 |
|
Ensure that you take care of yourself. People under stress sometimes let their personal hygiene and appearance start to decline. Even when you seem to be the busiest take time to wash, shave, brush your teeth, change into clean clothing. Even though it takes time it will make you feel better and eventually help you perform better. Your appearance also affects the way your peers and supervisors look at you and think of you.
Take breaks. Taking a few minutes away from the job to relax or to sort out your thinking will help you work better and be able to help you work longer in the long run. While you are taking your break think about how you are feeling, whether your muscles are tensed or relaxed. This is a good time to go through your quick relaxation techniques.
Get enough rest. People can operate on little or no sleep for short periods of time but eventually it will tell on them. If you wish to keep going for extended periods of time you must get at least four hours of sleep per 24 hours. More if possible. Try and get four hours of sleep in one block if possible because this gives you the most benefit but cat naps are also better than not getting any sleep at all.
Eat right. Proper nutrition can go a long way to reducing the effects of stress on your body or if you eat the wrong type of foods it will accelerate the stress reaction. Sugar and caffeine are okay for quick bursts of energy in a short period of time but they have side effects. Too much sugar can end up giving you the sugar blues or depression after large amounts and too much caffeine can give you the caffeine shakes or jitters and disrupt your sleep pattern later on. Foods with a lot of protein will give that sustained energy that you need over the long run. Try and eat at regulular times.
Exercise. Try and get some exercise, it will help release your tension and anxiety and burn off any anger and frustration.
Return to Frank's I/O Psych Homepage