How to manage stress at work

Job stress can be challenging and can sometimes become overwhelming. It affects both the physical and emotional health of individuals. Most people have, at some point, experienced pressure to meet a deadline or to deliver a job at their place of work.

Work stress has potential health consequences such as insomnia, high blood pressure, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome.

People who experience excessive stress often rely on detrimental habits such as overeating unhealthy foods, smoking, drinking alcohol, and abusing drugs to deal with it.

You might not be able to find a low-stress job, but you can learn to cope with the stress you are experiencing by using these strategies.

Be Clear on Your Job Description

Employees may end up stressed because of a lack of specific requirements for their job or if the requirements keep changing with little notice or no notice at all. If you do not know these, it can cause tension and stress. If you find yourself in this situation, you may talk with your supervisor or employer. You can also discuss strategies for meeting expectations and targets. These can relieve stress for both of you.

Track your stressors

The best way to deal with stress is to identify and record its source. It can be something in your home or another workplace, especially for a family person with multiple streams of income.

Record your responses to stress triggers and include the people, places, and events that give you physical, mental, or emotional reactions throughout a set period.

As you write, ask yourself:

How did it affect me?
What was my reaction?
What are the ways of resolving it?

Set boundaries

In today’s digital world, people may feel pressure to be available 24 hours a day and to keep working. Ensure that you establish a work-life balance. You can set a rule of not checking your email from home in the evening, or not answering the phone business calls after work.

Although people have their preferences when it comes to balancing their work and life, creating some clear boundaries between these realms can minimize possible work-life conflict and the stress that comes with it.

Stay Organized

Planning and being more organized during the day can significantly reduce your stress. This includes setting up a schedule for all of your tasks, streamlining the morning to avoid running late, and making sure important things are completed before you leave at the end of the day.

Being organized means that you’ll spend more time on your work and less time fixating on minor details.

Communicate with your supervisor

Communicate with your supervisor to create an open dialogue about what you identify as experiencing stress. The main objective of an open conversation is to create a plan of action to address stressors that might be affecting your performance. Part of this plan may include developing your skills in managing time, identifying resources offered by employers, and clarifying expectations.

Get some support

To reduce work-related stress, you may find it helpful to talk with friends or family for emotional support. Employers often have resources to help their employees manage stress, including online information and counseling through an employee assistance program. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by work-related stress, you may speak with a psychologist who can provide solutions tailored to your individual needs.

Take time to recharge

To avoid the burnout of chronic stress, we need periods to replenish and be able to return to our pre-stress level of functioning. This recovery process requires ‘switching off from work by having periods where you are neither engaging in work-related activities nor thinking about work. To maintain a well-balanced lifestyle, disconnecting from time to time is necessary, but in a way that fits your needs and preferences. Always endeavor to use your vacation days. When possible, take time off so you can relax, unwind, and have a break from work so that when you come back, you are feeling reinvigorated and ready to perform at your best. When you’re not able to take time off, then find ways to disconnect with yourself by turning off your smartphone and doing something nonwork-related for a while.”

Learn how to relax

To reduce stress, try meditation, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness. To get started, spend a few minutes each day focusing on a simple activity like walking, breathing, or eating. This will strengthen your skill of being able to focus purposefully on a specific activity without distraction.

Stay out of gossip

Gossiping is a toxic habit that can hurt your emotional well-being. Avoid it as much as you can. If you know your colleague is prone to gossip, don’t spend time with them or try to change the conversation to unrelated topics

Develop healthy responses

To help with stress, try to make healthy choices instead of reaching for junk food or alcohol. Exercise, hobbies, and favorite activities such as playing games with your family can be healthy ways of reducing stress. Consider getting enough good-quality sleep each night to effectively manage your stress.

Avoid Perfectionism

It’s impossible to do everything perfectly every time. Busy jobs are stressful, and a strategy to avoid perfectionism is always striving to do your best and praising yourself for your efforts. You may find that your results are better and with less stress.

Be Your Own Best Critic

Emotional negativity can be just as harmful as an external event. Instead of being harsh on yourself, try boosting your thoughts. Encouraging thoughts will help you to meet your goals, and will train you to inspire others.

Eliminate Interruptions

Every day, there is more and more distraction in our lives. Emails, phone calls, and instant messages are bombarding us throughout our days. Distractions are a standard part of work; however, you can control your response to them. There are three ways for responding to interruptions: accept the interruption, cut it off, or respond with importance and make a plan. There are also ways to train those around you by answering emails during specific windows and closing doors when focused on work.