5 Things to do During Stressful Times at Work

Good morning everyone! The past few weeks have been a little hectic at work, it's our company's end of year. As most of us corporate women know, end of year or even end of quarter can be stressful. For those of you new to the corporate world, end of year is how a public company recognizes earnings to Wall Street for evaluation. The same holds true for end of quarter, which is equally important. This is how companies are looked at by shareholders, financial backings and the stock market. Basically, it's tells the world how much money you've earned and spent within in the year which can determine your stock pricing.

For any company, it's important that all hands are on deck and putting in 100% of your effort to get to your company's goals. All the managers I've had at work have always said that Q4 (4th quarter) is when people either step up to the plate, or fizzle out. This is when you prove to your boss that your deserve a promotion or a raise. Work your tail off in Q4 and you'll be surprised how how other perceive your work ethic and abilities the next fiscal year.

Back to my point, I've been a little consumed with Q4 so wanted to share a few short and simple tips to help reduce stress during this time at work.

1. Find time to go to the gym- this has been my life saver. Every morning my fiance and I wake up at 6:30am and go to the gym. I'm in a better mood and also feel better at the end of the day.

Quotes from one of my favorite movies...as Elle from Legally Blonde would say, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands."

2. Eat healthy and drink more water - this one is simple, when you heath healthy, you have a happy body which help alleviate stress. This has been tough for me. The days I eat poorly, I'm more on edge and irritable when dealing with a lot of stress at work. So when they order pizza at work, skip the pizza and grab yourself something healthy and nutritious to fill up on. Oh yes, don't forget to stay hydrated. So important!

3. Say no to alcohol - when people get stressed out at work, it's natural to have a glass of wine to take the edge off. Skip the wine and have a glass of water or green tea. You'll thank yourself in the morning.

4. Be less social - as much as we want to go to every event, when you have a lot going on at work, pass on social events. They typically go way past your bedtime, you eat poorly, drink too much and in general not in the best mood. So pass on social events and keep your distance from social media.

5. Plan something fun afterwards - plan a little getaway, date night at your favorite restaurant, a girl's night out...anything! Plan something that you can look forward to after a stressful time at work. So...when you're face platted at your desk and beyond frustrated and stressed (me on a daily basis), find a pictures of your next vacation. Take a few minutes to recharge and refresh your mind.

If all else fails, look up photos of baby animals. Those always make me happy and smile!