Need an outlet to lift your mood during a stressful day at work? We all experience stress whether we want to acknowledge it or not.

In a 2012 survey on stress by the American Psychological Association (APA), "Almost three-quarters (72%) of respondents say that their stress level has increased or stayed the same over the past five years and 80% say their stress level has increased or stayed the same in the past year. Only 20% said their stress level has decreased in the past year."

This means that the majority of people surveyed were aware that they experienced high stress levels, but they still failed to do anything to remedy it. If you can relate, then this article is for you.

Why we must deal with stress:
According to the APA, job pressure is the #1 cause of stress. It is all too common for small business owners to keep pushing themselves because they want to “get everything done now” or to not take seriously the high level of stress that they often experience. While it may seem convenient to work now and relax later, you are also putting yourself at risk for hypertension, headaches, upset stomachs, and a low immune system. Stress affects more than just your mental state; your physical body is being affected as well.

77% of people usually experience physical symptoms such as fatigue, headache, upset stomach, muscle tension, and change in appetite. (APA)

Don’t let yourself get to the point of illness, especially when stress is avoidable! This article is for when you need some quick and convenient relief from a hectic day at work! Here are a few simple things you can do at the beginning of your lunch or on your break for 10 minutes:

1. Listen to a soothing song.

Songs have the tendency to alter moods. Take your iPod to work or turn the Pandora music app on during your lunch break. (Just don’t forget your headphones!) Find a song that you know will uplift your morning or calm your nerves. Some jazz, soul, or piano instrumental could do just the trick! Have a playlist with go-to songs that have worked in the past. This way you don’t have to spend time searching through your iPod when you can just focus on relaxing.

Here are some song recommendations (Plug them into Pandora as well for similar songs):

1. Let’s Stay Together by Al Green—Songs by artists like Otis Redding or Al Green have so much soul you can’t help but sway a little to the smoothness of the song. 
2. Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson—Who doesn’t love MJ? This song is motivating, uplifting, and overall very catchy! It’s a personal favorite that usually makes me feel inspired to go out and “make a change”! 
3. River Flows in You by Yiruma—This is a great piano piece that is all instrumental and will put you in a state of tranquility, which is exactly what you need to be at peace for a few moments at work. 

2. Stretch

Tense muscles are a direct result of stress buildup. Plus, with running a pet facility, you’ll gain a few aches while having to clean the floors, pick up waste, and bend over to feed multiple dogs. Physically, stretching will increase circulation; blood flow will reduce the soreness from working your muscles. Overall, stretching relaxes tension and boosts endorphins throughout the body, which will make your mood feel lighter.

Click here to see the Mayo Clinic’s recommendations for stretches you can easily do in the office. These stretches are made for convenience so feel free to do a few moves while still keeping watch over the dogs.

3. Arm and Hand Acupressure

Ever heard of a shiatsu massage? This is also known as the Asian artform, acupressure, to get your energy flowing and your body healing. This is a trick you can do anywhere and it’s a little more discreet than stretching. Acupressure is about pinpointing “acupoints,” or places to apply pressure, that run along the body. Applying pressure to the right spots is said to improve your health, relieve stress, and provide a balance of energy.

Here are ways to apply acupressure:

1. Where the thumb and index finger connect is a pressure point. Squeeze this soft area for three second and do the same to the other hand. 
2. Locate the side of the hand right below your pinky. Take the index and middle finger of your other hand and tap on side of your hand while interchanging these two fingers just like how you would tap your fingers on a table. 

4. Browse YouTube or Vine

There are a ton of funny videos that you can watch during your break. One way to relieve stress is to just laugh. Vine is an app that is full of minute long videos that are perfect for quick entertainment. Be inspired even! People use YouTube to showcase their talents all the time. On the homepage, there is a list of popular videos. Follow a song playlist, subscribe to a few funny YouTubers or Viners and play on!

Here are a few videos to get you started:

1. YouTube: Slow Motion Fetch because practice makes perfect comedy. 
2. YouTube: What My Beagle Does When We Aren’t Home proves that you should never leave your chicken nuggets in the toaster oven when your pet is a genius. 
3. Vine: Norman the Scooter Dog. Look him up on Vine! He’s pretty amazing. 

5. Visualization

Did you know that you can exercise your mind in the form of daydreaming? Take yourself to a place far away from work—a beach maybe? It is said that visualization is key to exercising your brain activity.

The point of all of these tips is to focus and refresh yourself! Don’t let anyone interrupt you during this “me time”. Sometimes just talking to another co-worker or employee can get you stressed out. Take yourself out of the work room mentally and remember that you need to be in a relaxed and positive mindset for yourself and for your clients.

6. Go for a Walk or Bike Ride

Dan Pallota, founder of the charity walk Breast Cancer 3-Days, guest writes on the Harvard Business Review blog that when he is mentally exhausted, he goes for a walk for several reasons:

1. To think more creatively. 
2. To expose himself to sunlight, which boosts serotonin levels. 
3. To free himself from distractions so he can focus on one thing at a time. 

Plus, walking or biking are both forms of exercise, so they’ll get those endorphins going!

So what should you do next? MAKE TIME!

Your kennel software has got you covered! It’s is a great resource for faster performance and increased productivity. How? You will cut down on the time it takes to book customers and confirm appoints, to check them in & out, and to update their pets’ medical records. Don’t fall into the “I don’t have time for this” trap that the workload creates. You DO have the time to take care of yourself.

Take the first step, check out our Demo, and see if this dog training software can better you and your business!

Throw Us A Bone!

What are some ways you de-stress when work is hounding you?