October 2021

INNERGY INSIGHT

4 Solutions to Reduce Workplace Stress

A recent Life Works study found that 54% of Canadians are feeling stressed – mentally or physically – at least once a week.

The stress being felt at work stems from not having enough time in the day to get everything done, balancing work with family/personal needs, inability to stop working after hours, concerns about exposure to Covid from work, challenges of working from home and pressure to return to a physical workplace.

Through these challenges we can find opportunities to change and adapt, helping to reduce overall stress.

Here are some solutions that just might help!

1. Protecting your time

There are only so many hours in the day.

Using your online calendar to protect your time is a great strategy in getting some time back for yourself. You can block off your work day and add in your personal time to do the things you enjoy.

You can set boundaries on the hours you are committed to your job, even adding when you are taking your breaks and when you are ending the day. You can even try a paper calendar to set your time management goals and to visualize the free time you are carving out for yourself.

2. Gauging your workload

Looking at your workload from a different perspective can help you navigate the overwhelmingness you might be feeling.

Look at your tasks for the week and set goals and deadlines. This will give you a high level view of what needs to be done and what steps need to be taken to achieve them.

If your cup is full at work, avoid taking on extra tasks until you feel better about your workload, as this will prevent added stress.

3. Sharing with colleagues about stress

Sharing is caring! You never know who might be in the same boat as you in terms of stress.

Talk to your coworkers about how they are adjusting to working during a pandemic.

Working from home has some of us missing our work friends; try reconnecting with your old lunchroom pal or take the chat outside of the office for a walk with a close colleague.

Sometimes just getting how you feel off your chest can be powerful.

4. Research company mental health benefits

Companies are more and more focused on their employees’ total health, not just their output at work.

Share with your manager how you are feeling and allow them to guide you to resources that the company has to support you.

Many companies have benefits that help with physical and mental health, from relaxation massages to therapy sessions.

They may offer corporate wellness programs that feature yoga & meditation, which have been proven to reduce overall stress.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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TAKE 5 TO INNERGIZE

Mountain Pose

BENEFITS

Improves posture, creates internal space in the body, opens chest and restores and relaxes entire body.

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Stand with your feet hip distance apart, feet parallel to each other. Stand away from your chair and desk. Contract your abdominal muscles, lift your chest up and relax your shoulders back and down. Be tall and lifted. Turn your palms to face forward, drawing your shoulders back a bit more. Close your eyes.

Step 2: Take a few deep breaths in and out through your nostrils, focusing on the sound that your breath makes as it travels in and out. Listen to that sound. Get quiet and still and move away from your busy mind and into your body. Be tall, like a mountain, taking up lots of space. Become aware of sensations in your body as they arise.

Step 3: Stay here for 5-10 breaths or more. When you are finished, open your eyes and return to work.

LUNCHBOX RECIPE

Vegan Pumpkin Pie

INGREDIENTS

2 pumpkins or squashes (about 2kg), peeled, deseeded and cut into chunks

flavorless vegetable oil or sunflower oil, for tossing plain flour , for dusting

350g sweet short crust pastry

100ml maple syrup

200g light brown soft sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh nutmeg , grated

3 tsp cinnamon

4 tbsp cornflour

600ml oat , almond or soya milk

1 tbsp icing sugar , for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Toss the pumpkin (or squash) in a little oil on a baking tray. Roast until soft enough to squash with the back of a fork – this can take between 40 mins and 1 hr, depending on the type of pumpkin or squash you use. Set aside to cool.

Step 2

Meanwhile, on a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin. Drape it over your rolling pin and lift into a 23cm fluted tart tin. Push the pastry into the corners of the tin using a scrap of excess pastry (you’re less likely to pierce the pastry this way than using a finger). Trim the excess pastry, leaving about 1cm hanging over the edge of the tin; it will shrink as it cooks. Chill for 20 mins.

Step 3

Increase the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Line the tart case with a sheet of baking parchment (scrunch it up first to make it more pliable), then fill with baking beans or dry rice. Bake for 15 mins until the sides look golden, then remove the parchment and filling. Bake for another 5-10 mins until the base looks biscuity and dry. Trim the edges with a small, serrated knife.

Step 4

Tip the roasted pumpkin (or squash), maple syrup, sugar, salt, spices, cornflour and milk into a food processor or blender and blitz until smooth. Pour through a sieve into a small pan and cook for 5 mins, stirring continuously, until thickened.

Step 5

Fill the tart case with the pumpkin filling, then return to the oven and lower the heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Bake for 30 mins until the filling is set when you wobble the tart tin. Cool for 20-25 mins. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm, or chill and serve within two days.

Source: BBC Good Food