Extremely Drained from Work? Here are 5 Ways to Feel Less Tired

There’s something about working eight hours a day that leaves us feeling exhausted. Whether you constantly deal with difficult clients or completing an important project, a day at work can leave you unmotivated to do anything else. How are you supposed to meet up with your friends or to teach your child how to accomplish his homework?

Feeling depleted or burnout due to work demands can manifest in a variety of ways such as:

a. having negative, cynical, or pessimistic feelings about your job,
b. finding it difficult to be productive, and
c. feeling less confident about your work.

If you experience any of these symptoms, it may be time to start identifying the triggers that may contribute to your fatigue and consider making changes to achieve a healthy work-life balance.

WHAT IS STRESS-RELATED FATIGUE?

When you are heavily suffocated with stress in the workplace, you can experience stress-related fatigue. Feeling emotionally and physically down can be due to being sedentary at work, consuming too much sugar and caffeine, not taking enough breaks, and being in a stressful work environment. You may deal with this type of fatigue because of heavy workload, job insecurity, or other life and work stressors.

#1: SKIP ON CAFFEINE

We cannot deny the stimulating effects of caffeine, but if you do not want to spend the entire night scrambling around, drinking espresso after work is probably not a good idea. Try munching a banana instead.

You will be surprised by how a banana boosts your productivity! Bananas are a fantastic source of carbohydrates, natural sugar, and vitamins. All of these helps increase your energy levels.

#2: TAKE A POWER NAP

During your lunch break or after work, you can consider taking a power nap. If you can find a quiet space to rest, napping earlier in the day is better to avoid ruining your nighttime routine.

Even a 20-minute nap will help revitalize your body and make you feel fresh. However, be sure to set your alarm to prevent oversleeping. Otherwise, you’ll wake up feeling groggy.

#3: EXERCISE REGULARLY

After an exhausting day at work, you might feel that exercise is the last thing on your mind. Believe it or not, regular exercise will make you feel less tired in the long haul. Walking and physical activity can help manage stress and increase your energy levels.

Do this gradually. Build up your stamina over time until you reach the recommended goal of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., cycling, doubles tennis, or brisk walking) as well as strength exercises on 2 or more days a week that work all the major muscles (i.e., legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

#4: DRINK MORE WATER

You’ll likely notice a change in your mood, ability to concentrate, and energy level when you are dehydrated. In fact, studies have shown that being just half a liter dehydrated can elevate your cortisol levels. So, keep fatigue at bay by drinking water sufficiently. Drinking enough water can help reduce the negative psychological and physiological impacts of stress.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

#5: CONSIDER TALK THERAPY

Research shows that talking therapies such as counselling or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) might help fight fatigue or tiredness, caused by stress, low mood, or anxiety. Ask for support from your trusted social circles or seek professional help.

Sources: 1, 2, 3,  4, & 5

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How to lessen anxiety from going back to the office

Singapore residents heading to work

You’re not alone if you’re worried about going back to the office on 3 January because of social anxiety.

Since September 2021, when the number of COVID-19 cases in Singapore began to grow, teleworking has been the norm. However, from this year onwards, 50% of employees who have been completely vaccinated or those who have been discharged from COVID-19 will be permitted to return to work.

Many people are feeling uneasy especially since the time is nearing. After long stretches of remote work and just seeing our existing and new colleagues on screen, the prospect of seeing everyone again in person might be daunting.

Fear can manifest itself in a variety of ways depending on the individual. While one may have panic attacks, the other might have recurring nightmares. Continue reading to learn how to lessen anxiety from going back to the office.

Meditate

Mindfulness may be an excellent strategy to cope with anxiety, and even as a panic disorder relaxation treatment. This meditation practice can help you settle your physical and mental aspects by slowing down intrusive thoughts, reducing pessimism, and calming your soul.

You might be shocked at how difficult it is to stay still when you first start meditating. But the idea is to merely monitor the mind rather than to evaluate it. Start with short sessions to develop a feel for the practice. You may then progressively extend your duration once you’ve established a more consistent, comfortable routine. It’s also crucial to meditate in a quiet location where you won’t be disturbed.

