Are you feeling stressed at work? Stress can cause a tangled mess of physical and mental symptoms that will take a toll on your wellbeing. Headaches, insomnia, high blood pressure, and difficulty concentrating are just some of the many symptoms of untreated stress. These symptoms can affect you both at the office and at home. If stress is interfering with your job and everyday life, take these steps to eliminate stress in your workplace.
Find the Source of Your Stress. The first step in addressing any issue is finding its cause. Stress is no different. When do you find yourself the most stressed at work? Is it during a deadline? On specific days? In the mornings or afternoons? Create a diary to track your day to day activities and when you’re feeling the most stressed so you can identify what is causing you stress.
Modify Your Behavior. Often it’s not necessarily the situation we are in, but how we respond to situations that determine our levels of stress. Your first instinct after a day of dealing with a particularly difficult client might be to treat yourself to a comfort meal or wine after work. But poor dietary choices can actually make stress worse in the long run. Avoid fatty foods, alcohol, and caffeine when you feel the tensions rise and resort to healthier coping methods, like a long meditative walk after work, or some well-deserved “me time”.
Get Enough Sleep. If you’ve fallen behind at work and have to resort to working longer hours or working from home, chances are you aren’t getting enough sleep. It might seem practical or even beneficial to sacrifice a few hours of sleep for more time to work. But you aren’t doing yourself any favors staying up late glued to your computer. Actually, it’s more likely that you are performing poorly at work because you aren’t sleeping enough.
Take a Break. Sometimes you need a change of scenery more than anything. If you don’t have the time or money for a vacation, just plan something for your next day off or weekend. Go see something new, try out a new restaurant, go hiking, explore, and just get your mind off of work for a day or two. You’ll likely come back to work with a fresh perspective and better able to handle whatever life throws at you.
These are some simple yet effective ways to better manage stress in the workplace. Looking for more stress relieving strategies? Click here.
