Beat Workplace Stress

Stress is a negative reaction to pressures placed on people, and it can be hard to not take stress caused by your job home with you. It is important to fight workplace stress, though, as it can lead to decreased productivity, sleep problems, high blood pressure, and unhappiness, among other things. You can help reduce workplace stress through a series of changes both in the office and at home. Try incorporating one or more stress-mitigating practices into your daily routine and you may find yourself happier at work and at home.

Steps

Managing Your Time During the Workday

1. Start your day early. While science goes back and forth on the benefits of starting your day early versus sleeping in, many individuals say they are much more productive and happier starting their workday early. Getting to work early may help eliminate stress caused by rush-hour commuting, and many people say they feel most productive in the morning.
   • Starting your day early also allows you to leave at a regular time instead of leaving late, thus eliminating stress caused by the thought that your job is taking away your personal time in the evening.
2. Break big tasks into small chunks. Create a plan of what you need to do each day and break big projects down into more manageable tasks. Doing so will help you avoid the stress of thinking about all the work that is ahead of you, help you focus on one thing at a time, and provide you with a sense of completion when you finish each chunk.
   • For example, if you need to stage a home, concentrate on decorating one room at a time. Start with the kitchen, and move to the living room when that task is complete. Then move on to the master bedroom, and so on.
3. Take breaks every 90 minutes at work. Sitting for hours on end in an office chair has not only been shown to increase stress, but it can also cause chronic back pain, carpal tunnel, eye strain, and more. Remove these health stressors by getting up from your desk every hour to hour and a half. Breaks will help you return to work refreshed and maintain your focus.
   • Look into your state or provincial government's laws regarding rest breaks. Some US states, as well as other national and regional governments, require employers to offer rest breaks in addition to meal breaks.
4. Take your lunch break away from your desk. Get out of the office every day for at least 30 minutes. Get some sunlight or take a walk if possible. Otherwise, find something like a good meal or a quiet corner to listen to music or read that can help you disengage with the stress of your morning.
   • Some people choose to do yoga during their lunch break. Finding a private place and bringing a yoga mat to work may help you to stretch out your muscles and focus your thoughts. Meditation, breathing exercise or regular massage can also have the same stress relief effects.
5. Engage in daily relaxing activities before or after work. To minimize stress, take up relaxing activities such as yoga or journaling. These are good ways to unwind after a stressful workday or prepare your mind and body before work. Choose something that suits you, whether it's swimming, drawing, biking, gardening, fishing, or meditating.
6. Take regular vacations. If your company offers you vacation time, use it. Whether you take a trip or just relax at home for a few days, using vacation hours is thought to improve productivity, reduce stress, and help mitigate health problems such as heart disease and sleep loss.
   • When you do take your vacation time, disengage fully from work. Do not take work calls, answer work emails, or dedicate time to your job unless it is a true emergency that only you can fix.

Coping with Stress at Work

1. Create realistic goals. While it can be good to have large goals, you need to be able to break them down into smaller, actionable steps. Create realistic goals by not only envisioning an outcome, but by creating an action plan full of steps you can manage individually to accomplish your goal.
   • Your goal, for example, may be to complete a technical report in 90 days. Break that report down section by section to set daily or weekly goals for yourself. This way, as you check off goals, you will see what you have accomplished, not just what is left to do.
   • Understand that mistakes and revisions to action plans are common. They can have positive consequences, allowing you to change something when it isn't working. Recognize your mistakes and learn from them, instead of denying them.
2. Use a to-do list or calendar to help manage your time in the office. Use a calendar, a pen and pad, an organizer, a pocket calendar, or anything that will help you organize what you need to do and when you need to do it. Tasks and deadlines can get cluttered in your head, and it may help to see them spread out so that you know what to prioritize.
   • Try not to spread your tasks out over a series of lists or calendars. This could cause confusion and add to your stress. Instead, stick to one central list or calendar.
3. Minimize distractions by creating a daily schedule. Calls, emails, and request can come in so fast that sometimes you don't know how you can keep up. Reduce stress caused by juggling too many things at once by creating time to deal with specific distractions. Set aside an hour after lunch to return phone calls and an hour at the end of the day to reply to emails.
   • This will not only decrease stress, but also improve focus and allow you to become more productive throughout the day.
   • It may help to create an automated email response stating something like, “Thank you for reaching out to me. I have received your email and will respond within 24 hours.” This lets others know their communication has been received, and manages their expectations regarding your response time.
   • Some calls, email, or requests will be too critical to wait, but by creating a schedule, you can better accommodate high-priority situations without the added stress of responding to numerous other interruptions.
4. Delegate responsibilities. If you have multiple responsibilities or large projects at your job, do not feel like you have to take them on by yourself. Whether you manage a team or are simply a member of a collaborative group, do not be afraid to ask someone with less on their plate to take on some tasks if you are feeling overwhelmed.
   • If you are nervous about delegating, set up weekly or even daily meetings or check-ins so that you can see how the overall task or project is developing. Just be weary to avoid micromanaging, as this could cause further stress for you and them.
5. Avoid gossip and excessive complaining. Voicing excessive grievances and gossiping about your coworkers' personal matters can cause a negative, stressful attitude in the workplace. If you work with people who do this often, try to abstain.
   • By avoiding petty complaining, you may become more aware of major grievances. Talk with your superiors about unrealistic goals, victimization at work, unfair work practices, or salary questions, when necessary, rather than engaging in gossip that distracts from larger issues.

