Work-related stress is rampant in the modern corporate world. The fast-paced jobs leave not much of a room for comfort of an employee. The urge to do more and get more leaves causes nuisance for all. Still, there are simple ways in which workplace stress can be reduced. These steps are certainly not a remedy, but can be effective to minimize effects of the most common stressors in the workplace.
Stressful situation arises at workplace when people face work demands and pressures that are not matched to their abilities and which challenge their ability to deal with them. Research has shown that people are getting more exposed to this situation due to their lifestyle and environment of workplaces. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, more than 35% Americans reported to be extremely stressed at work.
There are 4 common workplace stressors:
- Physical Discomfort
- Interpersonal Conflict
- Disorganization
- Multitasking
It’s not easy to find a low-stress job. A more convenient way to get rid of work-related stress is to cope with it wherever you work.
Following are simple and doable steps to overcome workplace stress:
1. Get A Good Start
Many people are already stressed when they reach their offices. This makes them more susceptible to stress at workplace. Starting your day with proper planning, healthy breakfast, and an optimistic outlook towards the day can drastically reduce stress of your job.
2. Know What You Are Supposed To Do
One of the contributing factors to work-related stress false expectations from employees. If you don’t know what you have to do, or if the nature of your role changes often and at short notices, there is a clear warning sign you might get stressed.
It’s better to have a talk with your manager and sort things out before you get to work each day. You can discuss your course of action to plan comprehensively and then set that plan to action.
3. Avoid Workplace Politics
Conflict among colleagues can be difficult, especially if you are in a supervisory position. Try to avoid gossip and sharing of your personal opinions on religion and politics. If possible, try to keep away from people who are difficult to work with.
4. Keep Order At Your Desk
Planning your day ahead can give you a head start. Being organized with your work and time and can help in reducing stressful situations at work place. Keeping your desk in order also helps in minimizing adverse effects of clutter and becoming more efficient.
5. Find Your Comfort Zone
Constant physical pain at work can lead to increased levels of work-related stress. It is mostly associated to the place where you work most of the time. If you desk is too high or if the back of the chair does not flex for your comfort, you’ll be more reactive to stress because of the discomfort. Trivial things like office buzz can cause serious frustration. Try to create a quiet, comfortable office surroundings or blend in.
6. Don’t Multitask
Once, it was considered to be a great way to maximize your output. With the passage of time, many realize that doing multiple tasks at the same time leaves room for inaccuracy and low outputs in the long run. For some people, only thinking about multitasking can be exhausting. There are many ways to tackle multiple tasks at work. One such way is chunking. It involves splitting the information in small parts and work with them, one at a time.
7. Optimize Lunch Time
Sedentary life take a toll on physical and mental health of many people. Even if cannot be avoided altogether, you can optimize breaktimes like lunch time or other free times to get some exercise. Taking a stroll during lunchtime is a safe way to stretch your legs and get some air. This can help in getting your mind off of work for a while, lift your spirits, and get you in a better physical shape.
8. Curb Your Perfectionism
Being a perfectionist can create a lot of problems for yourself and those around you. It is certainly good to be high achiever in your professional life, but it puts certain pressure on you to outperform yourself and others, each time.
Finding perfection is harder in a dynamic job. The best way to keep the perfectionist instincts in check is by stopping once in a while and congratulating yourself on your efforts. This will result in less stressful situations at work.
9. Find An Activity Around Your Work
Listening to music or reading books can get you necessary distraction to get away from claustrophobic and stressful air of office. Starting your day on jolly notch by listening to a song is a good way to start your day. Similarly, listening to your favorite music on your way home can help winding you down.