Psychological Practices to Feel Comfy when Working

Any work requires from a person, at least, three things: concentration, consistency, and the ability to bring a result. But both the company's employees and entrepreneurs have got a human factor, which means that a person can get tired, be distracted from the task (this often happens in the open-plan offices), worry about a public speech, etc. All this reduces efficiency.

Therefore, we suggest studying 10 psychological techniques for self-regulation of psychological-emotional state, which will greatly enhance your performance.

1.  Mind Settings

In the race for the pace of an accelerating world, many people work hard, which in the future may turn into the health issues. Therefore, a concept called Slow Life is now particularly popular. However, usually the employers are rather interested in productivity and efficiency than cancelling urgent tasks or transforming sometimes hectic schedule of tasks for their employees.

Although it might be difficult to influence the higher management vision, you can always reach an agreement with your own vision. So that the feeling of peace does not leave you throughout the day, convince the brain that there is time to reach the goal, and that rush would rather decrease the quality of the result. In the long term it is definitely more cost effective to do things good once than fix or change them multiple times after delivery. You can work effectively and avoid a rush by planning and executing the mind setting.

The mind setting must be done in the morning. Get up 15 minutes earlier to drink coffee or tea slowly, breathing in the aroma and enjoying the moment. Let it be like in a TV-ad. These 15 minutes allow the brain to accumulate a resource. I know some people who wake up 30 minutes earlier just to swim in a lake or read a chapter in a book. Some of them even look in the mirror talking to themselves regarding what their goals are for today and what strength they have to achieve them. Other people wake up 30 min earlier just to meditate and set a feeling of harmony before intensive day begins. Whether you wake up earlier for a coffee, tea, book reading, swimming in the lake, mirror talking session or meditation doesn't really matter, as long as you get the main point of this activity: find the time to set the right mindset for your day rhythm, to experience what time actually means to you, your life and your ability to focus.

2.  Box Breathing

Box breathing, or square breathing, is a magic technique to reset the mind and calm down. Doing it several times a day will help relieve stress. 

Close your eyes. Imagine a square. You will breathe moving its sides.

1. Start moving the first side and simultaneously inhale deep through the nose. Count to 4.
2. Hold the air in the lungs during 4 seconds while moving farther.
3. Exhale through the mouth when going along the third side of the square. (Don’t forget to count to 4. Let all of the air go out of your lungs.)
4. Hold the lungs in the empty state for a count of four.

Repeat box breathing cycle four times in one setting. If you’re new to square breathing, you might get dizzy after a few rounds. This is OK for a beginner. As you practice it more often - you’ll be able to go longer without the dizziness and even increase the count of 4 to 8! What if some day it convinces you to start a diving hobby???

3.  Deep Inhale and Exhale

When we get nervous, our muscles tighten. Sometimes we even stop breathing! Take deep breaths and exhalations so that oxygen reaches the brain and your body relaxes.

4.  Release for the Face

The muscles of the face are constantly in tension. They work when we think, speak, or argue. Dr. Jared Edward Reser, the founder of the Myofascial Release for the Face, highlights:

The tension in face muscles causes anxiety.

So, to feel comfy and natural, it’s important to set your face free of emotions for 5-7 minutes. Do the following:

Relax your forehead, eyes, cheekbones, jaw by focusing on these areas of your face.

5.  Brain Trickery

When athletes wake up at 3 a.m. for a run, they neither shout “Hurray,” nor say they don’t like it because they understand:

Consciousness wants to save a person from unpleasant experience.

 And if you associate job with unpleasant things, the mind will very quickly make you give it up by feeling sick, for example.

As your brain “listens” to your thoughts, refuse from saying to yourself such phrases as “I hate my job”, “I don’t want to work with this client”. Instead, you could say to yourself: “My job takes much time, and this client is demanding”.

6.  Positive Visualization

Many studies have shown the effectiveness of positive visualization. When we imagine a positive result of our actions, most likely they will happen.

Usually, before a speech or event, people might experience some fear or even imagine that performance would not go successfully.

Our brain can not only ‘listen’ to thoughts, but also ‘see’ the images we generate, and make them true.

So, imagine the audience smiling and telling you a lot of compliments after the performance. Positive thoughts are the basis of effectiveness and success.

7.  Morning Exercises + Smile + Water

To reduce the anxiety before the performance, you could do some physical exercises and/or smile. Both practices boost endorphins, which calm you down. Drinking a glass of water 20 minutes before the public speaking is also a well-known anti-stress practice. 

8.  Confidence through Body Language 

Another way to overcome the fear of performance is standing in a pose expressing power and strength.

If your body represents a confidence - your mind would do the same.

Whatever you do, do not sit - this is a passive position. Stand or walk so you can calm your nerves. Before you go on a stage, stand in a confident pose, straight your back, and raise a head.

9.  Desk Personalization

In open office spaces, work productivity drops by 15% because employees lose concentration. Moreover, the system of "flexible desk policy" affects our memory.

Psychologist Sally Augustine says that we “unload” the memories into the environment around us. It’s possible to recall such details as a flashing idea that you wanted to share with others or a color change in the booklet (you are working on) often in the same surroundings.

That’s why personalize your desk. Keep personal little things on it. It might be a family photo, an anti-stress ball, or the favorite cup - something, which will always create the feeling of the same environment.

I hope some of these tips will help you to focus better and be more productive in your work environment in order to achieve the goals you've set.

Best regards,

Sergii Oliinyk

?? SimCorp Dimension Business Analyst & Project Manager