Six Ways To Overcome Stress At Work
In today’s world, work is an ever-present factor in the lives we lead. Many people dedicate decades of their lives to building a business or maintaining a career or job position. There’s certainly nothing wrong with being passionate about your work. However, when work-related stress arises and persists, this can be problematic.
Like all other forms of stress, work-related stress can be dangerous. Sadly, Psychology Today reports that work stress is on the rise. These spikes in stress are largely attributed to professional demands, workplace environments, and a series of other factors. It's become increasingly important for workers to learn how to manage work-related stress.
Why Is Work Stress So Dangerous?
The need to overcome stress at work and develop healthy stress management techniques is in higher demand than ever. An understanding of why work stress is so dangerous is also important.
Knowing the threats which stem from stress at work plays a role in overcoming this stress, as does knowledge of stress management.
It Can Leave You More Vulnerable To Other Mental Health Issues
The American Psychological Association documents the link between stress at work and overall feelings of powerlessness. Feeling powerless can be crippling enough, but it also increases afflicted individuals’ likelihood of experiencing depression, anxiety, and other related issues. Make no mistake, work-related stress is not the only cause or factor linked to emotional and mental health issues; however, stress at work most definitely doesn’t help anyone.
Your Physical Health Can Suffer
Stress at work can also bring on serious physical health issues. Headaches, trouble sleeping, and even a weaker immune system are just a few examples. Stress is infamous for its adverse impacts on physical health; this is yet another reason why stress at work is so toxic. If you are someone who already suffers from physical health issues, then work stress can worsen these issues or increase your susceptibility to additional ones.
The Quality Of Your Work Can Decline
Because of the negative impact that stress at work has on your mental, emotional, and physical health, the decline of your professional productivity is inevitable. Ironically, when the quality of your work declines, this can lead to even more stress, creating a vicious cycle. This cycle can be tough to break free from; depending on how long it goes on, stress at work can have serious impacts on your professional and economic future.
With all this in mind, having knowledge of stress management techniques and strategies to reduce stress is paramount.
The Best Ways To Overcome Stress At Work
The dangers of work stress are haunting and very real; however, there is some light at the end of the tunnel. With the right decisions, information, and steps forward, you can overcome stress at work. If you believe that you may be experiencing workplace stress, then the following six tips may be of value to you.
Make Sure You Have — And Maintain — Professional Boundaries
Taking on too much is one of the leading causes of stress at work. Thankfully, you can save yourself from this trap by having professional boundaries in place. Boundaries are advisable whether you work on location or maintain your career remotely. Not checking your email or taking work calls after certain hours are great ways of setting boundaries; likewise, you should make sure that your time away from work enables you to mentally recharge and make the most of set boundaries.
Try To Maintain Positive Working Relationships
Poor work relationships can also engender stress at work. The nature of your professional relationships may not always be in your complete control, although you certainly play a role. Doing your part to get along with clients, customers, colleagues, or superiors can make a difference. Positive working relationships can not only help with stress management, but they’re also great for your career.
Speak Up If You’re Having Issues
When faced with stress at work, putting your head down and suffering in silence can be tempting. However, this doesn’t solve any problems; it certainly doesn’t contribute to stress management or overcoming stress at work.
If you are dealing with stress at work, speaking up about it comes highly recommended. Of course, there is a time, place, and proper way of going about doing this; the specifics will inherently depend upon your profession, manner of working, and much more.
The point, though, is that letting someone know what you're going through is important. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking up about this at work, then considering telling a friend or loved one outside of your job.
Whatever you do, don’t just suffer in silence and wait for stress at work to go away on its own.
Take A Break
Sometimes, simply knowing when to take a break is one of the simplest and most effective stress management techniques. Small opportunities such as eating away from your desk and taking a walk around the block can be beneficial to your wellbeing. Apps that promote mindfulness and meditation can easily be fit within a two-minute work break.
Believe it or not, breaks have benefits extending beyond stress management and overcoming stress at work. Better professional performance is another incredible benefit that can come from taking breaks from time to time. Contrary to the narrative which asserts endless work as a winning strategy, clearing your head can make you better at your job and able to overcome stress.
Reconsider Your Occupation
Believe it or not, stress at work is sometimes caused by immersion in the wrong occupation. This is not the case in all cases; however, there are many stories of individuals who have left certain occupations for others and found happiness. If you believe that stress at work is caused by your current job, then it wouldn’t hurt to ask yourself if a change is in order. You just may find that reconsidering your occupation is the stress management strategy that you needed.
For some individuals, their current job does not reflect their values and that causes distress. Evaluate your values and assess if this could be the case for you. Is it worth staying in your current job if it means it does not fulfill your values? Could you meet your values through other avenues while maintaining your current job? Such as if you value helping others and you feel your current job role does not allow that, could you volunteer to fulfill this need?
Take Note Of Specific Stressors
Cognizance of specific stressors at work is imperative to healthy stress management. When you know what’s negatively impacting you, you can take steps towards finding solutions.
If your interactions with other people at work are causing stress at work, then minimizing these interactions or improving the relationship could be advisable solutions. On the other hand, if stress at work is engendered by the environment, then seeing if you can work remotely or in a different environment are potential solutions.
