Stress management at the workplace: What to do and what not to do

Stress

No matter how much you like your work (even if you are a workaholic) stress at the workplace is almost inevitable; we all encounter it at one point or another.

These occasional stresses prove that you are only human; and that your system is asking for a bit of rest.

Therefore, if sometimes you find yourself affected by your workload, there is nothing to worry about. Just take a break and treat yourself with something refreshing; eat, sleep, go out and about, or go for some epic escapes.

However, if it is chronic stress you are experiencing, then that must be recognized and requires some serious management.

Effects of Chronic Stress at Work

There are many faces of stress at work and it may appear as different mental/physical discomfort; again, some may have them all. Usually, one when constantly stressed suffers from problems like:

Anxiety
High blood pressure
Headache
Stomach ache
Irritation
Fatigue/Vertigo/Numbness/ Blurred Vision
A weakened immune system
Insomnia
Obesity
Depression

And the situation gets even worse since most people tend to get into more unhealthy practices to cope with it. Some unhealthy coping mechanisms include overeating, smoking, alcoholism, drug addiction, which in turn may cause more severe damage both physically and psychologically.

Reasons Involved with Chronic Stress at Work

Experiencing continuous stress at work is very common and on the rise these days. There can be several reasons behind it:

Getting paid less than expected
Continuous excessive workload
Work environment-related problems like feeling underappreciated, office politics and discrimination, gender biases, bullying, harassment, etc.
Fewer opportunities for growth in terms of advancement of salary and designation.
Lack of exciting assignments and boredom.
Not getting to make decisions regarding work.
Unclear performance expectations and conflicting demands.

How to Deal with Chronic Stress at Work

Stress itself may sound like an insignificant problem. However, when it becomes constant, not only does it mess with productivity, but it also damages their physical and mental health as well as overall wellbeing. Therefore, it should be handled with care and consciousness.

What to Do

Figure Out Some Healthy Stress Relievers

How you respond to your stress has a lot to do with its outcome. Unhealthy coping habits like overeating or smoking may help in the short term, but they have long term toxic effects. The best solution to this problem is to find something healthy to deal with stress.

Physical Activities

Any kind of physical activity may contribute amazingly; walking, running, biking, swimming are all very effective options. You can also join the gym or practice freehand or yoga. These will not only help in relieving stress, but these practices will help retain your physical fitness.

Meditation

Meditation can be as simple as just breathing in and out, and you can expect a calming impact. The best thing about it is you can do it anywhere and everywhere regardless of the environment or situation. You can also practice yoga every day.

Besides these, other things can be meditative depending on your passion or interest such as, listening or playing music, drawing, dancing, cooking, gardening, playing with a pet, and many more.

Set a Limit to Your Daily Working Time

It is very important since working extra hours has a direct effect on your body and mind. There should be a proper balance between your office time and leisure time so you are at your best in both your home and office and can keep both sides satisfied.

Take A Break

Many times we take our roles so seriously that we even forget ourselves; which is a very wrong idea. Working forcefully will hardly help you deliver anything good. You must be attentive to your signs of stress; take a break and try to relax when needed.

It can be anything from a long vacation to some hours of isolation. You can also squeeze some time for gaming or have a light/quality conversation with your friend, family, or a loved one. Check out Epic Escapes for some fun games you can play with your family.

Speak UP

Let your supervisor know if something is bothering you. Putting your problems forward is the only way to solve it. Therefore, discuss it so that your supervisor can come up with a solution and plan your duty accordingly.

However, if it’s a case of harassment, things must be taken to the right concern. Staying silent is the worst thing you can do to yourself in such cases.

Ask for Help

When you are overloaded with work, ask your manager for help; or ask for help from trustworthy sources. It can be your colleague, friend, family, or whoever you are comfortable working with. Besides, lightening your work pressure doing this may also solve your boredom, which is equally important.

Eat and Sleep Well

Sleep at least 6 to 8 hours a day; this should solve half of the problem for you. And also maintaining a healthy diet is important since that will keep you well-nourished for both work and relaxation.

What Not to Do

There is a list of things one must avoid to not get caught up in chronic stress.

1) Don’t make your stress an excuse to indulge in your bad habit. Like, excessive smoking, drinking, doing drugs, maintaining a bad routine, etc.

2) Don’t keep your troubles to yourself; let it out. But remember when doing it, you need to discuss the problem with the right person, who has an understanding of it.

3) Don’t mix up your personal life with work. Don’t bring your personal life troubles to your office, and don’t take your office work or issues to home. It’s important to maintain peace and ease on both sides.

4) Don’t take it on your family and friends; it will only increase your stress and frustration.

5) Don’t be afraid to say no.

Conclusion

Anything, if mishandled, gets damaged; even sometimes goes out of control. Therefore, we must react properly to our stress at work to make sure that our abilities don’t go to waste and unnoticed or misunderstood. Hope this article will help you to handle your situation better and make a great comeback after fighting your stress.