Stress is an inevitable part of daily life and it is especially so at work. In fact, some time back, even the UN-ILO or the United Nations International Labor Organization attributed occupational stress as a ‘global epidemic’. Stress at work is affecting millions of working population worldwide and its effects do not just loom around at work place but also trickles down to personal space as well.
Not being able to manage stress at work means not being able to cope up with work and not being able to get along with peers which in a nutshell, means you are a disaster in your office. Workplace stress can’t be avoided because we are all humans but what can be done is an effective management of stress-related issues at work.
Here are a few simple ways to manage stress at work effectively and smartly:
Identify the factors that stress you out
Do a self-analysis. It is work-related issues that bother you, all right but what are those specific issues? It might be deadlines, a certain kind of work or the anxiety of feedback or even the fear of getting them right. Check your habits or attitudes closely and do a true self check. Once you identify the cause, the solution isn’t hard to find.
Prioritizing and organizing should be the key
Take control of your life by prioritizing and organizing your work and the schedule. Give priority to that work which needs immediate attention and keep the others for later. Organize your day by allotting specific time to each task and make your day clutter free by taking one thing at a time and doing full justice to it. It is better to do a job well than have ten incomplete and unkempt works to your list.
Tap into your emotional intelligence
When work issues overwhelm you and you need a way out, practice emotional intelligence. It means putting your emotions into constructive use. It is about understanding yourself, managing your emotions, the ability to be a good social communicator and the efficiency in managing relationships. It helps reduce stress and repair strained relationships and overcome tension.
Break free of ‘bad habits’ at work
Trying to be perfect all the time, procrastination, negative thinking and trying to win over the tide are some of the bad habits at work. No one can be perfect all the time, so just aim for the best and do accordingly.
Take more breaks, smile and relax
Take a break, even if it is for 5 minutes, to take a walk or listen to music or just sit outside and stare. Smile widely and breathe deeply. Let your body and mind relax. Take a walk outside and just the breeze hit you. Walk along.
Stop worrying about little things
Ok, what if you have 20 mails to reply? You can’t do that the whole day. Just say that you are going to reply to the urgent mails in the morning, the not so urgent ones in the afternoon and the remaining ones in the evening. Instead of worrying, think of solutions and for those issues, you are not able to find a solution, skip them for the day. Worrying about small issues only add to the stress but keeping them away means keeping away stress too.
Workplace stress is a usual thing but not paying attention to it can make it play havoc in both your professional and personal life. It is the ability to deal with stress that distinguishes a successful person from a failed one. It is not difficult to manage stress if you know the reason behind it and then dealing with it honestly. Before you start your day at your office, keep few minutes to sit and analyse, do a little bit of planning for the day and yes, don’t forget to smile and relax often.
