Stress at work is a big problem. It affects all aspects of your life and not just your working life. If left unchecked it can impact on sleep, relationships, mental health, physical health and more. Work stress is one of the leading causes of absence from work.
If stress is a problem in your life, then it’s time to take action. What can you do to cope with work pressures and ensure they don’t have a negative impact on your health?
Recognize There is a Problem
The first step is to recognize there is a problem. Stress comes in many different guises, and it will affect different people in different ways. You may notice that you feel anxious or depressed. Other people may notice irritability or a lack of patience with others. There may be physical symptoms too, such as stomach upsets and headaches. Or you may be tired and finding it difficult to sleep. Whatever your symptoms, awareness is the first step to solving the problem.
Once you have recognized that you’re suffering from stress, try to work out the source. Is it one issue you’re struggling with? Do you feel overwhelmed with your workload? Do you feel you have received inadequate training for your role? Try to identify any problem areas.
Talk
Talking is good. It helps you clarify how you’re feeling and obtain input from another person. Is there a family member you can talk to, or a friend? Can you confide in your boss and ask him or her for assistance? Some businesses have Employee assistance programmes that are an excellent source of help and advice.
Plan and Organize
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your workload, then planning and organization can help. Write down all of the tasks that you have to complete. Then allocate a time for each task. Don’t be too conservative with your estimates. Be realistic. If you’re working in an environment where you’re relying on other people to complete tasks, factor in ‘buffer time’. This is where you add additional time in case of delays.
Often when you list and organize tasks in this way, you figure out problem areas. It might be that there is just too much work for one person to complete in the time. In this instance it would be worth delegating, increasing timescales or speaking to your boss.
Don’t take on too much and learn how to say no.
Deal with Problems and Move On
Problems occur in all jobs and at all levels. This is a fact of life. Issues come up, and mistakes are made. If this happens, deal with the problem and move on. Try not to hold onto it and go over it in your mind. Let it go and move on.
Take Time Off
It’s hard to think about taking time off when you’re feeling stressed and under pressure. Unfortunately, many people’s reactions are to work harder. This rarely works and causes more problems in the long term. Taking regular breaks helps you to refresh and helps you to become more productive. Make sure you take your lunch break away from your desk and switch off from work for an hour.
If you find that you’re always staying late, work out a compromise. If working late is necessary then work late one or two nights a week. Make sure you leave on time for the rest of the week. Ensure you keep to this.
The important thing is to notice when there’s a problem and when you’re feeling stressed. Recognizing the warning signs will help you to take actions to combat this in the future. Take steps to identify the issues and try to resolve them. If this is not possible, then seek help.
MiddleMe 
Most people shy away or hesitate from asking guidance or help from peers if the work is challenging. I think there is nothing wrong in asking … Or if possible delegate it if its overloaded …
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Organizing better can help, but in severe cases, taking a few days off is sometimes the best solution. However, in competitive environments where there’s a lot of ongoing cost-cutting, people may be afraid of asking for a break.
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Companies should enforce the breaks. Some companies I know ‘force’ their staff to take a break every quarter. It’s beneficial in the long run for the companies too.
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Stress at work really hurts not only
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Our professional life but also our personal
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Muy interesante
Enviado desde mi iPhone
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I’m taking time off these days.:)
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Great for you!! A much needed break indeed.
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Reblogged this on Crazy Pasta Child.
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awesome :’)
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thank you I like reading your tuto to fight against stress to work
this post halp me
Anita
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Thanks, Anita!!
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you’re welcome Kally
🙂
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Kally, this is just excellent!
I’ve suffered a lot because of this already and, as hard as it is do admit, it has been my fault.
Do you allow me to translate this post to Portuguese to post on my blog?
Of course, I’ll give you the credits for the post and link to the original one.
Thanks!
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Sure, go ahead 🙂 thank you for wanting to do a repost in your language!!
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I did the last step recently back in December. Work became so overwhelming and stressful it began to take a toll on my health. My doctor wrote me out for three months. I went back for two days and then resigned. No back up plan; just blind faith! It wasn’t worth it and the job was the most money I ever made and I held the health insurance coverage for my family. Financially it was risky but God has provided. In refreshed and start a new Jib this coming Monday. The move was worth it. I blogged about the experience in this article recently and so many we’re glad I shared my story! The link is below if anyone is interested. Great read Kally!
https://therealliferealtalk.com/2016/02/24/hey-boss-i-quit/
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Hi Cally. This is so relevant to what ONE of the categories I post about. We all have Mental health and therefore we all go from good to bad mental health in varying degrees through out our lives. I wish more employers would try and eradicate the stigma against poor mental health. With an employers support , I suspect people would feel understood and possibly bounce back quicker than having to hide their so called ‘weak’ state of mind .
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Amazing write up! Such great advice and so true. I love the tip on acknowledging your mistake and moving on. That one is hard for me, I have no problem owning up for something but tend to dwell on it afterwards. The employee assistance was also a great suggestion, we have this at my organization and I think people often forget that it’s available.
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Thank you, Asa!!! Lovely for you to drop in! I’ve seen you and your blog is climbing greater heights!
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Reblogged this on wwwpalfitness.
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Thanks for sharing this out!! How’s your freelancing going on? Meant to check back with you awhile back.
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