Stress drives us to success at times, but it can also eat away at us and our loved ones. A recent study by The Korn Ferry Institute found that 76% of participating business professionals report that stress hurts their personal relationships. You can’t avoid workplace stress, but you can manage it. Here are three tips that will help decrease your stress and increase your well-being in the workplace.

Block Your Calendar

If you find that you’re running from meeting to meeting with little time for your actual tasks, block off your schedule. If people see that you have open time on your calendar, they will likely try and schedule a meeting for that time. Identify a couple of hours a day that you can block off to be productive. How effective this is depends on how well you enforce it. Put your headphones on, close your office door, and get to work. Even scheduling a quick meeting can eat away at the valuable time you’ve made for yourself.

Get Out Of The Office

Take a real lunch break by changing pace and getting out of the office. Pick up lunch at a local eatery or go for a drive. If you love to read, take your favorite book with you to work and read a few pages during your lunchtime. Giving yourself a mid-day break will allow you to relax and increase your productivity when you return to the office.

Stay Hydrated

When you’re dehydrated, your brain isn’t working at an optimal level, and your cortisol levels go up. Cortisol is the primary stress hormone that, when released into your brain, will cause you to fixate and stress over the smallest of things. Half your weight in fluid ounces is the ideal amount of water you need. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, just sipping on water throughout the day will show a steady decrease in your stress levels.

Working out is also a great way to release the stress that builds throughout the day. Use Burnalong to get a 20–30-minute workout wherever you are! If you’re an AFEUSA member, take advantage of your exclusive Burnalong discount!