Best of the Best Tips to Relieve Stress at Work

Another day, another dollar and another darn headache!

How in the world are you going to make it through the rest of the day at this job? It's so stressful and frustrating and makes you want to give up your love of what you do.

It could be the people you work with, the customers, your bosses. It could be the traffic or location where you work, or maybe it's all the long hours you have to put in all the time. Regardless of the reason, the fact is, your STRESSED out, and you still have a lot more ticks and tocks left of the clock before you can go home.

Which means that you need some quick tips to calm down and relieve your stress before you say something unfavorable to your boss, or start trying to convince your co-workers to join you in a mutiny.

Stop whatever you are doing, tell others you need a bathroom break if you have to, and take the time to stop and do a little meditation. Close your eyes, focus on your breathing, take yourself to a place in your mind where you are calm and relaxed, and release your stress there. Connect with a higher power there if you want to, or just connect with yourself if that seems more fitting. Do this for at least ten minutes, and you'll have gained ground in your battle against work stress.

Next to air, water is our bodies most primal need right before food. Water makes up more than 75% of our bodies, which needs to be replenished constantly, yet 80% of us don't drink enough water.

Want to know the leading cause of stress? That's right, it's DEHYDRATION.

It doesn't matter how good natured you usually are, or how much you love your job, if you're dehydrated, you're going to be way more stressed out then you would be if you stayed hydrated. It has to be water as well, and not coffee, soda, juice or milk. It has to be water because when you get stressed out, even on a small level, your body has this unique characteristic of producing high levels of adrenaline and cortisone - the two hormones mainly responsible for the fight or flight response - and water is one of the only substances that can bring those levels back down.

Water is also the only substance that we can consume, that doesn't need to be digested, which means it goes right into our bloodstream where it can get to your vital organs - especially your heart and brain, which are two organs you need to be on their best behavior when your working. Juices, shakes, coffee, sodas, even teas can actually dehydrate you, because your body has to take from the water already in your bloodstream and use it as fuel to break down the juice, shake or soda into substances it can use and substances it needs to get rid of. So keep plenty of water on hand at your desk, drink it regularly, and especially when you're starting to feel stressed out.

If you're working and you get the opportunity to go upstairs, leave the office for a moment to run an errand or you need to go see a co-worker, try taking the long way around. If you would normally take the elevator, take the stairs. If you need to go to your bosses office, go the long way. And don't be slow about it, the idea behind this trick, is to fit in a little cardiovascular exercise into your work day, as that will help you keep calm and stay happy through out the day. So the more chances you get to fit in these little exercise bouts, the better.

So long as you are getting enough regular water throughout the day, drinking some herbal tea during the day can help you out too. Though you'll want to be specific about the tea you drink, as you don't want to go for herbs with high caffeine, you want the ones with more antioxidants. Some teas that you might find invigorating are:

• Mint
• Yarrow
• Ginseng
• Skullcap
• Catnip
• Passiflora Incarnate

Truthfully, the best way to relieve stress at work is to not get so stressed out at work. You can do this by:

• Staying hydrated all day and night (if you're thirsty, you're dehydrated)
• Getting regular exercise every day, for at least 30 minutes
• Taking at least 1 hour everyday for yourself
• Eat a healthy diet throughout the day