Relieving Stress Outside of the Office

1. Leave your work at the office. Although some professions, such as school teachers, require work after hours, you should make a conscious effort to separate your work from your home life. Ignore work emails and calls, and if you have to work outside of the office, designate specific times meant for that purpose, and don't carry your work beyond that.
   • If you telecommute or work from home, it is still important to leave work to certain hours of the day. Turn off your computer or forward work calls to your voicemail outside of the office hours you designate for yourself.
2. Exercise regularly. Health professionals suggest you should get at least 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least four times a week. Exercise not only helps keep you healthy, it boosts endorphins and helps your brain focus, both of which can relieve stress.
   • For stress relief purposes, the exercise can be moderate rather than intense. Sign up for a class, join an intramural team, or go for a daily power-walk or jog. The important part is to get yourself moving.
   • Many people find yoga to be a relaxing balance of exercise and meditation. Restorative yoga, in particular, focuses on relaxation and proper posture over intense exercise. Look for a class or a yoga group at a gym or community center near you.
3. Eat a nutritious, balanced diet. Your brain needs proper nutrition, including amino acids from protein-rich foods, to keep you focused throughout the day. Plan your snacks and meals ahead of time, so that you have the fuel you need to do your work. Pack your lunches and snacks in advance to help you avoid giving into cravings by ordering unhealthy food.
   • Eat or snack before you have any large tasks to accomplish. It is not a good idea to go into a presentation, meeting or important phone call with a completely empty stomach.
   • Your body responds to a balance of proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats in ways that can help you focus and keep you full throughout the day.
4. Get seven to nine hours of sleep a night. You should dedicate around eight hours of your night to sleep. Count in one hour for relaxing and unplugging your devices before going to bed and one hour to wake up.
   • It is important to disengage from work completely before bed. Make sure to schedule some time to be completely work-free, or work stress could prevent you from getting quality sleep.
5. Find something engaging to do outside of work. Some studies have shown that spending time on volunteering or otherwise working on self improvement can directly reduce stress. Look at volunteer organizations and service groups in your community to find something you care about, or consider taking a class to continue your education or learn a new skill.
   • You may opt to take an affordable class at a local community college, or you could look at learning a new skill such as coding or a language with a free online service.
   • Check with local food pantries, pet shelters, community centers, and other volunteer-based organizations to see who needs help in your area. Alternatively, many organizations look for remote volunteers with special skills to help with online projects.
6. Laugh every day. Laughter has been found to increase your endorphins, stimulate your muscles, and help soothe the stress response. Look for a book, TV show, podcast, image, or anything else that will help you find something to laugh at on a daily basis.

Tips

• Surround yourself with things you enjoy at work. Put up pictures that make you smile, or decorate with your favorite colors.
• Sometimes the demands of work can become unrealistic or overly stressful. If that becomes the case, then you may need to change the external causes of workplace stress directly.
• Remember that all jobs come with some stress. For most people, it is unrealistic to work a completely stress-free job. The goal is to reduce overall stress by eliminating stress-causing habits.
• If you are very unhappy at work and you are unable to reduce your stress, it may be time to look for a new job. You can set alerts on Google or CareerBuilder for similar jobs in your area.

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References

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