Pen it down

The practice of maintaining a log of your own emotions, sensations, and discoveries is known as journaling. Writing or drawing about your emotions has been connected to a reduction in mental anguish. It can undoubtedly assist you in breaking free from the never-ending loop of incessantly pondering and lamenting over the tension of returning to your workplace.

Researchers discovered that persons with varied medical illnesses and anxiety who wrote on the web for 15 minutes 3 times a week for 3 months felt better and had fewer depressive symptoms after a month. Throughout the months of writing, their mental health was strengthened.

Try aromatherapy
essential oils in a glass bottle

Image Credits: unsplash.com

Essential oils extracted from plant parts such as roots, fruits, and flowers are used in aromatherapy for anxiety. There are physiological benefits when such oils are breathed or absorbed via the skin.

Essential oils are available in a wide range of qualities, from pure ones to diluted options with lesser costly substances. As there may be no regulations, the label on the bottle you’re purchasing might not identify all the elements that are in it. Thus, essential oils should not be consumed. Keep in mind also that fragrance or perfume oils are created wholly from chemicals or essential oils blended with chemicals. They’re not appropriate for aromatherapy, so seek bottles containing only 100% essential oils.

Have sufficient sleep

Anxiety is usually linked to sleep disturbances. Excessive anxiety and terror can make it difficult for you to enter dreamland and stay deep asleep. Lack of sleep, unfortunately, can exacerbate anxiousness, resulting in a vicious cycle of sleeplessness and distress problems.

Due to the complex link between anxiety and sleep, obtaining a sufficient amount of shuteye may help you feel less anxious. Quality of sleep encompasses both your sleeping patterns and the surroundings in which you sleep in. Keeping your bed more cozy and reducing sources of sleep disturbances such as light and noise are two ways to enhance proper rest. Excessive caffeine and alcohol should also be avoided after noon, and we shall discuss this further later in the next point.

Limit caffeine and alcohol intake

You may think you need a great deal of coffee to get back in the game, or a glass of wine to bury your tension. However, combining coffee and alcohol may exacerbate anxiety symptoms, as well as have dangerous effects if you are on medication.

Before you realize it, consuming too much coffee in the day might lead to you drinking alcohol at night to mask the caffeine’s impacts on sleep. Even though alcohol may make you doze off faster, it can diminish the sleep patterns your brain needs to operate properly. Alcohol can exacerbate depressive symptoms and make you more prone to drinking in the future. Don’t start such habits!

Stay socially connected
two persons talking at a hawker centre

Image Credits: expatliving.sg

According to research, an absence of social interaction poses a higher health risk than obesity, smoking, or high blood pressure. On the other hand, establishing a powerful emotional network increases your chances of living longer by 50%.

Anxiety and despair are lower among those who feel more connected to others. Furthermore, studies suggest that they have better self-esteem, are far more empathetic, trustworthy, and collaborative. This signals that your colleagues will be more receptive to trusting and working with you as a result too.

We are innately sociable beings that stem from a need to be liked and to stay connected with our fellow human beings. One of our most basic needs is social interaction, and it has a significant influence on our emotional stability.

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Try meditating to beat stress and anxiety

a woman meditating

Way before the pandemic started, stress and anxiety have been around for a long time.

People from the past may have led simpler lives, but that doesn’t mean the absence from pressure. That is why meditation is said to have originated from around 1500 BCE in India.

All of us cope with stress differently. For some, it may be engaging in a physically exhausting activity and just sleeping it off. While for others, maybe it is to draw away from the crowd to find some quiet time.

If that is you, how do you spend your quiet time? Do you tend to overthink things and get more anxious with every passing minute? Perhaps you have heard of meditation but haven’t gotten started yet. The good thing is that it’s not that difficult to begin.

“You don’t need equipment, you can do it from your home, you don’t need anyone else,” said Luke McLeod, the founder and teacher at Soul Alive. Ready to kickstart your journey to relaxation? Allow us to share with you these five simple steps.

#1: Find your safe space

While your home can be the quickest place to get started on meditation, it’s not the only option. This is the case especially with noisy neighbours or crying kids at home. But wherever that safe space might be, put on your noise-cancelling earbuds with meditation music and close your eyes to relax.