Stress Management For Personal Development
The National Institutes of Health describes stress at work as one of the most neglected parts of peoples’ mental health. This makes stress management techniques more imperative than ever, in spite of what the specific causes may be.
As you take steps to achieve stress management, there are some important details you should remember. First and foremost, stress management does not happen overnight. It takes time to determine which strategies are best for you.
Next comes implementing these strategies on a regular basis and waiting for positive outcomes. As you carry out the stress management techniques that are best for you, you may also learn more about yourself as an individual. In the long run, this process can foster both stress management and personal development.
Takeaway
The journey of overcoming stress at work and developing stress management techniques can be a lot. Depending on the nature of the situation, you may feel confident in your ability to manage things on your own. If this is the case, then there’s nothing wrong with that. However, if you feel as though you could benefit from additional help and support, then you should know about available resources.
Working with an online counselor is an effective way to get help. Whether you’re dealing with stress at work, trying to achieve stress management, or facing an entirely different hurdle, an online counselor can help you change your life. When compared to in-person therapy, online therapy has been found to be just as effective for working on a wide variety of mental health disorders. Online therapy allows you to get help wherever you are, so whether you live in a big city or a rural area, you can find support.
Should you decide that you’d like to work with a professional, consider signing up for online counseling with BetterHelp. No matter what you’re dealing with, you can rest assured that a BetterHelp online counselor will hear you out, provide valuable insight and support you. Furthermore, working with an online counselor can help you grow, learn more about life, and develop long-term stress management strategies. Once you've put strategies in place, you may find yourself happier at work and happier in life.
Below are commonly asked questions on this topic:
How Can I Reduce Stress At Work?
If you have a stressful work environment, you aren't alone. More than half of workers (65%) indicated that workplace stress had caused them difficulties in 2021, and over 10% described these as having major effects. Work is a common stressor, but there are things you can do. Here are some things that may help you reduce or manage stress at work:
Work with a therapist. Therapy is shown to help individuals manage stress. A therapist can help you find coping skills, establish problem solving skills, and meet other goals that may be advantageous in this process. To cover the cost, health insurance, an employee assistance program, therapists with affordable or sliding scale rates, and online therapy platforms like BetterHelp may all be options.
Set boundaries. Setting clear boundaries can help you honor your needs and your limits. You can set boundaries with yourself as well as others. Both may be relevant for stress relief at work. It can also help to use tools and practices that help you stay organized or maintain a work-life balance.
Seek social support. Research shows that social support can act as a buffer in times of stress, enhance psychological wellbeing, and increase happiness. It can even have safety effects on physical health. Having individuals such as trusted friends, families, or a romantic partner to turn to or spend time with can be cathartic during high-stress times. Support groups are another way to find social support and expand the amount of support you have in your life - better yet, they're often free.
Make changes to your work environment. When needed, individuals who are able to do so may choose to work fewer hours, change positions, move from always working in an office to having work from home days, or change their schedule (e.g., from nights to mornings) as a way to relieve stress on a daily basis, especially if these changes will lower their stress substantially.
Stress management is a part of caring for your overall health and shouldn't be overlooked as a means of self-care and establishing a healthy lifestyle. Excessive stress or chronic stress can have detrimental impacts on your physical health, mood, social relationships, and other parts of life. It can heighten your risk of various health conditions, including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety disorders, and heart disease. We all endure stressful situations from time to time, but if you have a highly stressful work environment or feel overwhelmed regularly, it may be time to make a change.
What Are 5 Emotional Signs Of Stress?
Five emotional signs of stress may include:
Feelings of depression
Difficulty concentrating or focusing
Feeling overwhelmed, worried, or nervous
Irritability, a short temper, or feeling "on edge"
Isolating, or the temptation to isolate, from others
Chronic stress can lead to a number of negative effects, including, but not limited to, high blood pressure, problems in interpersonal relationships, ongoing insomnia, and more. If your stress persists over an extended period of time, make sure to reach out to a medical or mental health professional who can help.
Should I Quit My Job If I Am Stressed?
Some people do quit their job due to stress. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that over 47 million American workers quit their jobs for mental health reasons in 2021. This is absolutely an individual choice to make. Sometimes, people have enough control to make changes to their current job that make it more manageable or their workplace allows for them to problem solve and find solutions that can help them keep their job. For example, schedule changes or work-from-home options.
Other times, the job itself isn't the right fit or contributes to extensive stress that starts to harm a person's physical or mental health. That might be when someone decides to seek out a different job or quit their current one. A therapist or counselor can help you develop healthy responses to stress, which is something to consider if you experience stress related to work, whether that comes from your work environment overall, your coworkers, gossip at the vending machine, the general knowledge that you feel overwhelmed on a regular basis at work, or something else. They can also provide support as you transition from one work opportunity to the other if you choose.
Does Crying Relieve Stress?
Research shows that crying actually does relieve stress; both physical and mental markers of it. Crying releases endorphins and can reduce both emotional and physical pain. What else can help fight stress? Various peer reviewed studies have identified tools and practices that can support stress relief throughout the years. Physical activity, journaling, mindfulness meditation, breathing exercises, professional support, and social support may also be advantageous tools for stress management.
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