One of the things with my job is the flexibility of being able to do certain things here lately. So, I work in research but with my background in counseling, I’ve been given the task of adding more wellness events throughout our department and other things my team is involved in. One such event occurred this week and I wanted to share because of how beneficial it can be in managing stress. April, was Stress Awareness Month and I think being able to find simple things to manage stress is key. You could think outside the box in figuring out coping techniques that are effective.

I thought it would be a good idea to do an event called a ‘Pop & Chip’ event. We brought in a bunch of bubble wrap that people could pop and assortments of different chips and just took a little moment during work to enjoy ourselves. One minute of popping bubble wrap  is equivalent to a 30-minute massage, that’s the research side of me that really appreciated facts like that. Also, its more pleasurable when you do it with others. I think this was a way to bring the department together, people found different ways to pop the bubble wrap and you got to see people’s personalities on the method of bubble wrap popping they chose. Have you ever used bubble wrap to help relieve stress? I think it’s a method that we sometimes forgot, I don’t know if it’s the sound or the feel of it but it is calming when you need a brief moment.

Now, you may not have to necessarily have an event but maybe it could be your very own personal time, where you just include bubble wrap and chips for one.

We are at work most of our days so why not incorporate things within our day that can help us get through it? Not everyday will be perfect, some days can be more chaotic than others but its all about how you choose to give yourself that “me time” to really balance out your days. I think having a focus each day to take some time for yourself in some way, can be helpful. Even looking out the window for a minute and seeing the birds flying around, can bring a little smile to your face when needed. Have a great weekend and come back next week.

Thanks for reading

Alvie