According to the research, the percentage of Americans who are stressed at work is high and only increasing. According to the National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety of the CDC, studies have found that the number of Americans who are “extremely stressed at work” ranges from 29 to 40 percent.
Unfortunately, work-related stress has important health consequences that range from relatively benign colds (more colds and flu) to the most serious, such as heart disease and metabolic syndrome. But, because work stress is so common, finding a job with little stress can be difficult or impossible for many people. A more realistic option would be to simply adopt more effective strategies to reduce stress at work. Here are some stress management techniques to try.
Start your day well
After struggling for children to feed on school, dodge traffic and fight road rage and swallow coffee instead of something healthy, many people are already stressed and more reactive to work stress. In fact, you might be surprised at how reactive stress is when you have a stressful morning. If you start the day with good nutrition, proper planning and a positive attitude, it is possible that workplace stress will slip more easily.
You start a project and reach for a tool, only to realize you do not have it on hand. This is an annoying nuisance to many. When working around the home, most people do not want to stop what they are doing to run to the store to purchase a hand or power tool.
Be clear on the requirements
One factor that contributes to the exhaustion of work is the unclear requirements. If you don’t know exactly what is expected of you, or if the requirements change at short notice, you may feel much more stressed than necessary. If you find yourself falling into the trap of not knowing if what you are doing is enough, it may be helpful to talk with your supervisor and review the expectations and strategies to meet them. This can relieve stress for both!
Stay away from conflict
Because interpersonal conflict affects your physical and emotional health, and because it is so difficult to escape conflict between co-workers, it is a good idea to avoid conflict at work as much as possible. That means not gossiping, don’t share many of your personal opinions about religion and politics, and try to avoid the colorful mood of the office. Try to avoid people at work who don’t work well with others. If the conflict finds you anyway, learn to handle it properly.Effective conflict resolution skills are key to reducing relationship stress
Stay organized
Even if you are a naturally disorganized person, planning ahead to stay organized can significantly reduce work stress. Being organized with your time means less rushing in the morning to avoid being late and rushing to leave at the end of the day. Staying organized means avoiding the negative effects of the disorder and being more efficient with your work.How the disorder affects your time, money and stress
be comfortable
Another surprising stressful factor at work is physical discomfort. You may not notice the stress you experience when you are in an uncomfortable chair for a few minutes. But if you practically live in that chair when you’re at work, you may have a backache and be more reactive to stress because of that. Even small things like office noise can distract and cause frustration of poor quality. Do what you can to make sure you are working from a quiet, comfortable and relaxing workplace.
Forget multitasking
Multitasking was once announced as a fantastic way to maximize time and do more in one day. Then people began to realize that when they had a phone in their ear and made calculations at the same time, their speed and accuracy (not to mention sanity) suffered. There is a certain type of exhausted feeling that comes from splitting one’s approach that does not work well for most people. Instead of multitasking, try a new strategy known as fragmentation.
Walk at lunch
Many people feel the negative effects of leading a sedentary lifestyle. One way to combat it and control stress at work at the same time is to do some exercise during mealtime and perhaps take short breaks during the day. This can help you let off steam, improve your mood and get in better shape.
Keep perfectionism under control
Being a great winner can help you feel good about yourself and excel at work. Being a perfectionist, on the other hand, can drive you and the people around you crazy. Especially in busy and fast jobs, you may not be able to do everything perfectly. But striving to do the best you can and then congratulate yourself on the effort is a good strategy. Your results will be really better and you will be much less stressed at work.How to overcome perfectionism
Listen to music on the way home
Listening to music brings many benefits and can offer an effective way to relieve stress after work. Fighting the stress of a long day at work with your favorite music on the way home can make you feel less stressed when you get home and more prepared to interact with the people in your life.