#2: Release tension

Tension and relaxation aren’t best friends. Peeps who find it hard to keep your eyes closed, it’s time to release stress from your body. If you’re lying down on a mat, you can do so by rolling your shoulders back and turning your head from side to side slowly.

#3: Focus on breathing
a shirtless man meditating

Image Credits: mensvariety.com

The idea here is to take three rounds of long and deep breaths. The cycle can start with a steady rush of air to your lungs for eight counts. Then, hold your breath for another eight counts before releasing it for another eight.

After you’re done with the three rounds, breathe normally. Now’s the time to focus on your next breathing exercise. By that, we mean every slight minor sensation from the moment the air enters your nostrils to the temperature change as it goes into your lungs. Feel your belly expand and repeat this routine eight times.

#4: Shift your focus

As you continue to breathe normally after the previous routine, shift your focus from your breathing to the different parts of your body.

You can start introducing energy to your body by wiggling your toes, contracting your calve muscles, and your butt. Then begin to move your fingers, shoulders, and turn your head from side to side to warm up your neck.

#5: Take time to be thankful

Your body should be recharged as we enter the final stage. But before you get up and go about your daily routine, take time to be thankful. With your eyes still closed, think of someone or something you are grateful for.

Put on a smile as you slowly open your eyes. If you’re lying down, roll to your left side and place your right hand on the floor as you push yourself up with the help of your left elbow. Lefties can feel free to roll onto their right side.

Take a little stretch before you get moving, and remember to schedule your next meditation session!

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Taking Care of Your Mental Health During The Pandemic

The ongoing pandemic has led to heightened awareness on the importance of taking care of one’s mental health. What is often not known is that while the pandemic takes a physical toll on the infected, it can also affect the mental health of those around. Whether it is the effect of losing a loved one to the pandemic, the requirement to be isolated and kept in quarantine or simply the loss of socialising, these could all have insidious effects on our emotional well-being. Here are 5 tips on how you can take care of your mental health during the pandemic.

1. Cultivate a Habit of Gratitude

Write down the things that you are grateful for in a journal

Cultivating a habit of gratitude is one of the easiest, yet immensely powerful, ways of investing in your mental health. It allows you to recognize and appreciate the things and people around you, regardless of your current life circumstances. This is one direct way of ensuring some quiet time for yourself and disconnect with the outside world from time to time.

To cultivate more gratitude in your life, here are 5 exercises to get you started.

2. Make Time for Movement Everyday

Keeping the body and mind supple

Being in a confined space for long periods of time, especially the case as we work from home, can feel depressing. Whether indoors or outdoors, it makes a big difference to your mood when you schedule time for 30 minutes of movement every day.

Here are some ideas for moving daily:

  • Take a walk or jog around the neighbourhood park
  • Do some light stretches or yoga exercises
  • Try a home workout on YouTube (remember to ask your friends along)
  • Find some fun ways to incorporate exercises that you have been doing outside

3. Achieve Better Sleep

Stick to regular bedtime routines

The shift to working from home means that we might be less inclined to stick to our previous bedtime routines. Without the need to report to your worksite physically, the temptation of sneaking in an extra episode of your favourite Netflix drama presents itself. However, it is still important to maintain regular sleep and wake times. Going to bed and waking up around the same time every day is important in syncing your circadian rhythm, which is the internal biological clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle. With a consistent sleep and wake schedule, you will start finding yourself getting sleepy around your bedtime and waking up naturally around your set wake time as time goes.

4. Stay Connected With Others

Leverage on technology to stay connected, no matter how far away

Maintaining healthy relationships with others is important for our mental health. Precisely because of the pandemic where large-group settings are not allowed, extra effort may be required to ensure that you stay connected with your circle of friends.

Here are some ideas for staying connected while staying home:

  • Organising daily or weekly accountability calls with friends or colleagues
  • Holding social gatherings via video conferencing
  • Having a Netflix Party with friends
  • Staying in touch with friends and family members via phone messaging, video calls, or via social media platforms

5. Go for Therapy

Sofia Wellness Clinic, a group of professional counsellors and psychotherapists

The idea of counselling and psychotherapy has always been shrouded with misconceptions and taboo. Therapy is actually as normal and as accessible as having a personal trainer, or going to the dentist. Just like sending in your car for its scheduled maintenance, therapy serves as maintenance for your mental health.

