“I am under a lot of pressure”, “Gosh, the deadline is tomorrow!”, “My project is so complex, killing me”, “I have no personal life left after work”, “The new manager sucks!”; these are the most commonly used dialogues in workplaces these days.
It has become a way of life for people to complain about work and life in general. While it’s also common to have some amount of stress at the workplace, it can become highly unproductive if stress lingers on and interferes with daily activities. Stress management is probably the difference between success and failure that we can literally feel.
How Do You Cope With Work Stress In Today’s Uncertain Environs?
The big words that surround fates of workers everywhere are “layoffs”, “budget cuts” and “pink slips”. These add to increasing fear, uncertainty and growing levels of stress as the economy changes rapidly without notice and competition gets stiffer by the day. While stress can do nothing but lead to failure more likely than provide a solution, it becomes essential to stay away from contagious emotions that spread across workplaces.
The only way you can ensure thinking positively and spreading the same message across is by being physically fit and quitting habits that lead to negative thought processes. There a number of steps that one can adopt to reduce work stress, these are:
Be fit, Walk A Few Miles
Own your responsibility. Remaining fit can improve your ability to perform at work. Nature has a way of healing and taking a walk can deal with the negative energy we receive daily. Eating small and healthy meals at regular intervals produces the right amount of blood sugar needed to keep us feeling good. When you feel healthy, you get back to work stronger and more resilient to work stress. Eating healthy, regular exercises and knowing when to take a break will probably sort out almost 30% of the stress.
Identify Knee Jerk Habits Causing Pitfalls
Avoiding alcohol and nicotine can directly lead to lower anxiety and worry that are suppressed temporarily by those only to come out in a more heightened form. Stress often leads to insomnia, but it’s important to get enough sleep to combat stress as well. Leave that phone aside, close the laptop lid and get yourself some quality sleep.
Talk It Out, Leave No Loose Ends
Try to find a solution in good humor than bad temper, it works! Better communication skills play an important role when it comes to easing out looses ends and improving work relationships with both seniors and subordinates. Connect with others at work; they may have ideas that can really help. Talk to the people who inspire you positively and provide valuable solutions than those who add to your stress with their demoralizing blabber. Confide in people who bring out your best and stay away from sadists, they are almost everywhere like zombies. Learn to filter information, absorb and share only the useful ones.
Do Not Ignore Warning Signs That Cry For Help
Finally, it’s important to know when you are really stressed. Take a look at your thought patterns, physical changes like fatigue, lack of sleep, Loss of sex drive, headaches or tending towards alcohol or nicotine are signs that you now need to take it easy. When they say laughter is the best medicine, they definitely mean it. Face challenges with a sense of wit and humor, it will make the cloud disappear and make it sunny again. At the same time, employers can help employees by providing opportunities for increased social interaction among workers and put a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of harassment. Set action plans that are consistent with organizational values. Decentralizing and allowing workers to take a decision that affects their jobs like consulting them regularly about their abilities and work schedules can lead to high accountability and ownership. Support healthy work relationships and team spirit. Reward systems and treating employees/workers as associates can increase productivity and lead to a healthy workplace and overall growth.
Get On That Thinking Cap and Organize Yourself
Nothing breeds stress more than a chaotic clumsy work plan. Often people over-commit themselves without realizing or prioritizing the importance of the assigned work and it backfires in a severe way causing unproductive scenarios. The more amount of time one spends planning is equivalent to the lower stress levels in work life. Creating a schedule that has time for professional and social pursuits is no rocket science as many people tend to take it to be. It will organize one’s priorities, responsibilities and reduce downtime due to halfhearted decisions. Prioritize tasks, delegate responsibility and be willing to compromise with your colleagues.
Take Breaks, Sip That Coffee Slowly
Start your day a little early, even 10–15 minutes can make a huge difference and reduce your daily stress. Stepping away from your desk, sitting back and clearing the unwanted thoughts are key to relax and recharge yourself. Make sure you move away from your desk for coffee or lunch as this can positively impact your outlook towards work.
The article was first published on CSM Blog.
