Five Ways To Keep Blood Pressure Down In The Workplace

Sometimes jobs can be so stressful that it's everything you can do to stay sane during a busy day. It's in your best interest to work on calming yourself, though. High stress can lead to heightened blood pressure, and heightened blood pressure can lead to a whole range of medical problems.

Here are just a few of the problems that can stem from a consistently raised blood pressure:

• damage to arteries
• heart attack
• aneurysm
• enlarged heart
• heart failure
• stroke
• kidney failure
• dementia

Pretty bad, right? That's why these five tips for keeping your blood pressure down are so important!

1. Work On Time Management

One leading cause of stress in the workplace is being under a time crunch. Whether it's a looming deadline or a task you've been putting off for weeks, the pressure of the clock can quickly build. It doesn't have to drive you crazy, though. Practicing time management skills such as carefully planning out your day and setting clear hourly goals can help ease the tension and give you room to breathe.

2. Saying 'No'

In the rush to impress your coworkers and bosses and reach the next step of your career, it can be easy to take on more than you can realistically handle. But the more responsibility you have in your job, the more important it is to learn how to say no. It might cause some anxiety to tell your boss that you don't have time for another major project on your schedule, but that's nothing compared to the annoyance spared by turning that project in late or poorly done.

3. Sleep Better

Blood pressure is tied to general health, not just your day-to-day job stress. That means what you do outside of work can have an impact too, and one of the biggest sources of that impact is your sleep patterns. If you don't sleep enough, or if your sleep is constantly interrupted, it can have a major impact on your mood, performance, energy, and overall health. These problems are likely to make you work slower or at a lower level of quality, which will perpetuate more stress and more sleepless nights. Break that cycle as soon as possible by getting a good night's sleep of seven to nine hours.

4. Take Exercise Breaks

This one is especially important for office jobs or any workplace that has you sitting behind a computer most of the day instead of on your feet. Find spots in your day where you can take a break -- even just a short one -- to stand up and move around. Ideally, you should take a 30-minute break at least once in your day to do moderate exercise. But even if that's not possible, taking 10 minutes to go for a walk or climb up and down some stairs will work wonders.

5. Ask For Help

As with saying no, this step can be nerve-wracking. For many people, it isn't easy to admit that you need help with a task. Think of it this way, though: You could spend hours of your day working at 110 percent just to finish one thing that you don't have expertise in. Or you could take 10 minutes to ask your coworker who knows that subject much better to help out and then move on stress-free. Choose the second option. Your blood pressure will thank you!