The modern world is characterised by financial insecurities, relationship issues, and health struggles. Commonly, these challenges cause stress. Every individual is susceptible to stress. However, its severity differs from one individual to another.
If you have a job that requires you to sit at the office desk for at least eight hours a day and have a family with at least two children, you might be dimensionally familiar with what stress can do. Perhaps you lost your job and are struggling to find another, you might know what being stressed feels like. By the way, it isn’t only work that can cause stress. A range of stressors can add up to worsen workplace stress.
Stress has become more prevalent today than ever before, and the latest statistics indicate that about one million Americans stay absent from work due to stress. More than 93% of workers report feeling stressed at work, which impacts their social life. Overall, stats from Mental Health Foundation show that 51% of adults who reported feeling stressed felt depressed, and 61% felt anxious. But what does stress mean?
Workplace Stress
Generally, stress is a feeling that manifests when we get overwhelmed by something or feel pressured. Short-term stress can be a significant driver for more productivity in some people and help some attain more practical goals. However, stress becomes harmful when it turns out to be a chronic condition.
Typically, stress becomes a chronic and harmful condition if short-term anxiety is poorly handled or stressors persist for longer. The significant causes of workplace stress may include an unfavourable workplace environment, change in leadership, low salaries, and excessive workload.
Stress due to these factors can be exacerbated by the lack of social support and personal problems. It should also be noted that prolonged stress can lead to a weakened immune system, increased risk of heart disease, and behavioural changes. So how can you deal with or eliminate workplace stress?
7 Ways to Eliminate Workplace Stress
It should be noted that one can’t do away with workplace stress for good. However, the tips given below can help one cope or deal with workplace stress effectively;
- Identify Your Stressors
Workplace stress can be triggered by many factors, including excessive workload, discrimination, and poor pay. On the other hand, ethical issues in modern workplaces also contribute to employee stress. Incidences of sexual harassment, and segregation, among others, commonly leave workers stressed.
Try to find a way out. You can report the matter to the management or seek mental health support to help you cope. Being proactive can also serve as a perfect way to eliminate workplace stress.
- Be More Intentional
If only we become more intentional about our work responsibilities and overall life, we can help many individuals live stress-free lives. Precisely, choose to be more intentional every day you wake up. For example, set goals, make a to-do list, and define means of how you can attain the set goals. Ensure to wake up with a positive attitude and abide by it throughout the day.
Stress has become inevitable, and the best way to deal with it is by changing the perspective. Adopt a growth mindset because it’s the mindset that defines our response to challenges and problems. Sometimes workload can be an opportunity to test individual efficiency, but without a positive attitude, this can be seen as a threat. In the end, it can increase stress and hamper efficiency. Therefore, try to be more intentional with all duties and responsibilities at work to avoid stress or lessen its impact.
- Leverage Productivity Tools
The modern era presents a wide variety of productivity tools that can optimise efficiency and time and render regular tasks a walkover. Collaboration tools, time management tools, project management software, and communication tools, among other productivity tools, can help automate repetitive tasks and streamline work to reduce workload.
These tools will also reduce the amount of time you spend on a task. Besides that, they can help you track productivity and work anywhere and at any time. Working smarter than more challenging is the primary approach to achieving sizable goals. Try out tools, such as Email Finder, ProofHub, nTask, etc., to simplify your work.
- Talk to Your HR or Supervisor
Several workplace issues can be better solved when the HRs or managers are engaged. For example, bias, segregation, tight deadlines, and a hostile work environment. These can be eliminated by involving the concerned superiors in the matter. Other situations, like workplace conditions, can be adjusted if the HR managers are approached. This can, in the end, help eliminate such stressors in the workplace.
- Take Deep Breaths
One of the immediate and easiest means to deal with stress or eliminate stress from your life is by taking deep breaths. Deep breathing generally increases the amount of oxygen in the blood, and this helps to calm the mind. Also, deep breaths help to reduce stress hormones in the blood, reducing the chances of being stressed. Try to take a few deep breaths whenever you feel something is overwhelming or uncontrollable. Walk around and then return to your work. This will help to rewire your brain to think differently about a task.
- Exercise
Did you know that regular exercise has both short and long-term health benefits? Physical activities boost immunity and impact mood, concentration, and thinking capabilities. It is also one of the best self-improvement techniques one can leverage to live a quality life. Exercising regularly generally reduces the stress hormone known as cortisol and increases the happy hormone in the body known as endorphins. As a result, you won’t feel more stressed over tiny things, but you will be able to plan and think critically about possible ways to attain goals. More precisely, stressing scenarios won’t seem overwhelming like before.
- Prioritise Rest & Sleep
Sleep is key to the best version of an employee. The hours you spend performing tasks, planning the next day’s schedules, and reporting about a day’s task can undoubtedly take a toll on your body. More so, the effects can become severe in the case of sleep disorders. With that, prioritise rest and get at least eight hours of sleep every night. This will help to re-energise the brain and help you cope with stress.
To encapsulate, anyone can feel stressed, and stress is normal. However, when the feeling of being stressed persists for an extended period and also affects other aspects of one’s life, this becomes a problem. Untreated stress can affect mood, the body’s immune system, and quality of life. If you find yourself in a position where you’re more liable to feeling stressed, it’s best to eliminate the stressors or follow quality coping strategies.
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