More importantly, going for therapy is perfectly normal. It does not mean that you are weak or crazy. There is a serious misconception that if you need therapy, there must be something wrong with you. However, the truth is that therapy is for everybody. It is not just for individuals in distress or with big problems – a good number of people go to therapy just to better themselves. Their goals for therapy may be to make a good marriage great, become a better parent, or to work on making better decisions at work. Under the guidance of a professional counsellor/ psychotherapist, both of you will be able to better understand the issues that you have been struggling with and collaboratively decide the best way to move forward.

Therapy helps you better overcome life challenges or difficulties (which are so normal!). Sometimes it may just be a space for you to share about your life in general, and to learn more about yourself. If you can afford it, therapy is another way for you to invest in your mental health.

Working on your emotional health will reap both tangible and intangible benefits in the long run, so work on these 5 tips right away, today!

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Relaxing Exercises To Practice While In Quarantine

As the number of COVID-19 positive patients shoot up, stricter rules have been implemented. Social distancing is greatly highlighted as Ministry of Health (MOH) advised Singaporeans to avoid holding and participating in social gatherings of more than 10 people. Social gatherings pertains to birthdays, weddings, funerals, wakes, and other private events. These efforts can help prevent the spread of the virus.

Apart from this, many people have been in self-quarantine. Staying at home for long periods of time can pose a significant challenge for remaining physically active. Sedentary lifestyle and low levels of physical activity can have negative effects on your mental health and quality of life.

It is normal to feel stressed during times of threatening health situations. To combat this, you must stimulate the “relaxation response,” through a technique first developed in the 1970s at Harvard Medical School by cardiologist Dr. Herbert Benson. The relaxation response is the “state of profound rest that can be elicited in many ways”.

Create a well of calm without breaking the bank by following these relaxation techniques.

#1: FOCUS ON YOUR BREATHING

The Breath Focus technique is a simple and powerful tool comprising of long, slow, and deep breaths. It is also known as belly or abdominal breathing. As you breathe, you take your mind off the distractions and concentrate on your breathing and its sensations. Notice how long you can inhale and how deep you can exhale. This technique is helpful for people with eating disorders. However, it may not be helpful for people with respiratory ailments or heart problems.

#2: PRACTICE GUIDED IMAGERY

Ever wondered what it is like to travel freely on whim again? Well, you can make that possible through guided imagery. Guided imagery is a technique where you envision being in a soothing place or experiencing a happy memory. It reinforces the positive thoughts and emotions associated to being in a particular instance or place. Simply search Guided Imagery on free calming apps or YouTube videos. Ensure that you choose a recording topic that has personal significance to you. Personally, I want to see myself playing in the beach and listening to its calm breeze.

#3: DO YOGA, QIGONG, OR TAI CHI

These three ancient disciplines combine rhythmic breathing with a series of flowing movements. Empty your mind as you focus on the physical aspects of these disciplines. Moreover, you will be able to enhance your flexibility and balance. Since I cannot practice Hot Yoga anymore, I delight myself with a couple of Yoga exercises found in YouTube. You will be surprised with the wealth and the variety of free Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi exercises available there. Choose a video length and a difficulty level that you are most comfortable in.

#4: MEDITATE WITH MINDFULNESS

One of the practices that has greatly helped me stay calm is Mindfulness Meditation. Mindfulness is the Psychological process of purposely bringing one’s attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment, which one develops through the practice of meditation. As our thoughts continue to juggle, mindfulness meditation is easier said than done. Take it easy on yourself during your first trials. Research suggests that continued meditation is helpful for people with anxiety, depression, and pain.

Image Credits: unsplash.com

BONUS: Apart from these relaxing exercises that will not cost you a dime, you may take short active breaks throughout the day. Short bouts of physical activity add up! You can dance and play with your children or perform chores such as cleaning and gardening. There is no excuse to stay active at home!

Sources: 1 & 2

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