We all go through some kind of work stress. Sometimes, it is the pressure of deadlines, lack of time and resources, poor management, conflicts with co-workers, or inadequate work-life balance. And what do we do when we’re stressed at work? How to overcome anxiety?
We either panic or postpone things or carry our stress back home and worry about it later. We all crib about being stressed and strained, but not many of us find a solution to beat the stress.
Stress is inevitable. No matter how organized you are or how hard you try to work efficiently, there are always some external factors, which are beyond your control. There can be last minute glitches on an important day, people might fail to deliver promises on time, there can be financial crisis, anything.
However, there is always a way not to let work stress overpower your lives and rule you. Here are some small steps you can take towards handling stress better, and keeping your calm under stressful situations at work.
Make a note of what stresses you
What causes you stress at work? Are there negative people around you who can do nothing but discourage you? Is your office desk too messy to concentrate at work? Is your supervisor giving you too much work to handle all by your own? Are you not compatible with your peers? What is it?
You cannot start working towards stress management unless you know what are the things that worry you. I insist you to jot down the things that cause you stress on a daily basis.
Discuss your problems with others
It is much better to share your problems with others than keeping it to yourself and never getting out of it. Talk to your best friend, your family. They might not give you the best ideas, but at least they will understand and encourage you to overcome it.
Discuss it with your superiors and try to come to a solution to it. Your superiors will never know what’s bothering you at work unless you tell them.
Take time to relax
One of the worst things about being stressed is that it overpowers you. Not just your mind is always occupied with thoughts, your work also gets affected badly. You’re unable to concentrate, you miss deadlines, and this adds to your stress. What happens next? We work 24X7, never getting off work, trying to do as much as we can. It is not a great idea to do that.
You should always take some time to relax. Take small breaks during work, engage yourself into some hobby, go for a vacation with family at least once a year. Once you come back from the break, you’ll feel much relaxed and recharged to get back to work.
Delegate work
Most of us get stressed at work, because we do a lot of hard work. It’s time to start doing some smart work. Delegate whatever extra work you think others can do for you. Not delegating work is one of the biggest mistakes people do.
Team work is all about sharing and achieving team goals, not just individual targets. Similarly, help others finish their extra work if you can. If you do so, people will never turn you down when you need their help.
Fix a routine
Get organized. Most of the chaos at work is because you don’t have a fixed routine. Most workplaces nowadays have become flexible with timings, and even allow their employees to work remotely. Even if you work remotely, fix a routine.
Wake up at a particular time, start working at a decided hour and have a finishing time. We get used to patterns very easily. Not having a pattern of work keeps us fuddled and chaotic. I was never a fan of time tables, but since the time I started following a schedule, it has helped me surprisingly.
Stress, anxiety, and worry causes harm to not just the mind, but also to the body. Early aging, lack of sleep, psychological disorders, obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, are all illnesses related to stress. You work to lead a happy, healthy life. Don’t let your work kill you softly. Take control of your stress, and your life will thank you for it.