5 Ways to Reduce Work Stress in 1-minute or Less

Quick mind resets for the ultra-busy

If you’re anything like me, you want to pummel the face of the person piously telling you to take a break. You have so much to do that you’re scrambling from one project to the next, and no matter how many to-lists and deep breaths you take, the pile of work only grows bigger.

And here this person is telling you to take a break? Cue the shock. You’re probably scowling, squinting, and trying to quell the mix of horror and frustration that’s welling in up inside you as they spout forth the words. Don’t worry — I get just how you feel.

But.

There’s always a but isn’t there, and as your local friendly mental health counselor, I feel it is my duty to say this: taking breaks is essential for reducing stress. And reducing stress will save your life and minimize the plethora of health conditions and diseases that thrive on stress.

You need to take a break.

Now don’t get me wrong. I am not suggesting that you break your concentration to the point of having to lure it back into concentrate mode with the likes of coffee, isolation, and downright threats. Instead, I am suggesting that you incorporate several 1-minute or less stress reduction activities/exercises into your day to give you a quick break from the…