Our daily activities and duties involve a lot of stimuli, which at some point can accumulate and put pressure on us. This causes such an unpleasant feeling as stress to arise. Whether you are a teenager crushed by tons of books and studying, a parent worrying about your child, or finally a stressed worker, it can affect anyone. People have all sorts of ways to reduce stress. In this article, we have prepared tips how to manage stress at work.
What is stress?
We can call stress a reaction of the body, which arises in response to sudden changes and events that disrupt some specific state of affairs and require immediate response and action. The disruptive events that occur are called stressors, they are the ones that make us lose balance and make us try to solve the problem as soon as possible. Stress in job can cause different kinds of reactions within the psyche, emotions, or physical well-being.
The most common sources of stress
Long-term stress is something that is unfortunately very common in the work environment, but where can it come from? Stress in job can be caused by all sorts of factors. Low wages can be one of them. Stress resulting from the fear of financial instability and not being able to provide a decent life for oneself and one's family is very common. Another factor that can cause you to be stressed at work is your employer placing too many responsibilities and obligations on your shoulders.
Another source could be a lack of opportunities for advancement in your career path, a lack of perspectives, and standing still instead of moving forward. It is human nature to strive for the goals we set for ourselves, and when it becomes impossible we try to come up with some alternative solution, which can cause unnecessary stress. Of course, we can't forget such stressors as poor relations with co-workers, disorganization, or even physical discomfort in our workplace.
If you want to find out ways to negotiate your salary, click HERE.
What can long-term stress lead to?
Stress is felt by most of us, but how you deal with it is up to you. It can affect your overall well-being, so it's also worth thinking about the consequences of not reacting to it. Being stressed at work can influence your mental and physical health. It can lead to total job burnout and loss of desire to do your job, but also to anxiety and depression.
Above that, the repeated release of the stress hormone can reduce our immunity and damage the functioning of our bodily systems. Other symptoms can be headaches, stomach aches, sleep and heart problems, concentration problems, becoming short temper, or high blood pressure. Some people's ways of dealing with stress can also have a bad effect on them. Some people find comfort in alcohol, cigarettes, food, or drugs.
Dealing with stress - 8 tips how to manage stress
Any job can turn you into a stressed worker, even if you do the job that you like and are interested in. Very often it is simply something that cannot be avoided. The only way is to find something that will help you relieve stress and enjoy your work.
1. Find your source of stress
If you want to find ways to reduce stress, you need to start by thinking about what might be causing it. As we wrote earlier, it can be caused by a variety of factors, starting from low wages to a bad atmosphere in the workplace. To respond correctly, you need to pinpoint exactly what is causing your discomfort. Remember that it may be more factors than one.
2. Learn to react in a healthy way
Of course, seeking solace in stimulants such as alcohol, cigarettes, or food may seem effective at first, but it won't carry any long-term benefits, and what's more, it will harm your health. You need to find healthy counterparts that will help you at least temporarily turn off your mind and relax. Various types of sports and exercise can be of great help. When we practice sports, our body secretes endorphins, which affect our well-being.
Another good idea might be yoga, which will help you relax, calm down and catch your balance again. Also, don't forget to cultivate your passions and interests. This is the perfect answer to stressful situations – if you like to read, sink into reading, if you like to spend time being active, go cycling – doing activities that make you happy always pays off.
3. Remember to get regular sleep and a healthy lifestyle
In a healthy body, a healthy spirit! Your lifestyle can very often translate into being a stressed worker. Don't forget that very often, a regular eight hours of sleep can work wonders. You will be much more rested, and you will be able to do your work with clear mind. In addition to sleep, a proper diet is also important. Try to cut down on junk food, and choose healthier and better substitutes. Don't take care of your stresses with unhealthy snacks, choose fruits, vegetables, or smoothies instead. Exercise written out in the point above is also an essential part of your routine.
4. Set boundaries
Nowadays, it's very common to transfer your work worries to your home and vice versa. It's significant to establish a healthy balance between your personal life and work. This will give you time at home to take a break from your daily work worries and devote yourself completely to your family and personal life. Establish rules for yourself, such as not answering work phone calls outside of work hours, or leaving reading emails for another day.
5. Learn relaxation techniques
Another answer to the question “how to deal with stress at work” is to do various types of relaxation exercises. Meditation, mindfulness, or breathing exercises can be a very useful part of your daily routine. You should spend several minutes a day completely detaching yourself from reality. Start by practicing these techniques at home, every day, and you will find out after a while that you will easily be able to apply them even at the worst moments at work to relieve stress.
6. Work on organizing your time
As you know, one of the factors that can contribute to your stress is the lack of time to perform all your duties and the problem of meeting deadlines. First, you can try to be more assertive and not take on too many responsibilities at once, if you know that your schedule is already overcrowded anyway.
Second, try to plan your responsibilities and tasks early. Create a to-do list for each day, and this will help you use and organize your time better, so you will reduce stress and become more productive. Designate the most important things you should take care of at the very beginning, and don't put anything off until later.
7. Don't stress yourself out
Many people tend to worry in reserve about things that haven't happened and maybe won't even happen at all. You must try to eliminate this habit and focus primarily on the present moment. You should be interested in your current problems, responsibilities, or worries so that you can react to them more calmly and thoughtfully. Leave future worries for a future you, and in this way, you will learn how to manage stress at work.
8. Talk to your supervisor, someone close to you, or a specialist
Sometimes we are so preoccupied with our own issues and worries that we don't let anyone in. You need to remember that sometimes a simple conversation can be very helpful. If you have already discovered specific stressors that may be causing you discomfort, but no action you have taken has eliminated them, think about talking to your employer. If he is indeed the right person for the job, he should be concerned about the mental health of his employees. That way, you may come up with a solution together that you hadn't thought of, or you may be able to get to the source of your stress in the job.
It's also a good idea to open yourself up to talking to someone close to you. This is the person who knows you best, so there's a great chance that their support and suggestions may prove to be very pertinent. Keeping everything to yourself can have even worse consequences. You can also try talking to a colleague at work. Chances are he or she has measured himself or herself against something similar and has figured out how to deal with stress at work. If you feel that you need more professional and expert support, think about turning to a specialist. A psychologist will help you get to the bottom of your problems, and together you will work on them, which will help you avoid the unpleasant effects of long-term stress.
We indeed spend more than half of our lives at work, which is why you should take care of your comfort and get as much satisfaction from being there as possible. Stress certainly won't help you do that, so we hope that through this article you have learned the answer to the question of how to manage stress at work.
