Learn to Relax at Your Work

"Relax at work? Ha! That'll never happen with my job."

Are you saying that taking naps or kicking up your feet on your supervisor's desk might cause some problems for you in your upcoming performance review? ;) Of course it would! Thankfully, there are ways we can relax at work that will actually improve our performance and job satisfaction.

If you feel high levels of stress at work, CONGRATULATIONS! You'll feel a greater positive shift in your work-life than others :)

The signs are typically obvious, but if we're often in a stressed-state, we might need a gentle reminder. Check yourself right now... As you read this, is your jaw clenched? Forearms tightened? Eyes strained? Shoulders squeezed? If you feel any of that, you're causing unnecessary fatigue that's making your work day more challenging than it needs to be. What's the answer to this challenge? Relax!

"Relax!" is easy to say, but more challenging to develop a habit of doing. Once you do, you'll be stronger and more effective at your job than you have been in quite some time. Here are some suggestions that will help you relax:

• Relax in odd moments. Dale Carnegie says, "Let your body go limp like an old sock. I keep an old, maroon-colored sock on my desk as I work—keep it there as a reminder of how limp I ought to be. If you haven’t got a sock, a cat will do. Did you ever pick up a kitten sleeping in the sunshine? If so, both ends sagged like a wet newspaper. Even the yogis in India say that if you want to master the art of relaxation, study the cat. I never saw a tired cat, a cat with a nervous breakdown, or a cat suffering from insomnia, worry, or stomach ulcers. You will probably avoid these disasters if you learn to relax as the cat does."
• Work in comfortable positions to reduce muscle aches and fatigue. If you sit most of your day, investigate the proper chair height for you at your desk, and check to see where your feet are positioned. Would a different keyboard be helpful? Are you hunched over trying to read your monitor? A larger monitor or change to your screen's resolution may be helpful.
• Check yourself four or five times a day, and say to yourself, “Am I making my work harder than it actually is? Am I using muscles that have nothing to do with the work I am doing?” This will help you form the habit of relaxing.
• Test yourself again at the end of the day, by asking yourself, “Just how tired am I?" Daniel Josselyn says, "I measure my accomplishments not by how tired I am at the end of the day, but how tired I am not." He says, "When I feel particularly tired at the end of the day, or when irritability proves that my nerves are tired, I know beyond question that it has been an inefficient day both as to quantity and quality."

Again, you don't need to take long periods of time to relax. Take a deep breath, and continue your work in a less tensed state. You'll be better for it.

Email [email protected] or call 248-380-7000 for more info on Dale Carnegie Training programs in Metro Detroit. Dale Carnegie programs are action-packed (no lectures!) and designed to help you develop self-confidence, communicate effectively with others, earn trust in leadership, manage stress, and sell ideas.