Stress is not what happens to us. It’s our response TO what happens. And RESPONSE is something we can choose. – Maureen Killoran

As we kick off April and the annual Stress Awareness Month, it seems that stress has never been more prevalent. In today’s hypercharged environment, we are inundated with tragedies in the news almost daily, major weather events occurring worldwide and unprecedented political tensions. Couple those external factors with the normal stressors that we face in our personal lives such as financial pressures, increased workloads and the intensity of our oft-overloaded schedules and we may find that our stress levels are suddenly out of control.

Why Stress Awareness Month Matters: From insomnia to weight gain to heart conditions, stress has been shown to negatively affect our health. In addition to the potential of health-related problems, stress can lead to problems in our relationships, increase negative-thinking and limit our success in our careers. Since April is National  Stress Awareness Month, there’s no better time to begin making improvements in the way we deal with stress in our day-to-day lives, which is surprisingly easier than you might think!

Detecting Signs That Our Stress Levels Are Too High: A good place to start with your stress awareness efforts is to understand the signs that your stress has reached a tipping point. Although everyone is unique, here are some universal signs that stress awareness (and reduction) should be on your radar:

• You become easily agitated, frustrated, and moody.
• You have low energy.
• You suffer from upset stomach and related gastrointestinal issues.
• You can’t sleep (insomnia).
• You can’t seem to concentrate and are constantly worrisome.
• You exhibit nervous behaviors, such as nail biting, fidgeting and pacing.

4 Ways To De-stress During Stress Awareness Month and Beyond:

• • Be kind. Random acts of kindness are an amazing way to spread happiness to others. By doing something thoughtful for another human being, you gain many benefits such as a positive feeling about yourself and the world around you. In fact,  a recent study from Yale University School of Medicine showed proof just by giving to others, people were able to better cope with stress and boosted their own positive emotions.

 

• • Emphasize self-care. When we feel stressed, we tend to neglect basic things such as eating regular meals, getting a good night’s sleep or exercising. Focusing on healthy behaviors can help us build the physical strength to deal with the stresses life throws our way. In addition to basic self-care, when stress levels are high, you might consider adding in a massage, an afternoon nap, or begin a meditation practice to provide added stress relief.

 

• • Take a social media sabbatical. In a connected world that offers what seems to be non-stop bad news coupled with an unhealthy dose of bickering, social media can be the cause (or at least contribute) to our feelings of stress. If checking your social media accounts make you feel upset or angry, it may be time for a sabbatical or at least a limitation on your time. If you don’t plan to quit cold turkey for a while, consider avoiding checking accounts more than once a day and especially avoid checks first thing in the morning or directly before bedtime. You may also set a self-imposed frequency and/or time limit.

 

• Improve your workspace. In today’s competitive work environment, Americans are working harder and longer, averaging nearly 50 percent of their lives at their places of work. A disorganized or otherwise non-conducive work environment can be one the biggest sources of stress. As we enter into Stress Awareness Month, improving upon our workspace can be a top way to reduce work-related stress.

Crown Center Executive Suites, conveniently located in Fort Lauderdale, was designed with a singular goal in mind: to create a positive working environment for its clients. Creating that stress-free workspace looks different for different companies and independent professionals. That’s why we’ve developed options including 90 economically-priced executive suites, five conference rooms, a training room as well as shared workspaces and virtual office solutions.

Tour your stress-free workspace today at Crown Center Executive Suites today!