Workplace Stress Management Goals and Strategies

A stressful workplace is draining on your body, mind, and spirit.  As someone who will be working into the foreseeable future, you must develop effective ways to deal with your workplace stress.  Doing so requires figuring out your stress triggers, why they trigger you, and how to work through them.

Different variables affect people differently.  Some people can handle, and even enjoy a face-paced life or tight schedules.  Other people need time and space to properly devote themselves to a project.   In order to gain control over your workplace stress, you need to recognize what makes you tick.

Keep Track of Stressful Moments

For at least a week, write down any time you experience a negative action or reaction.  Describe the instance, who was involved, and how you felt afterwards.  Once you’ve done so, give yourself time to clear your mind and come back to it later.  When you can, think about the level of stress you felt and why you felt that way.  After a couple days, you may discover a pattern of stress-related behaviors and thoughts.

Your workplace stress may be the result of one of more issues.  Commuting to work, difficult employees and intense projects are common source of work stress.  Lack of sleep, home and family issues are personal problems can further exacerbate workplace stress.  Understanding your environment and how it affects you will go a long way in the process of workplace stress management. Once specific stress triggers have been identified, it’s time to begin dealing with, preventing, or resolving those issues.

Analyze Your Time Management Skills

Analyzing your time management abilities can be incredibly helpful.  If  your stress stems from being pressed for time, you need to find ways to organize and prioritize your responsibilities.  An effective method is to make a list of items or projects that are the most time sensitive.  Continuously check the list throughout the week to make adjustments and keep yourself on track.  Work on projects that are at the top of the list and when you complete one, move down to the next task.

In addition, set realistic goals and expectations. Sugar coating things or pretending you’re further along may look good for the company, but it’s bad for you, the individual.  In most cases, you will need to work harder and deal with high levels of stress to make the deadline.  On the other hand, being disorganized and procrastinating can also trigger stress if you have to rush at the last minute.  In short, work at a speed that is comfortable for you, and set extra time aside for more intense projects

Take a Break and Gain New Perspective

It can be helpful to remove yourself from the environment when you feel overwhelmed.  Take a break to stretch, go on a walk, or grab a snack.  Essentially, you want to provide relief to your body and mind throughout the day.  If your break is long enough, a quick nap can be very helpful. Other times, a short break may not be enough. If possible, consider taking off to work on your issues. While you may not be able to take a full-fledged vacation whenever you’re stressed at work, taking a mental day here and there can definitely alleviate  stress.

Meditation, yoga, or physical activity is another great way to release workplace stress.  You don’t need to do anything strenuous, by the way. The purpose is to work on your breathing and take time to refocus on the things matters most. Remember – stress is a mental and physical process, so it’s important to use techniques that are positive and uplifting.

Your co-workers  may provide another outlet. While you should keep things professional, sometimes it helps to explain things to others who are familiar with your situation.  Colleagues and work friends can provide insight to help shift your perspective. However, just getting out some of your concerns and grievances can be a relief from work-related stress.

Finally, make sure to have, or develop hobbies and pastimes. Doing fun activities can help prevent stress and burnout from work. Find something that keeps you engaged, while allowing you to relax.  Hobbies such as exercising, hanging out with friends, reading, even going to a spa can make a world of difference for when you step back into your work environment.

Unfortunately, there is no permanent solution to work-related stress. But it can have a smaller impact on your life if you focus your time and energy on healthier matters. The key is to work on it before your problems are too big to handle. Learning about what triggers you and how to release that stress will make you a much more efficient employee.  It will also make you a happier, more well-adjusted person in all areas of your life.

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