4 mindfulness exercises to manage stress over a work project

A past-due deadline. An unsaved document. An unproductive team member.

A woman holds her head in her hands at a desk in front of a laptop.

Managing stress over a work project that isn't going the way you planned is tough. Taking advantage of mindfulness exercises can get you out of your head — and back to the work ahead.

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1. Start with a Deep Breath

I know, I know. Taking a deep breath is the most basic advice when managing a stressful moment.

But it works for a reason! Yoga practices often recommend starting with a slow breath to reduce tension, lower your heart rate, and even stabilize blood pressure. You can apply this to a work environment, too. If you're finding yourself overwhelmed in the moment, try the following steps:

Inhale for a count of four
Hold this breath for a count of seven
Exhale for a count of eight

According to WebMD, this mindfulness exercise can produce relaxation responses that calm you in times of stress.

Use the video below to help you with the breathing counts:

Did you know?

According to a recent study, breathing practices can even help fight major depression.

2. Perform a Body Scan

Body scans are another mindfulness exercise that can recenter you before tackling a difficult project. According to Psychology Today, it's a tool that helps you release tension and even reduce symptoms of illness.

An animated figure sits in lotus pose.

Sit at your desk and close your eyes. Then, mentally scan your body from head to toe. Where are there areas of tension? Where do you feel a tightness?

Starting with your head, take five seconds and relax your muscles. Then, your neck. Continue all the way down to your toes. Now you're ready to jump back into work!

3. Try Naming Your Emotions

When overwhelmed, even figuring out what you're feeling can be a challenge. Too much going on in your head can make it impossible to work through what is causing you the most concern.

A tablet has the word 'anxiety' printed in black on the screen.

Simply naming a difficult emotion can help you make sense of it and work towards managing it. Take a moment and sit with negative feelings. Are you anxious? Afraid? Embarrassed?

Once you have a name for your emotions, you can choose how to react to it.

4. Practice the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique

This mindfulness exercise helps you move away from your thoughts and into the present world. If you find yourself overwhelmed in the moment by work stress, take a moment and ask yourself these five questions:

What are five things you can see?
Now, close your eyes. What are four things you can touch?
Three things you can hear?
Two things you can smell?
One thing you can taste?

A man with glasses closes his eyes and rests his finger on his nose.

Quiz

What situation would using the 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique be most appropriate in?

During a performance evaluation

When driving home after a difficult day

In the middle of a challenging interview

While overthinking a stressful task

Take Action

Being overwhelmed with work stress doesn't have to take over your life. Any of these mindfulness exercises can give you the peace you need to center yourself and prepare to hit the ground running with any project.

A well-organized work space with flowers on a desk and inspirational statements in a picture frame.

Take a deep breath before anything else.

A body scan can ground you — are you holding tension anywhere?

Grounding techniques are your friend. Use them in times of panic.

Check out more Bytes that can help you manage burnout or stress.