is your first day at your new job. You walk in and get introduced to everyone in the office, knowing you will not remember their names. The boss shows you to your work area and you see the plain, empty desk ready to be piled with mountains of work. Within the first week you are already swamped and worried about asking too many questions. You begin to question your fitness for this job. Maybe even start questioning your chosen career field.
Don’t let this be you. By using three simple relaxation techniques, you can eliminate a mountain of stress in your new job. Any big change is going to be stressful, but how you respond to that stress can make or break you.
1. Take three deep breathes.
Deep breathing is what I hear a lot of exasperated sighs about. People say “it doesn’t work for me” or “it makes it worse.” If that is the case, then it is not being done correctly. When you take a proper diaphragmatic breath, you stomach should expand more than your chest and contract when you release. I will not get into the nerve your diaphragm wall presses on or the chemical reactions in the brain, but this is a biological process. This is not hocus pocus or hippie breathing. Deep breathing and counting can smooth those hectic first few weeks at a new and demanding job.
2. Go for a walk.
This is another biological process as well as a psychological one. Simply removing yourself from your surroundings allows you to regroup your thoughts and get focused for the next task. Whether you walk around the office or run up and down the stairs, your breathing will change, your thoughts will change, and your stress will lower.
3. Bring your favorite scent to work.
Our brains respond to certain scents and can evoke an emotional response. In a high stress environment, bringing in your favorite smell can activate your calming response and lead to a relaxing and peaceful workplace. I usually do this in the form of lotion. It does not have to be an overpowering smell that the person across the hall can taste, just something subtle that you notice and brings a smile to your face.
