How to Regulate Your Nervous System to Prevent Stress and Burnout
In today's fast-paced world, stress has become a constant companion for many of us. The relentless demands of work, personal responsibilities, and digital overload can leave our nervous system in chronic overdrive. When left unchecked, this can lead to burnout—emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion.
But the good news is that we have the power to regulate our nervous system, restore balance, and build resilience against stress. By incorporating simple yet powerful habits into our daily routine, we can create an environment that nurtures our well-being. Let’s explore practical ways to calm the nervous system and prevent burnout.
1. Get into Nature + Sunshine
Nature has a profound ability to heal and restore our nervous system. Spending time outdoors, whether walking in the forest, sitting by the beach, or even taking a short stroll in the park, can lower cortisol levels (the stress hormone) and activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the body’s relaxation response.
Sunlight exposure is equally important. It helps regulate our circadian rhythm, enhances mood by boosting serotonin, and supports vitamin D production, which plays a role in mental health. Whenever possible, step outside, breathe in the fresh air, and soak up natural light—it’s one of the most accessible ways to bring calmness into your day.
2. Turn Down the Volume
Our modern environment is filled with constant stimuli—social media notifications, traffic noise, emails, and even background TV. These stimuli keep our nervous system on high alert, making relaxing harder.
One of the simplest ways to restore balance is to turn down the volume on unnecessary stimuli. This can mean keeping your phone silent during work, creating quiet moments, or listening to soothing sounds like nature recordings or classical music. By reducing sensory overload, we give our nervous system a much-needed break.
3. The Power of Hugging, Cuddling, and Embracing
Human connection is fundamental to regulating our nervous system. Hugging, cuddling, or touching someone’s shoulder releases oxytocin, the “bonding hormone.” Oxytocin has been shown to lower stress levels, promote relaxation, and foster a sense of safety.
If you feel overwhelmed, take a moment to connect with a loved one. A simple hug can work wonders to reset your nervous system and bring you back to a calm state.
4. Grounding Yourself
Grounding is a technique for reconnecting with the present moment and regulating the nervous system. Walking barefoot on grass, sand, or soil—also known as "earthing"—has been shown to reduce stress and inflammation in the body.
If going barefoot isn’t practical, using a weighted blanket or practicing deep breathing exercises can provide a similar sense of grounding. The goal is to create a physical and mental connection to the present moment, helping you feel more centered and at ease.
5. Make Time for Space
One of the most significant contributors to burnout is constantly being “on.” Many professionals move from one task to the next without allowing time for reflection, rest, or soul-nourishing activities.
Making time for space means deliberately creating moments of stillness in your day. This could involve journaling, meditating, practicing mindfulness, or engaging in a hobby that brings joy. The key is to prioritize self-care without guilt because we perform better in every aspect of life when we care for ourselves.
6. Shake It Off—Literally!
Movement is a fantastic way to reset the nervous system. When we experience stress, our body stores it as built-up energy. Physical movement, whether dancing, stretching, shaking, or brisk walking, helps release this stored tension.
If you’ve ever seen animals shake their bodies after a stressful encounter, you’ve witnessed this natural stress release mechanism. We can take a page from nature’s book and integrate movement into our routine to process stress more effectively.
7. Cold Plunges for Nervous System Resilience
Cold water therapy, such as ice baths or cold showers, is an excellent way to train the nervous system to handle stress more efficiently. Exposure to cold water activates the vagus nerve, crucial in regulating our fight-or-flight response.
Cold plunges help reduce inflammation, boost mood, and increase resilience to stress over time. If plunging into icy water seems intimidating, splashing cold water on your face or ending your shower with a few seconds of cold water.
8. Eat Healthy Fats for Brain and Nerve Health
What we eat directly impacts our nervous system. Healthy fats, such as those found in avocados, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish (like salmon), are essential for nerve tissue and brain function. These fats also help regulate hormones and improve mood stability.
Incorporate more omega-3 fatty acids into your diet to support a well-balanced nervous system. A well-nourished brain is more resilient to stress and better equipped to handle daily challenges.
9. Prioritize Good Sleep
Sleep is essential for nervous system regulation. During sleep, the body repairs processes emotions and restores energy levels. A lack of sleep can make the nervous system hyperactive, making it harder to cope with stress.
Set a personal goal of 7–9 hours of quality sleep per night. Create a bedtime routine that includes dimming the lights, wearing a sleep mask, avoiding screens before bed, and engaging in calming activities like reading or meditation. Consistent, restful sleep is one of the most powerful tools for preventing burnout.
