The workplace is often stressful but you don’t have to let job pressures cause you to burn out. The constant pressure to perform, meet deadlines, and excel can take a toll on your physical and mental health. However, with a proactive approach and effective strategies, you can navigate challenges, maintain a work-life balance, and thrive in your career without sacrificing your well-being. Here is how to handle work stress effectively.
Plan For The Upcoming Work Week
One thing you can do is plan for the upcoming work week over the weekend. Categorize your work-related tasks in order of importance. You would write the most urgent tasks then write the ones that are important but not urgent. From there, you can write down the tasks that are neither urgent or important for the coming week. Do your most urgent and important tasks first. Iron your work outfits for the upcoming week.
Say No To What Is Not A Priority
You can also handle work stress by saying no to things that are not a priority. When you take on too many tasks, you’ll burn out. Understand what your main job responsibilities are and resolve to only focus on those. If your coworker requests a collaboration on a project but you’re already working on a few projects, politely decline. Let your coworker know that although you want to help, you can’t at this time.
Schedule Breaks
If you work from home, schedule breaks during the day. This relieves the stress of the work day and it’s good for your mental health. Use your breaks to get lunch, sit outside, call relatives or friends, or even take an afternoon nap.
Organize Your Workspace
When you have a cluttered workspace, it can stress you out at work. Eliminate all items that you don’t use. Create designated areas in your space for everything. You may have a drawer for ink pens and other stationery and a large file cabinet for storing important documents from your clients. Label your storage bins in your workspace. Hang up a whiteboard calendar above your desk on the wall to keep track of deadlines.
Limit Interaction With Negative Coworkers
You may not be able to stay away from certain negative coworkers completely, but you can limit your interaction with them to reduce stress at work. When you see them, talk mainly about matters of work. Avoid gossiping with them since they’re likely to share what you said with other coworkers. Find more positive coworkers who will build you up and help you do well at work. Set clear boundaries on what you’ll talk about with coworkers.
Take Some Days Off
If you haven’t used your vacation time and you’re stressed, take a few days off from work. Don’t bring your assignments home and let your colleagues know that you won’t answer their phone calls or emails while you’re on vacation. Use this time to travel with your family, plan fun dates with your spouse, work on your favorite hobbies, and just sleep late on certain days.
Get in Some Physical Activity
Another way to handle work stress is to exercise regularly. Your body has a stress hormone called cortisol, and when your cortisol levels are high, it causes more stress. High cortisol levels can also cause anxiety and weight gain. Get in at least 30 minutes of exercise regularly and add variety to your fitness routine. One day you may dance with the kids and on the next day, you can ride your bike around the neighborhood.
Delegate Tasks to Others
If you’re an entrepreneur or manager, delegate tasks to others and reduce your workload. You were not meant to take on an entire company alone. You need a competent team of employees who will do their part to make your company a success. If you own a retail clothing store but you’re not skilled in social media advertising, ask an employee who understands it to be in charge of your social media campaigns. Avoid micromanaging your employees. Trust in their expertise and that they’ll do the job well.
Talk With Your Supervisor
If you feel that your workload is too much, talk with your supervisor. Discuss how you’re struggling to meet deadlines and how it affects the quality of your work. Talk about solutions such as delegating certain tasks to other coworkers or changing the deadlines if the project deadlines overlap with each other.
Use Technology to Work Efficiently
With so many apps available to help you work efficiently, use these to your advantage. If you’re an SEO specialist, use keyword research tools such as Ahrefs and SemRush to locate the right keywords for your content. Use Asana to manage your team and to stay on top of projects everyone is completing.
Work On Your Sleep Routine
Inadequate sleep may make your work-related stress worse. Don’t stay up late to scroll your favorite social media apps or complete assignments. If necessary, put your phone in another room before going to bed to reduce the temptation to use it before bed. Choose relaxing bedtime activities such as reading a book, meditation, or listening to soft music while resting.
What About Toxic Work Environments?
Here is how to handle work stress in a toxic work environment. Some characteristics of a toxic work environment are:
- Microaggressions because of your race, gender, or disability
- Excessive micromanagement from your boss
- Harassment or discrimination on the job
- Bullying
- Lack of respect
- Unfair wages
- General atmosphere of negativity
One way to deal with a toxic work environment is to seek support from coworkers who are positive and who can encourage you in your work. Also, seek counseling if your job is causing a lot of emotional stress. On your days off and when you’re home after work, look for new jobs online. Tell relatives and friends about your situation and inquire about any new openings at their jobs. Keep detailed records of what you deal with at work.
Work stress doesn’t have to ruin your life. When you learn how to handle work stress, you’ll be able to work with confidence and not be rattled by your environment no matter how stressful it gets.
