Effective Ways to Manage Stress at Work
We all face stress and pressure in our workplace everyday irrespective of the function. We certainly cannot eliminate stress from our life, but we can manage it or handle it in a better way. These are not ground breaking tips here, but sometimes we forget the simple things and we need to remind ourselves what is better for our mental health. So go ahead and find out which are the following steps you already maintain in your work life!
- Keep Your Work at Office
This sounds obvious, doesn’t it? But majority of us cannot maintain this at all. There is nothing worse than keeping all the office junks in your mind and spoiling the rest of the day. When you step out of your office (or in this home office days- close the laptop), wipe your mind clean from all the issues and deadlines of the work. Do not bring them back home. This is a struggle for many people actually. So at first, you may need to make a forced attempt to clear your mind. You can listen to music, podcast, call a friend/family member, eat your favorite food or talk to the person with whom you share your ride back home. Enjoy the present time! If you do not find anything interesting, then just sleep! Even that will help ease your mind. After making some conscious attempts, it will become your habit.
2. Prioritise the Tasks
This is also a no brainer. You have a big list of tasks with deadlines? Prioritise as per urgency. Prioritisation is an integral part of our work life and nobody can be organised in this multidimensional world without it. There are many online courses available now only on this prioritisation or organisation of work, search for them. Learn from those courses and find out which of the methods, tricks, tips etc. are useful to your own style. You will automatically see your stress level getting reduced when your tasks are arranged in front of you. And bonus is the satisfaction of giving “check” to those tasks at the end of the day!
3. Stop Thinking, “It is impossible to do.”
This is kind of a mental exercise. For any difficult task, do not put pressure on your mind regarding the deadline, quality or the fact that you have to get it done by yourself. Do not panic or get stuck! No matter how complicated your task/project is, try to remember that there is always a way. If you are stuck, find someone who can help you or guide you to the correct path. You will always procrastinate if you think your task is impossible to do or too difficult to handle. Remember- “The heaviest burdens that we carry are the thoughts in our head”. Train your mind by boosting self assurance thoughts, you will win half the battle here.
4. Take a Break
Do not work straight for several hours! Take short breaks between your working hours. Do not check Facebook, Instagram or messages in this timeout. Take an actual screen break and walk, take a coffee, see outside the office window or the most effective one- chitchat with your coworkers! It is even better when you converse about things other than your work. There is a book called “When” by Daniel H. Pink where a study result was shown that the most effective break between working hours is talking to people around you. Just a conversation of 5 minutes gets your brain energised and when you go back to your work again, you can concentrate more.
You can also share your particular issue (which is causing you stress) with someone experienced in that area. But do not always expect straight solution from that discussion. Talking to the person may give you new insights or new ways to look at that problem, it may also give you relief knowing that he/she has gone through the same thing and came out of it.
5. Resolve Conflicts Personally
It is very natural to face conflicts with your co-workers every now and then. The best thing to do here is to talk to that person one-to-one and try to resolve the issue between you. Do not keep it in your mind and avoid confrontation. It is never healthy. If something bothered you and it is affecting your mental peace, you have the right to express it to the relevant person. If it does not get solved one-to-one, you always have your supervisor or manager. After expressing and hopefully resolving the issue, move on from it. Do not waste your precious time thinking and getting stressed about it.
6. Learn to Say,”No”!
There is nothing more dreadful than having new tasks dumped on your already full plate! When it is difficult for you to manage new projects, politely explain your current workload and decline it for the time being. You can alternatively propose a timeline when you will be able to take new challenges or manage additional tasks. It is easier to say than done, I know! But you should at least start practicing from now on. It will not mean that you are weak or reluctant to take new challenge, rather it shows your sincerity and honesty towards your professional work.
These are some basic tactics that will help you bring down your overall stress level at work. So just relax, take a deep breath and remember- nothing comes before taking care of your own mental health.