Stress at the workplace may take its toll on everyone. Email, Slack messages, ringing phones, and a coworker stopping by for an impromptu meeting are enough to make anyone agitated.
It’s natural to feel tense, especially if you’re working on a deadline or a difficult job. When work stress becomes chronic, it can hurt both your physical and emotional health.
Workplace stress is unavoidable, even if you enjoy your job, but there are actions you can take to limit it to a minimum.
Stress symptoms
Here are some of the more subtle indications of stress:
- sweating
- low self-esteem
- loss of sex drive
- frequent illnesses
- low energy or fatigue
- headaches
- insomnia
- changes in appetite
- digestive issues
- rapid heart rate
Suggestions on how to deal with stress at work:
Make a list of your stressors
Identifying and recording stressful circumstances might assist you in gaining a better understanding of what is bothering you. Some can be subtle sources of anxiety, such as an oppressive work environment or a lengthy commute.
For one week, keep a journal to track your stress triggers and how you react to them. Include persons, places, and events that caused you to have a bodily, mental, or emotional reaction.
Ask yourself:
- “How did this make me feel?” while you write. (Are you afraid, furious, or hurt?)
- “So, how did I react?” (Did I go for a walk or go to the vending machine afterward?)
- “What are some possible solutions?”
Investigate novel soothing techniques
To help you focus and relax, try a guided meditation, a bedtime story, or expert-designed stretches.
Take time to recharge
Burnout can be avoided by taking even a few minutes of personal time throughout a busy day. Listening to a fascinating podcast or watching a hilarious Youtube video between meetings might provide you with relaxing breaks throughout the day.
It’s also vital to disconnect from your phone in the evenings and not check work-related emails on your time off to avoid thinking about your job.
Work on your time management abilities
It’s not always about how organized you were when feeling stressed at work. Prepare tasks and rank them in order of significance to create a priority list at the start of your workweek. Setting aside specific time blocks for deep concentration work might also help you overcome procrastination.
Maintain a healthy work-life balance
Being available at work 24 hours a day, seven days a week will quickly exhaust you. To reduce potential stress, it’s critical to establish clear boundaries between your job and personal life.
Setting aside time for socializing and defining guidelines for when you’ll check emails or take phone calls are also important aspects of this.
Reconsider your negative thoughts
When you’ve been dealing with worry and chronic stress for a long time, your mind may be prone to jumping to conclusions and seeing everything through a negative lens. If your employer doesn’t greet you first thing in the morning, you might assume “they’re upset with me.”
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Rather than making snap judgments, consider separating yourself from your negative thoughts and simply observing them.
Have a strong support system
To cope with stressful job situations, keep in touch with reliable friends and family members. If you’re having a tough work week, see if you can enlist the support of parents and friends to carpool your children to school on certain days.
Having friends you can rely upon through difficult times can help relieve some of the strain built up.
Acquire relaxing skills
Slowing down and intentionally being aware of your surroundings may help you stay comfortable throughout the week. Meditation, deep breathing, and mindfulness are all helpful anxiety-reduction practices.
Begin by setting aside a few minutes each day to be present and appreciate a simple activity, such as lunch at your desk or a walk in the park.
Speak with your boss
Having your boss’s support can significantly reduce feelings of burnout.
Set out some time to talk with them privately and calmly express feeling overwhelmed by difficult chores. Instead of listing grievances, start the conversation with a problem-solving mindset.
You may say, for example, that you’d like to go over what’s required of you outside of work hours because things are feeling a little stressful right now. The goal is to discover a solution that alleviates stress.
Consider contacting someone in your company’s human resources department if this task seems intimidating or if you don’t have a solid relationship with your boss (if available). They can guide you through the dialogue and provide troubleshooting advice.
