Work Stress? 5 Easy Ways to Tackle it

As an employee, every one of us experiences stress due to work. It has become a part and parcel of most workplaces. Allow us to clear a common misconception though. Job stress does not occur only when you don’t like your job or have the wrong job. Job stress can be a part of your life even when you are 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 by everyone. However, when stress becomes a chronic disorder and an everyday component of your job, and affects your ability to perform and your well-being, it is a sign that stress has now become a serious problem in your life.

If you are overwhelmingly stressed, the symptoms show up in the form of anxiety, lack of sleep, trouble concentrating, muscle tensions, frequent headaches etc.

If you experiencing any of the above symptoms, then it is possible that that you are suffering from job stress. Before it impacts not only the work you do but also your health, here is a list of few tips that we think can help you manage stress.

Set daily goals:

The presence of stress can make your entire workday seems like an enormous mountain that you cannot climb. And since the entire day already seems insurmountable, you may notice that the stress piles up more once you are at work.

Wondering how you can tackle this? First up, break down your work day into smaller chunks. Get to work, make a list of tasks at hand, 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 key factor to reducing job stress.

Also read: 8 Key Features to Look For in a Performance Management Tool

Start the day with positive thoughts:

There are endless things to talk about for beginning a day on a positive note. Positive mindsets help you tackle problems far more easily than negative mindsets. It can be hard to maintain a positive disposition when you are facing 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  blowing off on your colleagues or superiors.

When it comes to goals, prioritize:

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 choose what you should finish first. 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 handle the situation, it’s okay to ask your supervisor to help.

Take a break:

You know what does not help when you are stressed? Staring at your system with glazed eyes. You can practice any of the following, to ease the pressure off your self. 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 or tea, visit the restroom etc. The brain struggles to work when it is tired. Short breaks allow your brain to recharge and rest.

Also read: Conduct an Informed Performance Discussion

Eat & sleep right:

Eating the right kind of food and sleeping well contributes 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 too. Nevertheless, it is important to give your body these 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 work stress, but not on a debilitating level. The moment you feel that your stress levels are shooting up beyond what you are equipped to handle, it is time to seek help, be it from a counsellor, a superior, partner, etc.

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