Simple Ways to Manage Stress at Work
Work is one of the most common sources of stress, even if you love your job. Pressure to complete a task, deal with a difficult coworker, or meet a deadline can cause even the most stalwart employee to feel burned out over time.
Some of the most common sources of work-related stress include low salaries, lack of support, not having control over job-related decisions, conflicting demands, and excessive workloads.
People respond differently to life’s stressors. Some may use exercise and mindfulness to manage their stress levels, while others may turn to unhealthy methods such as eating fast food or abusing drugs and alcohol to deal with stressful situations. It’s vital to understand ways to manage stress effectively, even for people who thrive in a fast-paced work environment.
Journal Your Stressors
One of the most effective ways to minimize stress at work is by recording your work experiences in a journal, particularly the situations that cause you stress. Writing about the circumstances, setting, characters involved, and how you responded can help identify patterns in what causes you stress.
You may eventually be able to recognize stressful situations from a more objective point of view as they’re happening, minimizing their effect.
Get Professional Support
There’s no shame in seeking help from a trusted friend or family member, or talking to your employer about stress management resources available for employees. Many jobs may offer counseling or referrals to behavioral health services.
Employers dedicated to helping employees with addiction or mental health issues will ensure a healthier and happier workforce.
Communicate With Your Supervisor
Open and honest communication with your supervisor can be beneficial in work-related stress management. It’s in a supervisor’s best interest to keep their employees happy and incentivized to be productive, so talking to your boss about stressors may lead to a change in your physical workspace and assigned tasks to make it more comfortable.
Employers can also help connect you to wellness resources that may include training on time management or job skill improvement.
Develop Healthy Coping Strategies
When overly stressed, it’s easy to turn to fast food or drinking alcohol to deal with tension. While these coping strategies may seem to work in the short term, over time they will only lead to health problems and more stress in your life. Instead of indulging in unhealthy habits, try physical activity or spending time with family and friends.
Studies show that exercise for stress management can be more effective for some people than talk therapy or anti-anxiety medications.
Establish Work-Life Boundaries
It can be hard to know when your job begins and ends, particularly in the age of remote work. If you find yourself becoming overly stressed, set some work-life boundaries to help keep the job realm separate from the rest of your life. You can do this by setting a policy to only check your work email while you’re on the clock, or not answering the phone during family time.
Setting clear boundaries may help you let go of stress accumulated at work so it doesn’t affect the rest of your life.
Practice Mindfulness
Psychologists have found that practicing mindfulness meditation can improve mental and physical health.
Mindfulness meditation is a way of training your attention to focus on what’s happening in the present moment. It involves concentrating on your breath, physical sensations, and the fleeting nature of your thoughts to achieve a state of calm and positive emotions. With practice, you can learn how to observe your negative thoughts and feelings without judgment, and let them go.
Stress will always be a part of life. Too much stress, particularly in the workplace, can lead people to develop an array of unhealthy habits to cope with the anxiety. The above tips may help you manage stress at work more effectively, but if you find yourself still in a state of high tension, talking to a mental health professional may be the best way to achieve lasting relief.
Author Bio
Kent Reason is an editor and content specialist with Ark Behavioral Health, a substance-use treatment provider with locations in Massachusetts and Ohio. Ark offers an array of services for addiction and mental health, including multiple levels of care and evidence-based treatment options.