Conclusion: Build a Nervous System That Supports You
Burnout isn’t just about being overworked—it’s about being overstimulated and disconnected from the things that bring balance to our lives. By making small, intentional shifts in how we care for our nervous system, we can build resilience, prevent burnout, and navigate stress more efficiently.
Start by incorporating one or two of these strategies into your routine and notice the difference they make. Your nervous system is designed to support you—give it the care it deserves, and it will return the favor by keeping you calm, focused, and energized in the long run.
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Stressed Out or Stretched Too Thin? Spotting the Signs
Image via Merlin
Have you ever felt like the workday is one big juggling act? Between the endless emails, back-to-back meetings, and that never-diminishing to-do list, it’s no wonder stress levels are sky-high in today’s workplaces. But here’s the thing: it’s not just about managing the workload but also managing the workplace itself. Let’s dive into what’s twisting your team’s arm and how you can untangle the knots.
The Tangled Web of Expectations
First off, unclear expectations are real troublemakers. When employees don’t know what you want from them, they can’t deliver it. It’s stressful for everyone involved. A bit of guidance goes a long way in not only rescuing employees from unnecessary stress but also ensuring things are done right, which, in turn, saves time and money. Don’t see it as babying an employee; some people fare better with more guidance. Soon, they’ll find their feet and flourish. It’s crucial to lay it all out on the table for them: goals, benchmarks, deadlines. And a little one-on-one time doesn’t hurt either. Mistakes will always happen, and try not to be overly harsh as some people might make more mistakes because they are stressed out; instead, offer a hand until they feel confident in their tasks.
When Tools Trip You Up
Outdated tech or the wrong resources can turn a simple task into an epic saga. No one wants to feel like they’re carving a sculpture with a spoon. It’s not just frustrating; it’s downright disheartening. This is where a little investment can go a long way. Upgrading your systems or even reevaluating what gadgets and gizmos could make your team’s life easier isn’t just brilliant; it’s essential. Your team will notice, and their sighs of relief will be worth every penny.
Flexibility Is the Future
Now, let’s talk about rigidity. Are you stuck in the 9-to-5 grind with no room to breathe? That’s a recipe for stress. Today’s workforce craves flexibility. And who can blame them? Life doesn’t always fit neatly into predetermined slots. Offering flexible hours or working from home can drastically reduce stress. It’s about giving people control over their schedules—because when they’re not stressing over rushing back from lunch, they’re knocking out projects like pros.
Staying Cool Under Pressure: An SEO Company Case Study
When faced with the classic challenges of tight deadlines, demanding clients, and the fast pace of digital trends, one SEO company didn’t just cope—they thrived. Their strategy was twofold: enhance team capabilities through targeted training and introduce a state-of-the-art project management tool to streamline processes. This proactive approach kept their team calm and focused and significantly improved client satisfaction and staff morale. The outcome was a workplace buzzing with productivity, where stress was managed effectively, and success was a daily achievement.
Crafting a Culture of Support
Creating a supportive culture is the cherry on top. It’s about more than free coffee or casual Fridays. It’s about ensuring everyone knows it’s okay to speak up when overwhelmed. Mental health days, wellness programs, and access to counseling all add up to a workplace where stress doesn’t stand a chance. When people feel supported, they do their best work—it’s as simple as that.
Tackling stress isn’t just about cutting down the workload or easing up on deadlines. It’s about clarity, the right tools, flexibility, understanding, and genuine support. Mix these, and you have a recipe for a vibrant, thriving workplace where everyone can shine. Isn’t that what we’re all striving for?
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3 Tips To Help You Get On Top Of A Stressful Day
Even in the working world, wellness is an important thing. It’s a top priority for a lot of modern employers! That’s why you shouldn’t keep it to yourself when a stressful day happens.
Stress becomes more enormous and crushing when we do, and even if you feel it’s more professional to struggle in silence, we highly recommend the opposite. That’s why we’ve listed three tips below for managing a stressful day.
Tell a Trusted Colleague
If you’re working with someone you know well and trust today, share your worries about the day ahead with them. Getting support from someone who knows exactly what you’re going through, in real-time, as they sit or stand beside you, is critical to unburdening yourself.
You can share the load with them and shake the stress off by chatting, laughing, and even getting through the work together. Friends are critical at work, so be sure to share and share alike on those hard days.
Take it One Thing at a Time
A stressful day feels that way because you’ve got a lot to do. When you’ve got a lot to do and only a few hours and a bit of energy, you’ll get overwhelmed quickly and easily. You’re going to feel like you can’t do your job correctly, or that you’re going to get fired by not having everything together, or you’re going to miss a deadline and be reprimanded.
