Research has shown that the percentage of Americans who feel stressed at work is high—and this number is getting higher. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, 29 to 40% of American workers report feeling extremely stressed at work.
Work stress can lead to significant health problems that vary from relatively benign (like getting more flus and colds) to potentially serious (such as metabolic syndrome or heart disease).
While stress at work is common these days, finding a low-stress job is very hard. However, we can take a realistic approach to adopt effective coping tricks and strategies to overcome stress at work. Here are some stress management tricks you can try to lower your stress at work.
1. Start Your Day the Right Way
After getting your kids fed and ready for school, combating road rage and dodging traffic, and eating your breakfast in a hurry, most people arrive already stressed to work. This makes them more anxious and reactive to stress in the workplace.
You might be surprised by knowing how your stressful morning can lead you to a stressful workplace and a tiring day. On the flip side, if you start your day with planning, a positive attitude, and good nutrition, you’ll find that the stress of your job will be easier for you to tackle down and have a more productive day.
2. Be Clear on Requirements
It’s a known factor that unclear requirements for employees can lead to job burnout. If you don’t know what exactly is being expected from you, or the requirements for your role keep changing after some time, you might feel burnout at work or become extremely stressed.
If you find yourself don’t knowing what exactly you are doing or if you’re doing enough, it’s time to talk with your supervisor. Take your time to deliver over expectations and discuss strategies for meeting them. This can help in relieving stress for both of you.
3. Stay Away From Conflict
Interpersonal conflict can impact your emotional and physical health. Conflict and fights among co-workers can get difficult to escape, so it’s always a good idea to avoid conflict as much as you can.
Avoid gossip at work and don’t share much of your personal opinions about politics and religion, and steer clear of “colorful” office humor. When possible, avoid chatting and talking with people who don’t work well with others.
For example, if you’re working at a construction worksite that involves a crane and other machines, it’s better to avoid conflicts with you co-worker while working to avoid accidents and danger The best advice is to avoid talking and making fun while working in such place, or just totally stay away if you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or dizzy. If the conflict still finds you anyway, one of the best approaches you can take is to reach crane accident lawyers or handle it appropriately yourself.
4. Get Organized
Even if you’re a disorganized person, planning your whole day to stay organized can greatly decrease your workplace stress and boosts your productivity. Organizing your time means less rushing in the morning like being late at work and less hustling to get out at the end of the day.
Keeping yourself organized also results in avoiding the negative effects of clutter and being more organized and efficient with your work.
5. Be Comfortable
Another surprising and major stressor at work is physical discomfort, where you perform most of your daily tasks such as your desk.
You might not notice that before but you’re stressed if you’re sitting on an uncomfortable chair, even for a few minutes. But if you rely on that chair when you’re at work, you might get severe back pain and be more reactive to stress because of it.
Even small things like office noise and phone notifications can cause feelings of low-grade frustration and distraction. Do whatever you can to create a comfortable, quiet, and soothing workspace.
6. Avoid Multitasking
There was a time when multitasking was heralded as a fantastic way to do more work in less time. However, people later realize that if they’re talking to someone on the phone and doing calculations at the same time, their accuracy, speed, and sanity often suffer. So, forget about multitasking and focus on one thing at one time to deliver better results