There are a lot of professionals that are continuing to feel the pressures and anxiety of burnout in their work environment. The demands of work have not slowed down, even with the added pressure of daily life reaching all-time highs in intensity for many of us.
And with so many young professionals reaching a state in which they are feeling exhausted in their work comes a need for better and more intentional care. Counseling for young professionals in Oregon, does just that!
Here are six tips to help working professionals find time to chill out and relax.
Tip #1 — Boundaries:
Working from home is the reason for a lot of people experiencing career burnout. And, for all the benefits of working from you, it has created some blurred boundaries.
Professionals are often working late at night. It is not unusual to cram work in on the weekends. And people “power down” less from the expectations we feel from work.
Creating some boundaries to follow for your own health is the way to go. Know what time you are “off the clock.” Let co-workers know that you do not check email past 6pm. Or 5:30pm. Or 4pm. And you don’t respond to text/slack messages when the workday is done, either.
And then follow through.
Also, reclaim your weekend by turning off your work electronics. Don’t just put that laptop on “sleep” mode. Turn that thing off. All the way off.
Make it the ritual to notify your brain and body that you are done producing for the day.
Tip #2 — Breathe:
There are a lot of reasons why there has been an increase of anxiety in society. Slowing down your breathing is such a key ingredient to managing overwhelm and anxiety.
Pay attention to the pace of your breathing. Try to limit yourself to six breaths a minute. This means breathing air in for about five seconds, then blowing it out for 5 seconds. This is a great way to be mindful and for relaxing your body. If breathe work seems boring or challenging for you, working with a therapist in counseling for professionals can help.
Tip #3 — Get Back to Nature:
There are several great reasons to get outside. One is because it is great for your mental health. Get yourself to the Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast. Or hike up to the top of Multnomah Falls in the Gorge. Or dip your toes in the Clackamas or Willamette River.
Honestly, it can be as simple as walking barefoot in your backyard.
Whatever your pleasure, get outside and enjoy the fresh air. It is soothing. And you might even bump into some free Vitamin D!
Tip #4 — Electronic Fast:
You may have heard of going on a “fast.” Especially if you’ve been following anything going on in the food or dieting culture over the last few years. A fast is when you take an extended break from something in your life.
And many of us could use an extended break from our electronics.
Americans spent as much as one-third of their waking hours on some type of mobile device. It is no wonder that so many working professionals are getting fried. It’s work. It’s text messages. It’s YouTube. And social media apps.
People start out thinking, “Oh, I’m just gonna check this thing out real quick.” One hour later, and they are still on their phone and have forgotten what the original purpose of getting on the phone was.
And then they wonder why it feels like they don’t have enough time in their day.
Consider taking an electronic siesta or fast one weekend a month. Or one day a week. You will survive it. You’ll feel more refreshed. And you’ll end up feeling better at your job when it comes time to get back at it.
Tip #5 — Take a Break:
We are human beings. And, we really are not built to be constant producers of product. We are meant to rest. Throughout the day. The week. And throughout the year.
This means that to be a healthy professional, you really should be chilling out and relaxing on a regular basis. It should be part of your natural rhythms.
Take some breaks throughout the day. You have a better chance of being productive if you take a five- or ten-minute break to stand up and stretch every hour.
Stay away from the weekend work-creep. If you aren’t being intentional with your time off of work, that work will creep up on you during the weekend or your time away from the office. Honor your time away from work.
And take your vacation. I shouldn’t have to convince you to do this, but there are a lot of good reasons for you to use up your vacation time!
Tip #6 — Practice Mindfulness:
Our minds will often wander into anxiety, frustration, or overwhelm when we begin to get ahead of ourselves. Or we might beat ourselves up if we made some type of mistake in our work, as well.
Practicing mindfulness will help you to remain in the present. It will keep you focused on the task in front of you rather than dwelling on items you cannot control. And it will allow you to stay away from mindsets that often stunt career development and growth.
And it will help you remain emotionally regulated during times of high stress.
Wellspace Counseling Can Help You to Find Some Peace. Begin Counseling for Professionals In Oregon for Support!
Wellspace Counseling provides therapy services to young professionals seeking to find tools to cope with the anxiety, stress, and imposter syndrome that so many carry with them.
Wellspace Counseling in Tualatin, Oregon can provides therapy to individuals and couples of Tualatin, Lake Oswego, and Portland. Online therapy can also be used for those who live in other parts throughout the state of Oregon.
Schedule your free phone consultation with Jason Wilkinson to start your journey to mental and emotional wellness.
OTHER COUNSELING SERVICES
Counseling for young professionals in Oregon is not the only benefit to receiving therapy at Wellspace Counseling in Tualatin, Lake Oswego and throughout Portland, Oregon. Some other services you might be interested in include: Individual Counseling Teen Counseling College and Young Adult Counseling Anxiety Counseling Couples and Marriage Counseling All Services are available via online therapy in Oregon