And when you think about the consequences before anything else, you’ll paralyze yourself with stress! That’s why you should take the events of a stressful day one at a time. If you have a hearing test before job interview, get through the hearing test first and then focus on what you need to say during the interview.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking about both simultaneously. Spend time on one before moving to the other, and keep that pace going until you’re back home.
Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Mental Health Day
Mental health days are crucial for maintaining a good work performance. And guess what? It’s perfectly OK to take one now and then! If you need time off to keep your mental health in check and to relax and practice a bit of self-care, be sure to allocate yourself sometime or ask your boss for a day like this.
Use up a bit of your scheduled time off if you need to, and use the day to pamper yourself or get a few tricky things done to prevent the stress from worsening.
Don’t let the idea that you must always be at peak performance get in the way of de-escalation, relaxation, and a fulfilling career. Instead, keep these tips in mind.
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Multifunctional Furniture Ideas for a Stress-Free Home Life
When you already have a busy work schedule, it helps to come home to a stress-free living space so you can simply rest and relax. As such, a previous post provides home maintenance tips to keep your house livable and manageable. These tips include establishing a cleaning routine, conducting regular inspections, and staying on top of garden upkeep. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to ask for help from a professional, whether it’s to maintain your home’s structural integrity or do minor repairs and replacements.
Additionally, you can consider changing up your furniture to transform not only the appearance of your home but also its functionalities. This is where multifunctional furniture pieces come in, with their ability to utilize space and minimize clutter for a more open and comfortable living environment. Some multifunctional or modular furniture can also come with storage solutions, which is especially crucial for small houses or rental apartments. Lastly, these versatile furnishings can adapt to different activities like office work, making them ideal for those with remote or hybrid arrangements.
Given all these benefits of multifunctional furniture, consider adding the following pieces for a more spacious and functional home.
Sectional seating
Starting with your living room, it’s best to find sectional seating that maximizes the space instead of having to buy separate couches, loveseats, or ottomans for you and your guests to lounge on. Sectional couches can also be flexible, as they can be rearranged and reconfigured according to different seating needs.
What’s more, the selection of L shaped couches on Living Spaces showcases the wide range of sizes, colors, and layouts for these seating options, allowing you to find the best model that meets your budget and living situation. For example, the Bonaterra Sand Beige 97" Sofa has a reversible chaise feature to make it easy to clean and switch up your space. Meanwhile, the Jolene Silver Grey 120" 5 Piece modular sectional gives you the choice between stationary and power reclining components, while also featuring additional functionalities like USB charging ports.
Smart adjustable desk
Whether you have a home office for remote work or personal workstation for passion projects, it’s worth considering an upgrade from an ordinary desk to a high-tech one. Nowadays, there are sleek and well-designed desks with smart features that can easily adapt to your work environment.
For example, the smart adjustable desk from Ergonomyx allows you to seamlessly switch between sitting and standing while working, ultimately improving your work productivity and personal wellness. In addition to its sit/stand capabilities, you can connect the desk with voice-controlled assistants like Alexa for hands-free configuration.
Sofa bed
Lastly, you can incorporate convertible furniture like sofa beds for greater comfort and versatility, especially if you live in a house with limited floor space. You also get to save money by opting for this multifunctional piece instead purchasing a separate sofa and bed for you or your guests.
In this case, Mjkone has launched an innovative sofa bed with a durable bed frame and soft foam mattress to combine quality, flexibility, and comfort. The sleek sofa bed can be easily converted into a twin or queen-size bed, while also having a removable fabric cover to keep the furniture clean and elegant.
On top of these multifunctional furniture ideas for your living room and workstations, you can also incorporate modular pieces like extendable and/or foldable tables in other spaces like kitchens and dining rooms to save space without compromising comfort and functionality.
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8 Ways To Reduce Stress In The Workplace
If left unchecked, stress can cause problems and harm employee well-being, motivation, and productivity. Reducing stress in the workplace is essential for remaining happy and efficient at work.
However, knowing how to mitigate work-related pressure is easier said than done. In this article, we’ll discuss eight methods for reducing stress levels as an employee, enabling you to continue to love your job without harming your mental health.
Stress left unchecked can have a severe impact on employee wellbeing
THE IMPACT OF STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE
Undoubtedly, stress can be one of the most daunting and destructive obstacles to employee engagement in the workplace. According to a 2017/18 Labour Force Survey (LFS), a total of 15.4 million working days have been lost due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety.
