Experts say that February is normally considered the most depressing month of the year, and that alone is enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed. On top of the never-ending dreariness, as someone who serves government contractors for a living, I’m finding the news right now very stressful. The pace of change is hard to keep up with, and I’m finding it difficult to get a handle on how it’s all going to impact you, the contractors.
Please rest assured that we’re all in this together. As we seek to understand this dynamic landscape, here are a few quick tools for stress release that I’ve found helpful for use at my desk or while I’m on the go during the day. I hope you’ll find one or more of them helpful, too.
- Deep Breathing: Take some slow, deep breaths to relax.
- Muscle Relaxation: Tense, then relax each muscle group. Start with your toes and work your way up. If you don’t have that much time, start with your fingers and work your way up. If you’re like me, you’ll probably realize you’ve been sitting at your desk clenching your shoulder muscles up to your ears all day.
- Visualization: Take a moment to picture yourself at your favorite place, whether that’s out fishing, on the back nine, or in your backyard gardening. For me, it’s a beach in the Caribbean. (Hint: This technique also works when you’re trying to bring your blood pressure down at your doctor’s office.)
- Stretch, or move around: Whether you’re sitting at your desk or stuck in traffic, you can take a moment to roll your neck. Stretch your arms over your head, and make sure to stretch your fingers out from time to time. Take a short walk—it doesn’t even have to be outside, just stand up and walk around your office, or up and down the hallway.
- Engage your senses: Squeeze a stress ball, light a candle, or listen to soothing music.
I’ll admit it: I am so bad at remembering to take time out to practice these tactics. But they are helpful when I put them in action, so I wanted to share them with you, because, as I said, we’re all in this together.
Take a deep breath…
Please share what you do to De-Stress
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