Stress Management in the Workplace

Stress management in the workplace has become more and more difficult everyday. The  environment we work in has a lot more pressure and it's a lot more stressful than it was for our ancestors. It’s a jungle out there often rings true when you have to juggle home and work, are able to multitask, delegate, manage upwards and downwards and often have very few tools, resources and time to do it all. In the midst all the tight deadlines and the budgets and frameworks, we continue to stretch ourselves, continue to push boundaries until we get a wake-up call, until our lives may not be the same again. 

It's important to recognize the importance of the stress management in the workplace before you are burnt out and before you find yourself dealing with complications that may jepordize the quality of your life. 

Stress at work often results from managing an unrealistic portfolio, uncertainty at work, poor time management skills, lack of organization techniques etc. Stress affects your ability to work to the best of your ability, and often affects you in physical and emotional ways as well. You are more likely to fall sick when you are stressed than when you are satisfied at work.

     Before you can learn to cope with stress at work – you must first learn a few tips about stress management in the workplace. 
         

Here are some ways to help with stress management in the workplace:

1.  Start working out – exercise is shown to elevate your mood and make you feel less stressful, even a 20 minute walk once a day or two 10 minute walks will work.
2.  Don’t eat too much or too little, try and eat small frequently meals throughout your workday to keep you active and keep your blood sugar levels up.
3. Limit the alcohol on workdays as it affects you ability to concentrate which may in turn lead to more stress for you.
4. Try and make time for 8 hours of sleep every night, don’t take your laptop to bed, have a cup of herbal tea, run a warm bath or drink a glass of milk to help you relax before bedtime.
5.  Balance your workday, make time for work and also some time for yourself and family, make sure you have some pleasurable tasks built into your hectic schedule.
6.  Don’t be a YES body – say no to things if you can’t do them and don’t over stretch or over commit yourself, of you know you will end up compromising in some way to finish the project.
7. Try to make your mornings as stress-free as possible, lay out your clothes the night before, pack lunch and your bags.
8.  Make sure you schedule some regular breaks throughout the day to give you time to distress yourself, a quick coffee break or even a walk to the copier machine can help you calm yourself.
9.   Use a to-do list or planners to keep track of your tasks and also see how far along you are with each one. 
10.  Sometimes the best way to deal with stress is to talk about it to someone else, find an ally at work, that you can talk to and vent out. It's a very useful outlet. 

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