Work-related stress is increasingly common, and there aren't any signs that this will change in the near future. The economy of the last several years hasn't given people less to carry in their minds as they live their professional lives. If work-related stress is getting the better of you, consider the following six tips.
Prepare Yourself for the Day
Before you go to work, start your day on a positive note and prepare yourself for the day ahead. Eat a healthy breakfast, try meditation, and give yourself time in the morning without technology. Don't get up and start looking at your phone or reading emails and social media. Find an offline activity that you enjoy, and you're much more likely to start your day stress free.
Plan Your Day
When it is time to start thinking about the workday, plan your day out the best you can. Set realistic goals and schedule your planned activities so you can stay on track and focused on what needs to be done. A plan can assist you in staying organized, which will help minimize stress as the day progresses.
Take Note of What's Stressing You Out
Take note of the actual things at work that are stressing you out, so you can address them and reduce their negative impact on you.
"Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which situations create the most stress and how you respond to them," recommends the American Psychological Association.* "Record your thoughts, feelings, and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting, and how you reacted. Did you raise your voice? Get a snack from the vending machine? Go for a walk? Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them."
Make Your Work Environment Comfortable and Efficient
It depends on what line of work you're in, but if you can, try to make your work environment as comfortable and efficient as possible. Make sure you have everything close by that you need for the day, so that you are ready to go. If you work at a desk, keep it free of clutter and use a comfortable, ergonomic work chair to protect your spine.
Don't Multitask
Try not to multitask because this can end up being more stressful as you make mistakes and lose focus on certain things by trying to do too much at once.
"Multitasking was once heralded as a fantastic way to maximize one’s time and get more done in a day," says Elizabeth Scott, PhD at VeryWellMind.** "However, people eventually began to realize that if they had a phone to their ear and were making calculations at the same time, their speed and accuracy (not to mention sanity) often suffered. There is a certain 'frazzled' feeling that comes from splitting your focus and it doesn’t work well for most people. Instead of multitasking to stay on top of your tasks, try another cognitive strategy like chunking."
Chunking basically means setting aside chunks of time to focus on specific tasks or a group of similar tasks together, and then focusing on other tasks in other chunks of time. This is essentially the opposite of multitasking. This way, your entire attention can be given to each thing during its allotted time.
Take Breaks
Take the breaks that you are allowed to take and use these to gain a bit of relaxation during the workday. If you have a long enough lunch break, you can use part of your time to meditate, exercise, walk, or even take a short power nap, which can help you feel rested and energized for the rest of the day.
Most people would say that work can be stressful sometimes, but that doesn't mean you have to let that stress consume you. If you find ways to manage it, you can live a much better life and enjoy your job more. Keep these tips in mind as you embark on your next workday.
* https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress
** https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-deal-with-stress-at-work-3145273