5 Tips to Manage Stress at Work
Significant research has shown that a highly stressful work environment can negatively impact mental health.Studies have shown that stressful work environments can have significant impacts on employees which an exacerbate or illuminate mental health issues. In particular research has indicated those in high effort and low reward positions suffer a great deal of stress (Siegrist, 1996). In addition, poor treatment by management can have significant impacts on one's mental health.
That being said, what if your job is just OK? Maybe you don't find the conditions all that unbearable but want to make your daily experience a little more enjoyable.
Here are some quick tips to help manage job stress:
1. "The early bird catches the worm."Being late for work can cause a hurried and stressful feeling that can permeate throughout your entire day.
2. Get enough sleep. If you have a difficult boss or a particularly stressful work environment, take a preemptive strike and make sure you get a good night's rest every night. Getting good rest makes you more aware and alert to complete your tasks, as well as helps make you better able to cope with a nagging boss or difficult coworkers.
3. Dive right in.When you get to your place of business, if you have the choice, dive in to your toughest tasks in the morning. During the early hours you will likely have the most energy to tackle the hard stuff. Taper off your day with shorter, less intensive tasks to help that transition out of the office that much easier.
4. Eat a good, balanced breakfast. There is significant research that states that the mind-body connection is very strong. If you load up on a nutrient rich balanced breakfast, you will likely find yourself more able to tackle your work tasks and cope with the stress of work. Being hangry (hungry+angry) and irritable might create a self-fulfilling prophecy of a tough work environment. Self care really is the best care!
5. Don't forget to ask for help. If there is support available at your job, then use it! If you're feeling overwhelmed or frustrated by your experience at work, seek out someone you trust. A supervisor or understanding coworker will help you manage the day's challenges without making you feel bad for seeking support.I hope these quick tips can help you better deal with the stress of your work day.
If you employ some of these techniques and still find your work situation difficult, it might be time to re-evaluate your position with the aid of supportive therapist that can help guide you in times of transition or explore strategies to manage workplace stress.
3 Tips to Achieve Work-Life Balance
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These days it can be extremely challenging to achieve a healthy balance between work and the rest of your life. And living a balanced life is essential for a healthy mind. It can even help foster productivity. Here are 3 Tips to Achieve Work-Life Balance.
Keep it simple
It's often all too easy to get caught up in the drama and stress of the workplace, especially when you have complicated office dynamics and mountains of work to get through. The next time you're feeling overwhelmed, take a few moments to re-energize and simplify.Create a to-do list once you arrive to your office ranking the toughest tasks of the day to the easiest. Tackle the tough stuff first in the day when you have a lot of energy and work your way down. That way you can leave the office at the end of the day knowing that you worked through your toughest tasks even if you didn't make your way all through the list. If you're feeling particularly overwhelmed, don't shy away from asking for help. Chances are co-workers will be glad to help you out especially if they know they can rely on you when times get a little tough for them too.
Take a break
Huffington Post recently published an article titled, "Americans Are Too Afraid and Stressed to Take Days Off from Work" in which author Jillian Berman reported that about 40% of Americans don't plan to use all their paid time off this year. That's a high number! While some of us may feel that our jobs really need us for our excellent work, as humans with full lives we also need (and deserve) a break. Taking time off for a vacation is a simple and obvious way to give yourself a little break. If traveling isn't your thing, or not cost-effective for the moment, consider a staycation and visit some local sights in your city or town or catch up on some much-needed leisurely reading.
Unplug
Over the past thirty or so years, technology has become an increasingly bigger part of our daily lives. That can often leave us feeling stressed out and overworked if we spend time away from the office answering emails and taking calls. Every job can stand a little down time during the day so if you struggle to step away from your gadgets, try starting with a 15 minute tech break and gradually increase your time until you reach a time you're comfortable with. You may even want to take a nice long bath to ensure you can't hear or see that phone of yours.
While everyone's work circumstances differ greatly I hope that these simple tips might help you gain a little more balance in your daily life.