12.5 million days were lost due to work related stress, depression or anxiety in 2016/17. This leads many people to believe that all stress is bad for you. This, however, is not true. Stress is not always a bad thing - it can actually be motivational. Have you had that surge of adrenaline when a piece of work has to be submitted before a deadline? That’s stress. However, it’s a specific type of stress called ‘Eustress.’

The term ‘Eustress’ means beneficial stress. The term was coined by endocrinologist Hans Selyne, utilising the Greek prefix eu – meaning “good,” so it literally means “good stress.” This type of stress gives us a burst of energy, improves our performance and feels exciting. However, there’s a tipping point and too much stress will take us out of the “eustress” zone and into “distress.”

It’s important we keep ourselves in the “eustress” zone and out of “distress.” The good news is that this is completely within our control, and even better news is that it’s relatively easy to do with consistent repetition of specific behaviours. Repetition is key here; we need to perform the same behaviours, consistently over time, to build up resilience building habits.

Habits can be formed to help us build resilience (and therefore protect us from distress) in 3 areas: the body, mind and environment. The 6 tips below will all make a huge difference to your resilience at work. Pick one tip from each section, do it consistently for 30 days and I promise you will see a difference.

1)     Building Resilience in the Body

Walking – New research suggests that 10,000 steps a day is not the holy grail that we should be aiming for. Instead, it’s been found to be more beneficial to take part in ‘Active 10’. This is where you undertake 3 brisk 10-minute walks a day. Walking helps reduce stress by putting you in a meditative state and freeing you from negative thoughts. It also boosts endorphins, reduces fatigue, improves sleep and even sharpens your memory!

Water - During times of stress we can forget to drink, studies have shown that being just half a litre dehydrated can increase your cortisol levels (the stress hormone). Drink 8 glasses of water a day and see the difference it can make.

2)     Building Resilience in the Mind

Meditation – There is now a wealth of studies available that demonstrate how a regular meditation habit can help protect us from stress. If you have constant, racing thoughts and struggle to switch off that negative voice in your head, then just 10 minutes of meditation a day can transform and calm your mind. Try a guided meditation app such as Headspace or Insight Timer which will teach you how to mediate.

Gratitude – A positive attitude can protect us from a downward spiral that’s triggered by a stressful event. The good news is that a positive attitude can be cultivated. One of the best ways to increase your positivity is by practising gratitude. A nightly practice that I do with my 7-year-old daughter, where we recap 3 things that have happened that day that we are grateful for. The difference it makes to your mindset is huge.

3)     Creating a Resilient Environment

Distraction free time – How often have you had the feeling that you’ve been busy all day at the office but haven’t done any work? This is often because the workplace is a hugely distracting environment. One study revealed that the average employee spends 28% of their time dealing with unnecessary interruptions. This can be hugely stressful as it impacts our productivity. If your workplace is distracting then try to find a way you can get some regular uninterrupted time: work from home, in a meeting room or a coffee shop. If your workplace doesn’t support this then maybe you should find one that does!

Cut the junk – Try to encourage work colleagues to banish sugar; it’s what body craves sugar when stressed, and due to the way sugar is processed in the body the more you eat the more you crave! A recent study described office “cake culture” as a health hazard that’s fuelling the obesity crisis. It’s not about banning fun from the workplace, it’s about finding other ways to celebrate that will keep us in ‘eustress’ and not send us into ‘distress.’

The tips above are proven ways to keep us away from the “distress zone.” They work for 100% of the people, 100% of the time……IF you practise the habit consistently!