Work is stressful. But it doesn’t have to be.
Some may think the only way to reduce stress is by completely removing yourself from a stressful situation, but that solution simply isn’t realistic. You can’t run away every time your job gets hectic! No, there are other ways to manage work-related stress, both in and outside the workplace.
The first step is to recognise the warning signs of stress. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Constantly worrying? Unable to concentrate? To relax? To sleep? These are all common symptoms of stress.
Once you realise you’re getting frazzled at work, then the second step is to organise and prioritise your tasks. Make a list of the things that need to get done that day and rank them in order of importance. Finish as many tasks as possible during your shift, and then when it’s time to go home, try to avoid lingering at work or bringing assignments home. Britons work the longest hours in Europe, averaging 40 days of unpaid overtime per annum. But overtime will often only aggravate stress and do more harm than good in the end. If work-related stress is common for you, make sure you aren’t over-committing yourself, and learn to say no to new projects when necessary.
The third step to dealing with stress in the long term is to take care of yourself. Get in the habit of eating healthy, getting enough sleep and exercising daily so that your body and mind stay nourished. If you keep it up, you might notice yourself becoming better focussed and more productive at work.
And finally, the fourth step is to learn to laugh. Put your workload in perspective and realise that ultimately, if something can’t be finished today, it’ll still be there tomorrow.
In addition to these general tips, there are other things you can do to ease stress, based on the type of job you have. Working in a supermarket, for instance, typically requires constant face-to-face interaction with customers, which can be tiring. So a good stress-reducer in this line of work is to set goals for yourself. The goal can be either personal or job-related — the important thing is that it’s challenging and fun, like learning a language or fixing up an old car. The sense of accomplishment from achieving goals can help eliminate stress.
Whatever your job may be, there is a way to lessen your work-related stress. Give these tips a try and see the difference it makes. Want to share the information with your friends? We have created an infographic on how to manage stress at work including all the tips outlined here.
Poundy
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These are useful tips. For dealing with work stress, I try to push people toward a simple five step approach: Recall, Relax, Reflect, Respond and Restore. In other words: recognize what stresses you out, relax when it surfaces, think about your thoughts and perceptions, alter your response so it’s less stressful and finally restore your body through social support, work/life balance etc.