5 Ways To Beat Stress at Work
Does your workplace triggers and increases stress? How many times and hours daily do you find yourself stressing out which affects your whole productivity and steady focus throughout the day in general?
Today’s standards are increasing. Workers are expected to perform impeccably and are demanded to produce more work in a limited time. The pressure is high; plug in an unreasonable boss and gossipy co-workers, you’ll find yourself in chronic stress.
Fortunately, there are ways you can combat stress and better your performance. Time to alter your work situation and empower yourself, here are ways you can eliminate stress at work:
Fix your posture
You’ve been reminded this by your mom and teachers countless times: sit up straight!
You may be questioning this still but posture greatly affects how well you feel and do on the job. Feeling a little sluggish and tired to work? Check your posture. Maybe you’re too low and hunched over your office chair. If possible, get your hands on ergonomic office furniture for better comfort.
Good posture helps overcome stress at work. Posture trains your mind which then influences your behavior. Bad posture makes you feel more stressed; good posture gives you confidence and power to tackle what’s in front of you.
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How do you feel when you’re presented with a desk full of clutter and high piles of tasks? It’s overwhelming and kills your mood to deal with it straight away. Why? Because it gives you little mental breathing room.
Seeing all those things at once cramps your mind, and simple stuff like that can instantly boost your productions of stress hormones.
First, purge your desk. Get rid of all things unnecessary and those of no longer purpose. Then, organize your workspace. Place all the frequently used items at your arm’s reach.
Organize and group your documents in an action filing system (e.g. “pending”, “done” and “for pick up”, etc.) and file them in a rack or storage.
Clutter implies delayed work and once the pile grows, the longer it would take you to accomplish them, and the more you’ll stress out about it.
Make a to-do list
There’s nothing more motivating than having a clear and concrete mindset of your daily tasks. Prioritize your priorities. In a world full of deadlines and fast-changing priorities, it’s vital to know what’s: urgent and important, urgent but not important, not urgent, and important; and not urgent and not important. Lookup Time Management Matrix by Stephen Convey.
Curate your to-do list by identifying projects under this matrix and focus on your respective priorities. Multitasking isn’t advisable. It may work for some but not everyone. The constant alternation between tasks only adds pressure which may slow things down in the end.
Cool down, restart your mind
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Work stress is frustrating and on several events, it ticks your anger. The heated is normal albeit can be prevented. Instead of generating a reaction or action you’ll regret later, train yourself to opt for a different technique.
Cool down and pause for a while; don’t get sucked into the “heat of the moment”. Breathe in through your mouth, out through your nose. The calming and cooling sensation will give you time to think through the situation and get ahold of it. Don’t let the anger or stress get the best of you, you control your body; don’t let it control you.
Embrace stress
It may seem unlikely (and contradicting). But like those who use their disadvantages and fear to their benefit, you can utilize stress to your own advantage.
This is the reason why some people produce better quality works when procrastinating and under pressure. Somehow, they have managed (mastered, even) handling stress effectively. Stress allows you to rise above any given challenges in certain situations. Keep in mind what your role is, your purpose, and your goal.
Resilience and proper stress management is key to eliminating tensions at work. How about you, how do you handle stress? Share your tips and advice!