Considering that employees usually get paid for sick days, the financial loss due to stress-related issues is enormous. Moreover, it appears that such problems are on the rise, too, with approximately 1,700 people per 100,000 workers reported to be suffering from stress, depression, or anxiety in 2017/18, compared to an estimated 1,400 in 2005/06.
It has also been reported that stress, depression, and anxiety are more prevalent in public health services industries such as education, health and social care, and public administration and defense.
The main work factors cited by survey respondents as causing work-related stress were workload pressures (including tight deadlines), too much responsibility, and the absence of managerial support.
Countless statistics relating to workplace stress could be referenced, but the point is clear: Stress, in any form, can dramatically impact an employee's well-being and harm the organization's efficiency. Learning how to reduce it is vital.
8 WAYS TO REDUCE STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE
Thankfully, stress in the workplace isn’t something we’re forced to accept. Some measures can be taken to reduce work-related stress and even enhance your ability to do your job.
1. RECOGNIzE THE SIGNS OF STRESS
Before being able to reduce your stress levels, you must be aware of the critical symptoms of stress and anxiety.
Stress impacts employees in all industries and workplace environments
Thankfully, leading mental health charity Mind provides a comprehensive list of telltale signs of stress. The mind separates these symptoms into feelings, behaviors, and physical sensations.
Feeling…
irritable, aggressive, impatient, or wound up;
overburdened;
anxious, nervous, or afraid;
like your thoughts are racing, and you can’t switch them off, or
unable to enjoy yourself.
Behaviors
Finding it hard to make decisions.
Constantly worrying.
Avoid situations that are troubling you.
Snapping at people.
Biting your nails.
Picking at your skin.
Physical sensations
Shallow breathing or hyperventilating.
You might have a panic attack.
Muscle tension.
Blurred eyesight or sore eyes.
Problems getting to sleep, staying asleep, or having nightmares.
Sexual problems, such as losing interest in sex or being unable to enjoy sex.
You may exhibit workplace stress if you recognize any of the above symptoms.
2. IDENTIFY THE CAUSE OF YOUR STRESS
After recognizing the signs of stress, the next step is identifying your emotions' root cause. What exactly is causing you to feel troubled at work?
For many of us, it’s the workload we’re expected to handle. We feel that there’s too much responsibility on our shoulders and that we’re being stretched too thin to cope. For others, it might be a demanding boss or unkind colleagues making us feel like it’s all getting too much.
Source: LinkedIn
Whatever it is, could you make a mental note of it? You can become familiar with the cause of your stress. Understanding your emotions is crucial to dealing with them effectively.
3. SET BOUNDARIES
Countless employees find themselves feeling stressed and overburdened as a result of too much pressure at work. In an attempt to appease the demands of your superiors and advance your career, it can be tempting to bite off more than you can chew – especially in a busy, understaffed environment.
A simple yet effective solution is to set boundaries. What exactly is a boundary, though?
Personal boundaries are guidelines, rules, or limits that a person creates to identify reasonable, safe, and permissible ways for others to behave toward them and how they will respond when someone passes those limits.
In the workplace, a boundary lets your employers know what they can and can’t expect from you. If you tell them categorically that you can’t work weekends, a firm boundary will ensure they don’t ask you to. It’s important to set boundaries to ensure that, whatever the demands of the company you work for, they know that you have needs to be met, too.
Spend some time considering what kind of boundaries would suit your working life. Which boundaries could you establish to reduce your stress levels? Which ones, if established, would improve your mental well-being?
Once you’ve decided, discuss implementing those boundaries with your management team. Be honest, friendly, and open about it. They should understand your concerns and take measures to make things easier for you.
4. CONSIDER HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME OUTSIDE OF WORK
Work shouldn’t be your life. It’s a part of it, but there’s more to life than simply working all the time. That being said, it’s a good idea to consider how you spend your time when you’re not at work.
Your morning routine, for instance, will profoundly affect your emotional health throughout the rest of your day. If you sleep late, eat an unhealthy breakfast, and have to rush to work with no time, you’re likely to feel stressed before you even make it to work.
Practising yoga can help relieve stress after a long day at work
Instead of maintaining unhealthy habits, consider incorporating stress-reducing activities into your time at home. Yoga, for instance, is an excellent way to de-stress after a long day’s work while also improving joint health and preventing the spinal damage associated with desk jobs.
5. PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness has been scientifically proven to provide many benefits, from stress reduction to neural recomposition. Incorporating it into your work can help bring peace, clarity, and enjoyment into your daily routine.
