
De-Stress Your Environment
12 tips for getting rid of common environmental stressors
Sep 21, 2009
Jun 02, 2022
StressPew Foundation Scholar in Nutrition and Metabolism
Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine
University of Maryland
Baltimore, MD
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It's usually easy to tune out the minor irritants our work and home environments throw our way. Most irritants aren't major health risks. But, watch out. When minor environmental irritants turn toxic, your surroundings can make you more vulnerable to chronic stress.
Take a minute now to look around the room you are sitting in. Use all your senses to detect any of these common environmental stressors:
How many have you identified?
Now, look around for things you easily can change and do so.
Many of us can't make significant changes in our surroundings, particularly at work. So, we need to use our stress-solving skills to buffer ourselves against toxic environmental stress.
Try these problem-solving suggestions for the following environmental stressors:
Climate Control-Your Office or Theirs?
If you have a client or co-worker who loves extreme temperatures -either freezing or tropical -- that interfere with your productivity or attention span, suggest that you have meetings in your office.
Scent-sational?
If someone in the office consistently comes to work bathed in the latest perfume, anonymously suggest to the office manager that you adopt a "scent free" office (we have this policy and it works well).
Clutter Control
You are sure to feel overwhelmed if your surroundings are cluttered. To combat clutter, keep only your current project materials in view. You will feel more confident and be better able to concentrate.
Re-Arrange Stress
Consider rearranging the furniture so that you face away from the line of sight, if you work in an office cubicle. With your desk turned around you have more control over when people can catch your eye. Your co-workers may be less likely to needlessly interrupt you.
Ear Protection, Please
Bring earplugs to work, if your office is noisy, or try to escape to an empty conference room for a temporary "noise break."
When de-stressing your surroundings, you can't address all the stressors at one time. Carry a notebook with you and write down environmental sources of stress when you notice them. Just having that list will empower you. You might even enlist significant others in your life to help trouble shoot solutions with you.
Here are more stress-busting ideas to use to de-stress your environment:
Choose low-end ways to de-stress your surroundings if high-priced solutions are out of reach. If that $500 ergonomically correct chair isn't realistic, what about a beautiful $10 pillow to sit up against? Or, a small stool to support your feet and ease your lower back? Do you have a comforting screen-saver? A beach view or the universe works nicely.
Be creative! See if you can make your surroundings a bit less stressful today.