Research has shown that work is one of the leading causes of stress in the world. The pressure to meet up with deadlines and all other demands of work can sometimes get to you and cause you to feel tired, anxious and stressed out. In the long run, it can lead to burnout, depression and even health problems.
To help you handle work stress and avoid burnout, you need to take specific steps to handle stress at work.
In this article, our focus shall be on how you can handle/manage stress at work and prevent burnout and other related problems.
What is Stress Management
Stress management is used to describe the various ways, steps, techniques, tools that can help you handle stress. According to Mayo Clinic, stress management comprises the various ways to help you better deal with stress and difficulty, also called adversity, in all aspects of your life.
Through stress management techniques and strategies, you will be able to effectively manage stress in all areas of your life including your work.
Six Signs That You Are Stressed at Work
- Constant weakness/tiredness.
- Headaches and muscle tension.
- Anxiety and depression.
- Anger and frustration.
- Insomnia/difficulty sleeping.
- Absenteeism and presenteeism.
- Poor work performance/results.
These are just a few of the many ways to tell if you’re experiencing work stress.
Causes of Work Stress
There are a lot of reasons why you can get stressed at work such as:
- Unrealistic deadlines/expectations.
- Conflicts/disagreements at work.
- Overwhelming work demands.
- Poor relationships with your boss/supervisor and co-workers.
- Toxic work environment.
- Constantly working overtime, etc.
ALSO READ: 10 Self-Care Practices to Help You Relax and Unwind.
How Can You Manage/Handle Stress at Work?
1. Identify triggers and parts of your work that makes you stressed
To help you cope or handle work stress, you must try to find out aspects of your work that is causing you to feel tired and anxious.
For example, as an employee, you could be feeling stressed because of constantly working overtime or carrying out tasks beyond your capabilities. Once you are able to pinpoint the exact aspects of your work that is causing stress, you will be able to make the right changes.
To help you do this, you can decide to keep a Stress Journal. When you constantly note down things that are causing you stress at work, you will be to make proper decisions.
2. Develop healthy and practical coping strategies
Everyone has different ways to handle stress. For example, you might discover that exercising helps you take away the pressure from work and makes you feel less stressed. But this might not work for other people.
It is also not enough that you find practical ways to cope with stress but it must also be healthy. Some people cope with stress by getting drunk, eating junk food, etc., but this is only a temporary solution and bound to affect your health in the future.
3. Practice mindfulness and meditation
Mindfulness is the practice of being conscious or aware of your thoughts, body and environment. While meditation is the practice of clearing your mind of all distracting thoughts and focusing on a particular image, mantra or thought.
These two practices are one of the most common ways you can handle stress. The good news is that they can be done even at work.
Here is a simple meditation routine you can practice at work-
Look for a quiet place in your office or even at your desk. You can close your eyes if you think it will help you stay focused. Try to calm your mind and focus on a particular thought/mantra/image. As you do this, take slow deep breaths.
Doing this for 5-10 minutes at work can calm your mind and relieve your stress
4. Take care of your body
It is inevitable to feel stressed at work once in a while. To help you handle it, take care of your physical health.
How can you take care of your body?
- Eating healthy and nutritious foods at regular hours.
- Exercising regularly.
- Getting adequate sleep.
- Reducing your intake of junk foods.
- Quitting or reducing cigarettes and alcohol intake.
5. Take regular breaks at work
No matter how busy you may be at work, try to take regular and short breaks. You could decide to go on short walks during lunch hours.
It could even be as simple as walking around and talking to your coworkers for a short time
6. Set realistic goals
We all want to achieve all our goals at work but that doesn’t mean we should do it at the expense of our mental health.
For example, if you are in charge of a particular task at work but you are constantly trying to meet deadlines and always feeling pressured, this can cause you to feel stressed, anxious and ultimately burnout.
So, set goals that you can achieve without feeling pressured. If you are struggling with meeting up with deadlines or tasks, talk to your boss or supervisor.
Also learn to say ‘No’ to tasks that are time-consuming and beyond your capabilities at the moment.
7. Learn time management skills
Time management is a skill that you must possess to work efficiently at work without sacrificing your mental health. It is the ability to plan your time among different activities efficiently.
If you have a lot of tasks to carry out, managing your time will help you prioritize the most important ones and cut back on any unnecessary tasks that are wasting your time.
It will also help you choose realistic deadlines. For example, if you work for 10 hours a day and you are trying to do a job that is supposed to take 24 hours, you are bound to feel stressed.
Furthermore, it will help you break down large projects into smaller and achievable tasks. With time management, you will be able to use your time efficiently without getting burnout.
8. Set work-life boundaries
There is a difference between your work and your personal life. If you constantly work when you should be with your family, you are bound to feel stressed.
For example, if you are always working during the weekends, this can significantly increase your stress levels and even worse, lead to burnout.
Therefore, you must be very careful not to blur the lines between your personal life and your work. Don’t constantly bring work home unless it is absolutely necessary. Get a life outside your job.
9. Ask for help
Many of us are significantly stressed at work from our work demands and all it will take to manage the situation is to ask for assistance.
However, we refuse to do so either out of pride or embarrassment. But there is nothing wrong about asking for help.
So, if you have a task that you struggle with and is pressuring you, ask for help from your colleagues. Do not suffer in silence.
Also, if you are a boss or self-employed, try to delegate tasks that might be adding to your burden.
10. Talk to a therapist
This is one of the best ways to handle work stress. A therapist will help you analyze the issues that are making you stressed at work and also teach you better and heathier ways you can handle it.
To speak with a therapist and learn how to handle stress at work, book a session with us now.
Conclusion
Feeling stressed at work is very common and you must learn how to handle it effectively. Through time management, setting boundaries, asking for help and other practices mentioned above, you will be able to manage stress at work efficiently.
To learn more about stress management and other ways to take care of your mental health, join our mental health community today.