Although most of us have heard of mindfulness, only some know exactly what it is. Mindfulness, simply put, is the act of being present. Instead of losing yourself in your thoughts or worrying about your deadlines, mindfulness is about focusing on one thing and one thing right now.
Work-related stress is often chained to fears about the past or the future. We might worry that yesterday we didn’t meet the demands of our manager and that tomorrow we have a twelve-hour shift to complete.
Mindfulness can reduce stress and increase clarity of thought.
Do you happen to be familiar with aromatherapy? Aromatherapy is a holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts to promote health and well-being. Have you heard of terpenes? Terpenes are the aromatic compounds that give plants their aroma. Here is a terpenes 101 resource for you to learn more about.
When those worries arise, just be aware of them. Notice that they’re pulling your focus away from the present moment and then reconnecting to the things happening around you. Soon, your anxious mind will quieten, and your stress levels will lessen.
6. CONNECT WITH OTHER PEOPLE
As Professor Cary Cooper, an occupational health expert at the University of Lancaster, puts it:
If you don’t connect with people, you won’t have support to turn to when you need help.
A strong support network of colleagues, friends, and family members will enable you to rest assured, knowing that you always have others to lean on when the weight becomes too heavy. Of course, it doesn’t need to get to that point, but being a lone ranger will only make you feel more stressed in the long run.
Talking things through with a friend will also help you find solutions to your problems.
Engaging in activities with friends can help us relax. Whether going for a meal, catching up over a coffee, or doing something active, simply spending quality time with loved ones can help reduce stress exponentially.
7. AVOID UNHEALTHY HABITS
Caffeine is a stimulant that can impact stress levels negatively.
Unhealthy habits such as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, eating junk food, and not exercising will all negatively impact your stress levels. Even caffeine is a stimulant that can magnify underlying stress, so make that catch-up coffee a decaf. While these things might appear to help in the short term, they’ll only create more stress for you in the future by harming your physical health.
Instead of relying on such habits as coping mechanisms, seek to replace them with healthy activities like exercise or meditation. Doing so will arm you with far more effective methods than those listed above and improve your overall health, well-being, and peace of mind.
8. WORK SMARTER, NOT HARDER
At work, we often feel pressure to work harder to be as productive as possible within our given time constraints. Ironically, the harder we work, the less productive we become.
It’s far more effective to focus on working smarter rather than harder. That is, to find ways to get more done without increasing our working hours beyond what we can bear.
Take single-tasking, for instance. Single-tasking involves directing all of your energy into one task at a time rather than bouncing between functions in an attempt to complete them all at once. Multitasking might sound like a good idea, but attempting to juggle too many balls will increase our chances of dropping them.
Instead, focusing on one task at a time and giving it our all will ensure that we work to our maximum potential without stressing ourselves out.
Working smart is about prioritizing your work in importance and navigating one task at a time before moving on to the next. Doing so will allow you to work more efficiently and serenely.
Source: Syntax IT Support
WHY EMPLOYERS SHOULD TRY TO REDUCE STRESS IN THEIR WORKPLACES
Reducing stress in the workplace isn’t just essential to the mental health and efficiency of employees, but it’s critical to the company's functioning as a whole. Taking measures to mitigate workplace tension will ensure staff members remain happy, motivated, and pleased to work for their company.
Placing rigid requirements on employees and expecting them to work long hours at unsociable times is only likely to cause them unnecessary stress. Striking a balance between meeting your organization’s demands and your staff's capabilities is one of many ways employers can protect their employees' mental well-being.
If your company model enables employees to have more flexibility, like the choice to work from home, give them the option. Even if it’s only for a couple of days each month, that opportunity could work wonders on their stress levels and overall happiness at work.
Source: Public Health England
No workplace should feel like a prison cell. Understanding your employees' needs and working to accommodate them while moving your company in the right direction will ensure that your staff remains happy, healthy, and productive.
In addition, employers can boost morale and improve mental health among staff members by hosting social events outside of work, expressing sincere appreciation to their employees, and investing time and money into reducing stress in the workplace.
SUMMARY
There’s no doubt that stress is an unwelcome guest in the workplace. Whether from the perspective of the employee or employer, excess pressure isn’t good for anything and will only detract from staff members' happiness, healthiness, and overall efficiency.
Reducing workplace stress is within everyone’s capabilities. Let’s start by learning how to recognize the symptoms of anxiety, then move on to identifying the root cause of the problem before finally taking action to address it. If this approach is embraced by all employees and supported by their employers, it could stamp out work-related stress.