If allowed a minute of honesty, we’d all agree that work comes with a lot of stress that doesn’t even level up to the fulfillment we claim to get from our jobs.
Mishandling work stress can lead to fatigue and unproductiveness in the workplace. A job that stresses you more than you earn might not be worth it if you are burnt out. However, bills need to be paid, so sometimes, you can only find ways to manage stress and keep your job.
Ways to manage stress in the workplace.
Handling work-related stress can foster a happier work life, allowing you to enjoy good physical and mental health.
Setting realistic work goals
The first way to manage stress is by setting realistic work goals. Overworking yourself because you are handling many projects and trying to multitask would end up causing stress that would limit your chances of achieving all your work goals.
Be realistic. Tell yourself the truth and set aside tasks you can accomplish based on the time you have to work in a week. Doing this would have you plan effectively for each job or task and the ways to achieve them before the week runs out.
Therefore you know the amount of workload you can handle in a week and how it should be allocated.
Keep a record of what stresses you the most
Keeping a record of what stresses you the most in your workplace could help you eliminate and filter things that aren’t important in your work life.
If you track your stressors, i.e., the situations, people, or work activities that stressed you the most in a week, you will be able to decipher problems to avoid, tasks to reject, or people to distance yourself from at your workplace if possible.
Keeping track of the things or events that stress you are an excellent way to monitor your reactions to those things. It’s like intimate personal therapy for yourself, and it can be a perfect way to handle work-related stress.
Establishing boundaries
Establishing boundaries is an excellent way to handle work-related stress. The boundaries to be set are for yourself to know when to start and stop working.
Often, people work all day due to unfinished tasks at work. They take the unfinished tasks home to complete. So that means they work both their office hours and add home office hours. The time which is supposed to be designated for rest would be used to work.
As a result of this, there’s never enough time for rest. Their alarm clock goes off in the morning, and they are up again. The stress has not been eliminated, and they are returning to work to add to the existing stress and workload.
So, it is advisable to set boundaries. And know how to find a good work-life balance. So next time that email from work pops up during dinner or that call from your boss comes, kindly ignore the email or ask your boss to leave a message. After all, your working hours are over unless you are paid for overtime. Secondly, if you get sick or die, you’ll definitely be replaced.
Relish your leisure time
Relish your leisure time not only because you deserve it but because that’s an excellent way to manage stress in your workplace. Enjoy that lunch break. Enjoy that paid or unpaid vacation. Enjoy that public holiday. Let yourself breathe and do other things you like.
During this time of your relaxation, ensure you make the most out of it before you are thrown back into a pile of work at your office. You could meditate, paint, listen to music, watch movies, play video games, go on a spa session, go shopping, visit a museum, read a book, go wine tasting and eat to your heart’s content.
The way you take your work life seriously, take your life without work seriously too. Putting yourself first, mentally and physically, is a good form of self-care. Could you not take it for granted?
Speak to your bosses
Having a boss who is an overachiever can be hard sometimes. That kind of person loves work and doesn’t know they shouldn’t put so much workload on someone else to handle just because they can and live to do so.
Everyone handles stress differently. So do well to speak up when the workload is excessive and overwhelming to handle. Remember not to come off as a complainer. Instead, air your views and help your boss see why your mental health and stress management is essential to the growth of the business. A happy and healthy employee is a productive one.
If your boss is a good person who values you as an employee, they’d gladly find a way to help you manage the stress you may be facing and give you the support you need to find a balance at work.
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Reward yourself for your achievements.
All work and no play makes you what?
I believe you can complete that sentence. Rewarding yourself for your achievements is an essential and healthy habit to have. It’s self-care at its bare minimum.
Buy yourself that bag. Get yourself that perfume or wristwatch. Is it that car you like? Get it, as long as you can comfortably afford it. You don’t want to be in debt or in so much financial pressure.
It’s your sweat and tears (some people cry from stress), so treat yourself to the best things your money can buy. You deserve it for all the hard work and sleepless nights.
Conclusion
Stress management is essential in the workplace. Knowing ways to handle stress makes work more enjoyable and gives room for a healthier work lifestyle that can transcend to a happier life outside work. So whichever way you want to see it, it’s a win for you and can be a win for your workplace.
