8 (Common sense) Ways to Manage Stress At Work

For many people, work can be a stressful environment for many reasons. From nagging bosses to frustrating rules and everything in between.  You could find yourself burdened by so much stress that it will negatively impact you.

Here are the eight ways to manage stress at your workplace, so it does not consume your life. These are the most common sense suggestions & don’t need you to go out of your way to de-stress.

Look for support from others

If you’re a fiercely independent person, you may feel embarrassed to ask for help. You would also be unwilling to express how workplace stress has been taking its toll on you. But keeping those feelings bottled up inside is unhealthy. It will make them fester until you can’t take it anymore, which can result in a burnout or a meltdown.

Talk to anyone that you trust. Family, friends, colleagues or even convey your situation to the HR. If you can’t or don’t want to talk about it with a loved one, visit a mental health professional instead.

Eat well and exercise regularly

Workplace stress can result in negligence in other important aspects of your life. One such example is your physical health.

Health is wealth. Focus on sustained healthy lifestyle as it can contribute to lowering your stress levels. Make small changes to your routine. Like exercising regularly or eating whole foods instead of processed foods. Being healthy won’t get rid of stress altogether, but it will make you stronger against it.

Get enough sleep

Too much stress can cause you to sleep less. You may lose sleep because you feel like you have to either stay up late or get up earlier. Losing a vital hour or more of sleep can quickly add up, making stress harder to manage.

There are many ways to improve your sleeping habits. This includes limiting screen time before bed and keeping your bedroom as quiet and dark as possible. The best thing you can do is wake up and go to bed at the same time every night— this will help your sleep improve.

Practice time management

One big cause of workplace stress is poor time management. It can make you feel like you can’t get any work done on time.

To manage your time well plan out everything – including when you start and end work. This will ensure that there’s time for your social life. It is said, work is like water. It can take as much time as you have. Thus by time boxing your tasks, you are increasing chances of getting things done.

Prioritise all tasks

The other main source of work culture stress is task management. Having a ton of things on your to do list is an easy way to feel stressed out in no time.

Don’t try to multitask. Prioritise everything that’s on your plate. If there’s a large task, break it down into smaller ones so it’s less stressful. Always think about the large picture impact the task is intended to have. Finally, don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it to get work done.

Take some time off

Working day in and day out for hours on end with no extended break is a quick way to burn out or break down from stress. There’s no shame whatsoever in taking time off to rest and recharge.

How much time off you need depends entirely on your workplace and your current stress level. It could be a single sick day, a week’s vacation, or going on stress leave for an undetermined length of time. Regardless of what you do, taking time off will help reduce your stress greatly.

Focus on the best parts of your job

When you’re filled with workplace stress, it’s easy to focus on the worse parts of your job. It could be nasty customers, a micromanaging boss, or non-existent employee engagement. All these and more can make your job feel terrible— even if it’s doing something that you truly love.

Take a step back and recall what aspects you love about your job. This can include good customers, a nice co-worker you’re particularly close with, or having your own office instead of a cubicle. Remembering what you love about work and why will reignite your love for your job, thus reducing stress immensely.

If all else fails, get out

Some workplaces are too toxic and stress inducing for anyone to handle. Even if you follow any or all of the tips mentioned, it won’t help.

If you find this to be the case, the best you can do is – get out of that toxic environment. This could range from transferring to a different department, or quitting altogether. But mind you, this step should only be taken if all else fails.