It’s no secret that our jobs cause a significant amount of stress, no matter how much we love what we do. Around 65% of adults say that work is the source of very or somewhat significant stress. These stressors range from meeting a tight deadline to dealing with a demanding boss.
Workplace stress can be so significant that it starts to manifest in physical symptoms. These symptoms include an upset stomach, headaches, and trouble sleeping. Although it’s not always possible to avoid the stressors that occur while on the job, there are many ways to help reduce stress in the workplace.
Whenever the stress becomes too overwhelming, don’t be afraid to seek professional help. A psychotherapist can listen, empathize, and offer qualified guidance on your mental health. In addition, you can try reducing stress through various strategies. Here are some of the best techniques for reducing stress in the workplace.
Start Your Day on the Right Foot
The type of morning you have influences your day more than you might realize. When you have a rushed morning, you arrive at work already stressed. This makes you more susceptible to stress throughout your workday.
To help you be less rushed during your morning, plan ahead the night before. It can include packing lunches for you and your family, putting out your clothes for the day, and setting a timer on the coffee machine. You’ll find that once you have less to worry about in the morning, your whole day will go a lot smoother.
If you want to take it one step further, set your alarm fifteen minutes earlier. You’ll have time to sit down and enjoy a coffee before the day gets busy.
Reduce Distractions
Reducing stress in the workplace isn’t that easy. It has been estimated that workers are interrupted around seven times an hour and distracted up to 2.1 hours a day. From emails to chat pop-ups, there is no shortage of interruptions. All of these distractions can quickly become stressors if not appropriately managed.
Although you can’t control these distractions, you can control how you react to them. For example, you can dedicate a certain window of the day to answering emails. By doing this, your attention isn’t taken away every time you get an email. You can implement this same strategy with phone calls and set a specific time in the day to call everyone back.
Prioritize Your Work
Stress usually occurs when you feel like you have no control over the events in your life. One way to feel more in control is to prioritize your work. Tackle projects with a looming deadline first. Once these projects are completed, you will naturally feel less stressed.
As you work, focus on the projects that take up the most time. This will ease some stress and free up time for other work.
Schedule Breaks
When you’re in the thick of it, it can be hard to remind yourself to take a break. That’s why pre-planning is so important. Schedule time in your calendar to take breaks, even if just for five minutes. Add these to your email calendar so that you’ll get a pop-up reminder every time it’s break time.
A scheduled break will give you time to clear your mind and recharge. Use this time to get a coffee, sit on a bench outside, or go for a quick walk. You’ll come back to your desk with renewed focus and a bit more energy to tackle those big projects.
Avoid Conflict Wherever You Can
Conflict can easily drain your energy and leave you feeling stressed. Since you have to see your co-workers every day, having a dispute with them can take a toll on your emotional and physical health. Try to avoid this as much as possible.
Some ways you can avoid conflict include refraining from gossiping, not sharing too many of your personal opinions, and minding your own business. If you currently have a row with a coworker, it’s in your best interest to rectify the situation as soon as possible. This will help reduce your workplace stress significantly.
Get Organized
Being organized can have a profound effect on your life and help you reduce stress. By being organized, it’s less likely that you’ll need to rush. If it helps you to see things on paper, make a to-do list of what you need to accomplish tomorrow the night before. That way, when you wake up in the morning, you already have a clear plan of what you need to accomplish throughout the day.
Stop Multitasking
You may think that you’re super productive when you’re doing more than one thing at a time. The opposite is actually true. Not only can multitasking decrease your speed and accuracy, but it can also leave you feeling stressed.
Focus on one thing at a time and you’ll be much better off. It’s okay to feel stressed at work. Know that you are not alone and that there are things you can do to improve your situation.
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