International Stress Awareness Week 2021
International Stress Awareness Week 2021 runs from the 1st to the 5th of November, 2021.
At Umbrella, we believe de-stressing is an important part of anyone's day. We can all get a bit overwhelmed with work and life’s up’s and down’s.
We all need reminding to take a step back and breathe.
🍃 Here is how our staff like to de-stress whenever they're feeling overwhelmed during or after their working day.
“This is something so important! My brain always wants to make me more stressed than it needs to be!
One way to help me destress is to take each day as it comes, or even better, each hour as it comes! There’s nothing worse than worrying about things in the future that haven’t happened yet (or might not happen at all), the things that are out of your control, and the things you can’t change.
Also- as silly as it is- talking to an inanimate object like a wall or toaster is helpful because you can tell it your secrets and worries, and it won’t judge you!
Playing a fun game is also good because it helps take your mind off the stresses and allows you to enjoy yourself too! YouTube is always a good shout too because you can just put on a podcast or documentary on something you like and just mindlessly watch - no think!”
“My ways to de-stress can include stepping outside for a short while, listening to music, making art or taking a nice hot shower. Sometimes writing about it/a small cry can be good as well!
I would also recommend any comfort shows/films, too.”
“My own way of avoiding building up stress is to have alerts set up on my Apple Watch to remind me to stand up and drink water regularly.
This way I don’t spend too many hours in front of my screen, without adequate breaks, risking stress levels to build up, because linked to tiredness or dehydration.
I also recently started joining group HIT sessions (High Intensity Interval training). For 30 or 45 min I need to stay focused on exercising, keeping the rhythm with pumping music and having no more than 10 seconds in between exercises.
This really works for me, to switch off from a work mindset and make me focus on my body. I noticed that HIT sessions free up my mind and reduce drastically my stress levels.”
'“After a stressful day at work, when I get home, I like to do things that take my mind off work.
It could include things like going for a cycle ride around my local park, playing FIFA or my personal favourite, ordering food off Just Eat and watching my favourite show on Netflix (currently “You”).
“During work, if things get too stressful, I step away from my desk. Grab a cup of cold water, drinking it slowly in small sips, and gazing out the window at the green trees. This helps stimulate my mind in reducing stress levels.”
“I de-stress by doing Yoga/Pilates and then I find getting some time outdoors really helps me to focus and regroup my thoughts”
“Taking long walks and spending time in the park watching my kids skating”
“How I like to de-stress when at home is to turn my phone on off and grab a good book, one that is easy on the brain and just allows me to focus on one thing. Best way to shut the world out for a few hours.
Work is different, there are many ways I like to de-stress but my quick go to is making a cup of Yorkshire tea, sitting on the purple sofas and thinking to myself, what are my quick wins for the day? Then it is back to the desk, list out my priorities and work through them – action plan!”
“After a long day in the office, my favourite way to unwind is to take my dog for a walk to the beach and listen to the waves whilst she is finding the stinkiest bit of seaweed to roll in.
On the weekend, pottering in the garden resets me for another week. Sometimes on Mondays I get to play basketball, or on Fridays have my godson over to play Dungeons and Dragons – this keeps me firmly away from work thoughts and gives me space to be me in another setting!
I love family trips to National Trust castles and gardens on the weekend. It replenishes my energy and gets me ready for the week to come!”
“Yoga and mediation is a key part of how I recenter and recharge both at work and after. I am a key believer in breath control to help me manage stress or anxiety and I try to get up from my desk regularly and make gentle stretches to help ease any tension that might have built up by sitting and viewing on a screen.
A change of scenery during the working day is a good idea, as it can help you disconnect from a problem or scenario. I like to walk up stairs to the main office to have my lunch and have a chat and a cuppa with other members of staff.
I also have lot’s of music playlists (from classic scores to dance music) to help me focus on tasks as I work.
After work, I love being outside. A good walk (with or without our neighbour dog!) or run is a big uplift for me. Weekends are spent in my garden (weather permitting) or going for walks with family and friends.
But the best thing in the world when I feel lonely, or overwhelmed is a good hug. My god children are experts in this field as are my brother, my mum and my husband. Nothing beats a good hug. No words are needed, yet you feel instantly connected to someone and feel recharged.”
“My de-stressing techniques: at work, I'm listening "focus music for work" on YouTube. I love seasonal ambience tracks and I'm listening to Harry Potter theme mixes recently.
In my personal life my favourite de-stressing activity is baking - Irish brown bread and my Hungarian chocolate bread recipes are always able to calm me down, the activity itself together with the smell and last but not least the taste always do the job.
Although these are great but during a really stress-full period the only thing that can help is a combination of meditation and prioritisation.
Meditation for quieting negative thoughts and prioritisation for focusing my attention back to the most important things in life.”
For me stress is a big issue, I have suffered with it for many years!
I de stress by watching TV, I know its not the best thing to do and really not the healthiest, but when I have had a hard day I love to watch a series or really great movie it allows me to escape the stresses of everyday life.”
“I love to go out walking to clear my head and allow me the space and time to think. I am blessed to live close to two nature reserves and it is not unusual for us to see deer or kingfishers when we are strolling through the woodlands and around the lakes.
Autumn is one of my favourite times of the year and I love to walk through the fallen leaves and shuffle my feet through the crunchy mounds of leaves that litter the ground, especially on cold crisp mornings.”
