Two “Letting Go of Stuff” tips to reduce stress at work:
Tip One – Have a walking meeting
Tip Two – Take a responsible play break from your work
Tip One
Have A Walking Meeting
Instead of holding your meetings in the same old conference room and breathing the same old stale air, take a walk. Get everyone together, have them bring their pads & pens, and head outside for some fresh air. A walking meeting can be exhilarating and reduces stress. It also gets the creative juices flowing.
If there is a park nearby, go there. If not, have everyone drive to the nearest park. Its a healthy alternative to having a meeting at a restaurant and less time consuming.
Schedule the morning meeting at the park rather than the office. Once everyone arrives, take a walk and take care of business at the same time.
If you have a balcony outside the office, then take some chairs out there and have the meeting. The goal is to do something vastly different to help reduce the stress and pressure of every day woes; and that will spark creative thinking. In the process, morale will also increase, which is a great benefit.
Tip Two
Take Responsible Play Breaks Every Two Hours
Since 1994, I have worked from home. In doing so, not only is it important to be disciplined and focused, it is equally important to take what I call “play breaks.” These “play breaks” last about three to five minutes. For example, I have a trampoline that I will jump on for about five minutes several times a day. Do something that will shift your focus and increase the oxygen to your brain. That focus shift and fresh oxygen to the brain will make a big difference in your day. Remember, it is okay to take a break, as long as it is done responsibly.
Prior to 1994, when I worked in an office setting outside the home, I kept little toys that I could easily play with in between doing my work. It helped. It also reduced stress in big way. Examples of little toys are a yo-yo, bouncy balls, squeeze toys, 3-5 pound dumb bells (for a smart person like you), and the like.
If you have an active game you enjoy like, basketball or air hockey, then get a small goal that hangs on the door of the office and shoot some hoops from time to time (or use a trash can). For the entire office, get an air hockey game (or the like) and put it in the break room. It will help to increase the morale of the employees if they can take “play breaks,” while at work.
As long as deadlines are being met for clients and the play breaks taken responsibly, there is no harm in having a fun “play break” items in the office break room for folks to enjoy. It can be a morale booster.