Cope with the Stress of After Hours Work

Working extra long hours at work can take a toll on many areas of your life, leaving you feeling stressed and unable to cope effectively. If you tend to turn to alcohol or substances or get home just to turn on the TV and go to bed, it’s likely that you’re not coping well with the stressors of work. While working after hours is sometimes unavoidable, there are ways to better manage your stress. Find ways to cope both at work and at home. Take extra good care of your body by practicing healthy habits. Engage in healthy relationships and find ways to relax throughout the day.

Steps

Dealing with Stress at Work

1. Track your stressors. Keep a journal for a week or two where you keep track of what causes you stress and how you handle it. When a co-worker asks for something more do you go to the vending machine? When meetings run late do you get cranky or raise your voice? Tracking the things that cause you stress throughout your day can help you curb bad habits and get into better ones. It can also help you get through after hours stress more effectively.
   • Write down what causes you stress as well as when you feel stressed. There may be certain times of the day you are more stressed than others.
2. Establish boundaries. Bringing work home or being constantly on-call can increase your stress. While everyone has different work-home boundaries, do your best to keep work at work. Consider not checking emails or taking phone calls once you leave the office. If working at home is unavoidable, set boundaries by scheduling a specific time for it (perhaps after the kids go to bed), and by confining it to a dedicated workspace. Keep your work and relaxation space firmly separated: no working in the bedroom, and no goofing off in your home office.
   • If bringing work home is common practice at your workplace yet you decide to stop, let people know. Say, “It’s important for me to keep work at work so I can focus on myself and my family when I’m off. I’m only checking emails and taking phone calls while I’m working and not on my time off.”
3. Engage in positive work relationships. Being at work can be a much more positive experience if you like and appreciate your colleagues. Develop your friendships at work and use your co-workers as support. It’s likely they’re experiencing some of the same stress that you are.
   • Initiate friendships with your co-workers by inviting them to lunch or talking with them after meetings.
   • Seek out people whom you enjoy and are positive. While someone who complains a lot can commiserate with you, you may not want to be around their negativity all the time.
4. Use humor. If the stress of work is getting to you and your co-workers, break through the tension with some humor. If meetings are increasingly intense or deadlines are too close, find a moment to share some laughter. Make a joke or share a meme.
   • Start an office joke to get you through the difficult times.
   • For example, end tense meetings with a funny video or a joke.
5. Relax at work. If you notice that you are stressed in the moment, take some deep breaths. Stop what you are doing and take some deep inhales and exhales until you feel more relaxed. Squeeze a stress ball or do some progressive muscle relaxation for a few minutes. If you’re working, put on some calm and relaxing music to work to. Take some time each day away from your people by closing your door or not accepting phone calls during a certain period of time.
   • If you tend to work through breaks or keep thinking about work during lunch, use the time to go for a walk outside your workplace. Regular breaks can improve your mood, as well as the quality of your work.
6. Plan a vacation. Having something to look forward to can be the light at the end of the tunnel that helps you get through the difficult moments. If you know you’re coming up on overtime or after hours work, plan to take a vacation shortly after you complete that work. Have a photo of the place you will go on your desk to remind you that you have something wonderful to look forward to. Taking a vacation can be a much needed break from work and can help you feel more rejuvenated and motivated once back to work.
   • Planning your vacation can be a fun way to get through the stressful times at work.

