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We all know it’s a rat-race out there. Meetings, presentations, deadlines – it all gets so overwhelming. Add to this the constant one-upmanship, the condescension of “management” and an unsympathetic (at best) boss, and the office suddenly doesn’t look so picture-perfect. There’s only so much one can take. After all, we’re all getting old, aren’t we? I know I am. Because that’s the way I feel at work – like pulling out my hair one by one. But I’m not particularly interested in going bald, so I do something else. I try to calm myself, relax myself in the midst of the madness. Having been at it for a while now I’ve learnt a few tricks that work, so I thought I’d share them with you.

Drink water
Yes, it’s that simple. Drink a glass of water – preferably lightly chilled. When you are under tension, the pressuring thoughts in your head stress your muscles and generate body heat – often resulting in a headache. Water, I haver learnt, is one the quickest and easiest ways to address headaches. Water cools down your body and relaxes the muscles. Drinking water also has a positive sensory effect by sending a soothing sensation down your throat. Further, keeping yourself hydrated helps restore the pH balance in your body, greatly benefiting your general health. However, be mindful that carbonated drinks (like coke/pepsi) do not usually do the trick. I always have a bottle of water on my desk – it constantly reminds me to take a sip every now and then.

Speed meditate
The mind usually feels under stress when it is made to concentrate on one particular thought or task. Meditation helps us relax by dissipating, diffusing our thoughts in multiple directions. But I’m not asking you to roll out your yoga mat in the middle of the office. There is, I have observed, a simpler way to achieve some (but not all) of the benefits of meditation without having to allocate as much time. Try this: at your desk, simply close your eyes, take a deep breath and focus on nothing. If it is difficult to focus on “nothing” with all the commotion around you, try to focus on something distant and soothing – like the sound of the ocean or the emptiness of deep space. Even a few seconds of doing this can have a significant effect on calming down your mind.

Talk to a colleague
When you feel stressed out, reach out to colleagues you get along with and strike up a friendly conversation. Talk about something, anything. Anything that gets your mind off work. Talking removes some of the weight of your thoughts from within you, and distributes it among the people you are talking to. It makes you feel unburdened and relieved. Not only will the distraction help you de-stress, but it will also help you build stronger bonds of camaraderie and help refocus on work later. Further, since your colleagues work under the same conditions as you, they are likely to have felt the same emotions at some point in time. Talking with them could help you understand how they coped with their stress so you could try the same yourself.

Talk to a friend or family
Pick up your phone and make that call. Call that friend you’ve been meaning to connect with forever, call your spouse to check up on how (s)he’s doing, or simply call your mom who is always waiting to hear from you. Connecting with friends and family takes your mind off your professional life,  makes you feel part of the larger society, and shows you that there are people who care about you. Most importantly, talking with friends and family helps you remember exactly why and for whom you are at work in the first place. It gives you a sense of purpose and a renewed vigour to approach your work.

Share a joke
Laughter is the best medicine. The health benefits of laughing are too many to list here. It’s a tried, tested and trusted approach to relaxation. Enjoy a joke – in person, on the phone, or over email. Or simply go online and read up something that you find funny. Of course you don’t need to throw up your hands and roll around in the office, but even something that makes you smile a little is good enough. And if you find something really funny, be sure to share it with others – it might help them de-stress as well.

Shuffle your tasks
When I get frustrated working on a particular issue, when I reach the point where I feel nothing I do is working, I stop working. I then pick something completely unrelated and put my mind to that, and very often things click immediately. Different tasks require different skills, different levels of effort, and different mindsets. Perhaps the mindset you are in presently is not best suited to the task you are performing, perhaps it would be best suited to some other task. Furthermore, doing the same thing over and over can get tedious and monotonous and can kill creativity. Not to worry, you’ll always get your productivity back so you can refocus on the issue that has most frustrated you. So shuffle up your task-list and pick something you haven’t worked on for a while.

Avoid staring at the computer
Have you ever noticed how your eyes narrow and your forehead wrinkles when you look at the computer monitor? That’s the stress your muscles are under. Now imagine doing that for hours together, day after day! This stress happens because you are concentrating your energies on a small spot of the screen at any given time. Think of it this way: when you place a piece of paper under the Sun, it stays stable. However, when you introduce a magnifying glass, the paper will eventually begin to burn. The reason is that the magnifying glass concentrates the Sun’s rays into a single spot, causing an excessive accumulation of energy. Taking away the magnifying glass lets the energy dissipate. Applying this rule here, try dissipating your focus throughout the screen – basically look at the screen but do not concentrate on any one spot in particular. You’ll notice your forehead and eyes relax automatically. You can’t keep doing this all through your work day, but there can’t be any harm in trying it for a few seconds every now and then.

Wash your face
The feel of water on your skin makes the muscles under it relax. This is why you feel so relaxed after a shower or a bath. You can’t take a shower while at work, but you certainly can wash your face. Washing your face also removes the oiliness and accumulated dirt from your skin, making you feel fresh and rejuvenated. You don’t even need to wash with soap: a plain cold-water wash can do wonders. So try it, and you’ll feel the difference.

Go out for lunch
Lunch is a great time to break from the humdrum of work and once again connect with life. Having lunch at your desk or with the same people in the office can get monotonous after a while. Instead, go out and get something to eat. It’ll take your mind off work by making you do something other than your office task (like drive), making you greet someone you don’t know, and in general will make you feel part of society. If you don’t have the time to sit down and eat, a quick take-out will serve the purpose.

Get some fresh air
The recycled, artificially conditioned air inside the office can get stuffy – not in the conventional sense, but in the psychological sense. It can clog up your mind and choke your ability to think clearly. Fresh air, much like water, is a natural relaxant. It clears up your mind, makes you feel fresh and helps you refocus on your task when you get back. Further, the sunshine is good for your skin and helps your eye muscles relax as well. So roll up the curtains and open up the windows. Or better yet, step outside the air-conditioned environs of your office and see for yourself. Remember, humans are after all creatures of nature – we work best when in the midst of it.