Work can be a huge factor of stress in our lives. Six out of ten people complain that their work setting prevents them from being productive. From gossiping co-workers to loud hallway conversations, there are a lot of distractions present in the office. You cannot ignore the hectic environment, so your efficiency decreases. We all understand that.
When you have 5 projects on your plate, 2 customers waiting for your advice, and 9 other tasks you have to deal with, things get out of control. All that hustle and bustle puts a lot of pressure on you. It is way too much to handle, and it becomes overwhelming and exhausting.
In order to keep sane, you must learn how to deal with these stressful situations, and eventually overcome them. Otherwise, you might slowly go insane. Here are five tips on how to avoid stress at your work place.
Best 5 Steps to Stop Stress While Working
1. First, Take a Deep Breath
If you are angry or worried, you will not be able to solve any problems. So before you start this “healing process,” make sure you take a deep breath and think about what stresses you out in the first place. It might be your colleagues chatting, the printing machine, or even the music the person next to you listens to. Whatever it is, sit down and think before you take any action. Breathe in, breathe out.
Keep a journal of the stress factors. Write them down every time they pop into your head. Make sure you track them regularly, and that you become aware of the situations that create the stress. If there is a chance you can avoid these situations, do it. In the journal, write down your responses to the stress factors. How do you react? What are your feelings? Can you change something? Analyze your behaviour daily, and keep finding plausible solutions.
2. Act Upon It
Do not let stress get to you that fast! I know that out of control situations bring a lot of stress with them, but take them one by one. If you start feeling stressed about a certain thing, resolve it before another situation shows up. Get rid of the stressful situations one by one, do not let them multiply. If there are too many coming your way, you will soon feel like you are losing it. Make sure you take it step by step!
For example, if you feel like you are taking too many tasks at a time, give up on some. In today’s world, people tend to underappreciate their free time. Make sure that you have enough time to rest, and set boundaries. Respect your alone time, your family time, your spouse time. Do not let work overwhelm you with endless tasks and assignments.
3. Respond Adequately
When we are too caught up in our stressful work, we tend to develop unhealthy habits. If you constantly feel the need to eat or smoke, you must know something goes wrong in your life. And guess what it is? Oh yes, stress.
In response to those nasty habits, make sure you develop new routines that balance the nastiness. For example, go to the gym more often, start taking yoga session, or even meditate. You can cook a different dish every other night and have your family spend quality time together over an amazing dinner. Develop new hobbies and activities that relax you, and make sure you get enough sleep.
Take time to do things for yourself, and whenever you feel that the stress is hitting your nerves, hit back. Counteract positively, and keep the balance stable. Always.
4. Communicate With Your Supervisor
If you feel like your tasks are starting to add up too quickly, talk to your supervisor. Make sure you let him know how you feel, and why you need to take it slower. Your work is important, but your health is paramount. Without health, you are not able to do anything, so it is essential that you stay in a good shape by all means. Here are some ideas on how to approach your supervisor.
- Expose the problem you encounter without complaining
- Let him/her know how lack of sleep/relaxation affects your life
- Ask for advice and an effective plan on how to handle tasks easier
- Specify that you want to improve your time-management skills
- Make him/her clarify what they expect of you
- Ask for the necessary resources to increase performance
Your supervisor’s job is to create a comfortable environment for its employees. Approaching him will benefit both you and your colleagues. Believe me, there must be at least one person in the office feeling the same as you do.
5. Last But Not Least, Get Support
If you feel like you can’t handle everything on your own, do not freak out. There are a lot of people feeling the same as you. I was one of them, and at some point, I realized I needed help. I am not saying you have to take the same path – just make sure you got everything under control.
A good idea for getting the right support would be consulting a psychologist, or developing deep conversations with friends and family. Your employer could actually help too, since he is familiar with the employee assistance program (EAS). You could also look for online advice, but that is not usually the best advice. I would rather see a counsellor than search for potentially wrong information online.
Wrapping Things Up
When you feel like things are starting to get out of hand, make sure you take a deep breath and think. If you need a break, take it, do not hesitate. Take care of your health and switch negative habits to funny routines. Go out and explore your passions and hobbies. Get some support if you feel like you need it, do not be ashamed of it. Confront your boss and tell him how you feel. Have good conversations with your family. Make sure you live a happy, distressful life… and smile! Good luck, my friend.
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