Taking Care of Your Body

1. Avoid harmful substances. If you tend to cope with after hours stress by eating junk food or with alcohol, these practices likely are not helping you in the long-run. Things like zoning out by watching television or doing recreational drugs are not effective ways to cope with stress. If you find yourself using unhealthy coping strategies, stop engaging as soon as you can. Replace the time you spend in these activities with more healthy activities, such as reading or exercising.
   • If you find yourself wanting junk food or substances, remind yourself that they do not relieve stress effectively and choose something healthier.
2. Get some exercise. Exercise can help you boost your mood, deal with stress, and give you more energy. See if your workplace has a gym and consider going there either before work or during your lunch break. Try taking a 10-minute walk between appointments, or give your dog a walk before going into work. Aim to get about 30 minutes of exercise each day.
   • If you dread going to work, try working out in the mornings. This can improve your mood and make it easier to get out the door and start your day.
   • Consider taking a dance class, karate class, or yoga.
3. Practice relaxation. Find some healthy outlets for stress, such as relaxation. Daily relaxation can help you deal with stress and feel calm. Aim to relax either early in the morning or before you go to bed for about 30 minutes. This can include reading, taking a bath, or listening to calm, relaxing music.
   • Find relaxation methods that feel good and that you want to do every day. Try daily yoga, qi gong, tai chi, and meditation.
4. Sleep well each night. If you’re under-sleeping, it’s more likely that you’ll feel stressed and cranky the next day. Having good rest allows you to be more emotionally balanced, which can help you cope with stressors at work and after work. Aim to get between 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
   • If you’re having trouble sleeping, turn off all screens (tv, laptop, and phone) at least one hour before bed, as the light can disrupt your sleep. Keep time before bed relaxing and calming.
   • Get in the habit of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, even on the weekends.
   • Spend time before bed relaxing. Take a bath, read a book, journal, or meditate. This can help your mind slow down and prepare to sleep.

Changing Your Work Environment

1. Talk to a supervisor. Don’t approach your supervisor with a list of complaints. Instead, suggest solutions to make your workday more efficient, or to adjust your schedule to avoid on-call evenings. If your supervisor does not accept your suggestions, ask for alternative ideas to reduce after-hours work. Here are a couple examples:
   • "I'm happy to be on call for urgent tasks, but I've been receiving a few non-urgent emails late at night. Could I fit them into the next day's work to better manage our priorities?"
   • “I tend to bring a lot of work home at the end of the month, when our orders are processed. If we could move this to a biweekly schedule, I could work more efficiently with less overtime."
2. Practice time management. If you struggle to manage your time, this can lead to staying later and working longer hours. Begin to write a to-do list each morning to organize your tasks for the day. Allow enough time for each task, and consider doing them in order of priority. If you have a large project, break it up into mini-deadlines to keep you motivated to work on it little by little.
   • Spend some extra time on the onset of tasks to make sure you do it right the first time. It’s better to spend some extra time upfront than to have to do the task over again later.
   • Even if you have to work after hours, divide up your time so that you can use it as efficiently as possible.
3. Modify your position. If you’re sick of working after hours all the time, consider making some adjustments to your current job. Ask for fewer hours each week or for less work. If you were promoted to a more stressful job, ask for a transfer. Your employer cannot always tell how reasonable your workload is unless you communicate with them. Be respectful, but be honest and assertive.
   • Ask about ways to tailor your job to your skills. For example, say, “I’d like to work more with my hands than I currently am. Is there a way to do this more regularly?”
   • You can also say, “Is it possible for me to come in earlier in the mornings so that I spend less time at work late at nights?”
4. Use some perspective. If working after hours becomes a regular responsibility of yours, you might want to consider your working circumstances. When management increases your responsibilities and working hours, it may be a longer lasting arrangement than you signed up for. Consider whether you are okay with the circumstances or whether you need to find a new job. It is much easier to replace your job than it is to replace your health, family, or friends.
   • If you are too overwhelmed by work to search for another, consider using an employment agency, resume specialist, or other service.

Tips

• Part of taking care of yourself is giving yourself recreational time. Whether this is a fun hobby or just socializing, having fun will reduce stress and help refuel you for work.

References

See also

• Learn About Asbestos Legislation
• Avoid Germs at the Office
• Lift and Carry a Baby
• Find Alternatives to Sitting in a Desk
• Balance Work and Health
• Do Yoga at Your Computer
• Sue for Asbestos Exposure
• Put on a Cleanroom Suit
• Obtain OSHA Reports
• Measure Work Safety

Read more ...