Can't ditch the office? Take a desktop vacation

By Peggy O'Farrell
Cincinnati Enquirer

Your in-box is so full the system is about to crash. Your boss is crankier than a 2-year-old who has missed his nap. The phones won't stop ringing. The fax machine is on life support. And every project you're responsible for from now until retirement is due before lunch.

Mental stress causes people's hearts to skip a few beats, beat too fast or even stop, say researchers at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Md. Their study, released in March, shows mental stress puts more of a strain on the heart than physical stress does.

And workplace stress is epidemic, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health: 40 percent to 60 percent of American workers say the source of their paycheck is also the source of their greatest stress.

Layoffs, downsizing, rightsizing, outsourcing — whatever you call it, fewer people are doing more work, and that takes a toll, says Dr. Walter Smitson, a psychiatrist and director of the Central Clinic, a psychiatric center at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

"At many workplaces, technology has increased the stress," he says. "It requires faster responses."

Here are some desktop strategies for coping on those days when the cube farm is too big, too loud and too rushed, and your head feels at least a size too small:

• Beautiful music. If your job allows, music is a great way to lift the spirits while slowing the pulse rate. Instrumental music is probably the least distracting, but use whatever works for you. Just keep the volume low enough that you don't damage your eardrums or annoy your neighbors.
• Pretty pictures. Experts recommend that you choose a beautiful beach or nature scene as the backdrop for your computer and transport yourself someplace tranquil for a few seconds. Think of it as a mini-escape without a passport or plane ticket.
• Deep breaths. People report feeling choked or breathless when they're angry or under stress — mostly because they forget to breathe. Diane Utaski, certified yoga instructor and owner of the Cincinnati Yoga School and Bookstore, recommends this technique: Mindfully watch the breath by counting the breaths at equal lengths. Inhale to four counts. Exhale to four counts. Repeat as necessary to calm a stressful situation.
• Move it. If you can, go for a quick walk around the block.