Whilst workplace stress and stress-related absences are increasing, it seems that our understanding of how to manage our stress just cannot quite keep up! Feeling stressed or under pressure can be overwhelming, which can lead to some physical and emotional symptoms, such as sickness, fatigue or feelings of anxiety.
At work, excessive stress can have significant impacts on our productivity and performance. This can make it difficult for us to organise our work and time efficiently, come up with innovative ideas for our work and order our thoughts.
However, there are simple and quick methods we can use to help reduce our levels of stress, such as mind mapping! Mind mapping is a practical and creative tool that can help to organise our thoughts and work more effectively, which can in turn help us to manage our stress levels.
Brainstorming our ideas when our heads are feeling full is a quick and easy way to clear our minds and visually see our ideas. This way we can sort through and organise them effectively, whilst making a beautiful presentation that we can look at whenever we want to! Using mind mapping can help us break down the larger and more overwhelming tasks or thoughts into smaller, more manageable chunks.
Starting with a central idea and adding different branches of ideas and keywords, can also lead us to explore other related concepts to expand the mind map further. Adding colours, shapes and pictures can spark our creative self, which can make our mind maps even more memorable. This can ultimately reduce the pressure we place on ourselves to keep multiple thoughts and ideas in our heads, allowing us to look through each one methodically, adding and taking away unnecessary items as needed.
At work, mind maps can be used to write to-do lists, plan our work, remember points from important meetings, noting any stressors, or even keep a portfolio of the positive things we have achieved in the job. Mind maps can also be shared with other people as a way to present information in a more appealing and easier to digest format.
One of the best qualities of a mind map is how unique and personal they can be. They can be used in whichever way best suits you, whether it is for a practical organisation or to mindfully explore your thoughts further. So, give mind mapping ago, you could be surprised at how relaxing the process can be!
