Most people dread the most haunting day of the week—Mondays. Unending pile of paper works, deadlines to beat, and people to deal with five times a week seem to chase us every day.
Some may feel burnout and weary with the overwhelming work that they often put health at their least important priorities. But for people living with diabetes, stress management at work is all the more important and crucial.
According to American Diabetes Association, a person’s daily routine affects his blood sugar. Having stress means that the release of insulin in the body is being blocked, especially to people with type 2 diabetes.
And thus, if he is mostly involved in stress-related work, his blood sugar will likely to shoot up.
- Practice deep breathing
Some may feel that their strength is being drained even before they sit in their desks. Daily morning stress such as braving the jungle-like train rides or the heavy traffic on rush hours contribute to how our day would go.
Deep breathing may help you reclaim the energy you lost. American Diabetes Association suggests deep breathing exercises to fight off stress not only at work, but also in your other commitments.
Sit or lie down with legs and arms uncross. Breathe in and out as much air as you can for five to 20 minutes. You may do this once a day. Breathing deep is more than releasing tension in the body. It also improves posture, immune system, and lungs, relaxes muscles, and massages the organs.
- Drink plenty of water
Drinking plenty of water may cut risk of hypoglycemia episodes, based from a WebMD report. Insufficient intake of water may also contribute to the susceptibility of diabetes in a person. The trick here is to always stand up and walk to get a glass of water every now and then. Eventually, the urge to urinate will come by every couple of hours which shall also be beneficial to the body as it keeps you standing up and moving.
- Watch your posture
Keeping our body in the right posture is the most difficult thing to do according to fitness trainer and nas server test specialist Tony. While we often sit properly in a couple of minutes, we just find ourselves slouching in our seats minutes later.
When practicing good posture, the mind increases concentration and thinking ability. Putting a small pillow at your aching back may also make you more relaxed.
- Go on a break
Make the most out of your break and recharge for 15 minutes—whether you make a cup of tea, go on a trip to the bathroom to freshen up, or a quick workout in between paper works.
Have the perseverance to shed some calories through taking the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator.
Also refrain from binge eating. If you like munching something on your desk, avoid chips or chocolates. Try an apple or a wheat bread. Instead of sodas or coffee, go for pineapple or buko juice.
- Think positive thoughts
Ditch the negativities that seemed to gather all your strength like a vacuum.
If faced with a problem, Professor Cary Cooper of University of Lancaster advises to seek for the solution. Escaping from a difficulty at work will only make it worse.
He added, “Not taking control of the situation and doing nothing will only make your problems worse.”
To avoid having conflict schedules at work, try to organize your duties for the day and avoid cramming.
- Reward yourself
After a ong day’s work, reward yourself for a job well done. Buy the book you’ve been eyeing for weeks, head to a spa or the parlor, or even go to an afternoon jog or Zumba class.
The American Diabetes Association said that joining a dancing club, or engaging in a hobby are vital points to fight stress and regain positivity. This rewarding scheme is something that you look forward to after a day of hard work.
You need not to bore yourself from the desk waiting for Friday so you could hit the couch or the beach just to say that you have debunked stress at work.
Ponder on these helpful tips and look forward to your every week with a sunny smile. Say, “Thank God it’s Monday!”