Strategic HR Technology Investment: A Comprehensive Checklist for Global HR Teams
Every employee at some point or other experiences workplace stress. It has become a part and parcel of the workplace. It is a common misconception that job stress only occurs when you do not like your job or have the wrong job. Job stress can even be experienced despite you holding your dream job or a job that you dearly love.
Short-term stress brought about by urgent deadlines or unexpected problems can be dealt with by everyone. However, when stress becomes an everyday component of your job, and affects your ability to do your job and your well-being, it is a sign that stress is now a serious problem.
There are a few signs that can signal overwhelming stress. They are anxiety, lack of sleep, trouble concentrating, muscle tension, frequent headaches, etc.
If you experience any of the above symptoms, then it is possible that you are suffering from job stress, which impacts not only the work you do but also your health. We have listed out a few tips that we think can help manage stress.
When you are stressed (for whatever reason), your entire workday seems like an enormous mountain that you cannot climb. And since the entire day seems insurmountable, you might begin to feel even more stressed than before you came into work.
How can you tackle this? First up, break down your work day into smaller chunks. At work, you are in charge of creating your own agenda. You get to decide what you can tackle first, and what you can do later. Create an agenda that allows you enough leeway to get to the important tasks but also gives you a breather. You do not have to steamroll through your entire workday. Planning and managing your time is one of the keys to reducing job stress.
There’s a lot to be said for beginning the day on a positive note. Positive mindsets help you tackle problems far more easily than negative mindsets. I know it can be hard to maintain a positive outlook when you are having a particularly bad day. On those days, if you cannot dredge up any positive feelings, seclude yourself and just focus on your work. You may not be positive, but at least you won’t be going off on your colleagues or superiors.
One thing about work is that sometimes things do not go as planned. In cases like these, prioritize. There are some tasks you can push back on, and some tasks you need to finish right away. Make a decision and prioritize. Stress can be exacerbated when you feel like there’s way too much going on with you. If you feel like you are not able to do so, it’s okay to ask your supervisor to help.
Do you know what does not help when you are stressed? Staring at your system with glazed eyes. You can do one of the following things to ease the pressure off yourself. Take a quick power nap – these are a great way to refresh yourself; if power naps are not a part of your office culture, take a short, brisk walk, if you can’t do either of those things, just get out of your chair and circle around your office, make yourself some coffee/tea, visit the restroom, etc. The brain struggles to work when it is tired. Short breaks allow your brain to recharge and rest.
Eating well and proper sleep contribute to a refreshed body and mind. However, not all of us are able to eat as healthy as we should be, or even sleep as much as we need to. But it is important to give your body breaks because bodies are not machines. Even machines stop working eventually because of rusty hinges, clogged joints, etc.
It is important to remember that these measures are only temporary ones and can be used if you experience workplace stress, but not on a debilitating level. The moment you feel like your stress levels are far more than you are equipped to handle, it is time to seek help, be it from a counselor, a superior, partner, etc.
Engagedly is a performance management application with elements of employee engagement. To know how we can help your organization, request a demo today!
