Job stress is one of the leading factors to workplace dissatisfaction, contributing to low levels of morale and employee retention. While moderate levels of stress have demonstrated the ability to actually drive productivity and creativity, prolonged and sustained levels of stress, combined with the inability to handle the pressures of that stress are detrimental to professional performance, as well as to physical and emotional well-being. It’s important to manage stress effectively in order to continue successfully in any profession. Here are some ways to help you control stress at work so that you can be more productive and happy in the workplace.
Prioritise your work. While everyone may want a prompt response from you, not everything that is asked of you in the workplace is of the same importance or urgency. Determine what is important to complete by categorising the requests into three groups: immediate, end of day, or end of week. If you’re unsure, don’t be afraid to ask: “Can I look into this for you by X?”Acknowledge that you have received the request and communicate your availability, “I can have a response about this for you by Z.”It’s perfectly acceptable to push back if someone tries to strong arm you into doing something that isn’t high on your list of priorities. Just remember to begentle, yet firm. “I’m afraid I am focussed on other commitments at this time, but I will get to this for you as soon as possible, and no later than Z.”
Set aside specific times to check your email. Email is one of work’s greatest detractors throughout the day. Leaving your email open on your desktop while trying to get any work done is extremely counterproductive because it disrupts your attention and distracts you from the task at hand. Instead of constantly checking your email throughout the day, give yourself periodic check-ins at specific times. Depending on your type of work, find the best increments of time to schedule email check-ins, such as five-ten minutes every 90 minutes. Outside of those parameters, keep your email closed to avoid the distraction and allow yourself to focus better on your work.
Learn to better manage your time. Stress levels tend to spike as the time allocated to meet a deadline diminishes. Thankfully most work projects in a majority of industries are not sprung upon you at the last minute so time is on your side. That is, if you know how to manage your time well. At the start of any major project, create a weekly schedule to hit milestones. Schedule meetings or check-ins with everyone involved if this is a collaborative endeavour. Create a timeline with an end date one week ahead of your actual deadline to give you a buffer in case you come across a difficult obstacle or any other delay.
Delegate or leverage others on your team. Often times, it’s unnecessary to take on the burden of stress all on your own. Instead of not wanting to trouble your other colleagues, be better about dividing and conquering the work in order to stay on task and on schedule for an important project. If you’re working on your own and you feel overwhelmed or stumped by a particularly challenging problem, reach out to your peers for help and assistance. Putting your heads together will help eliminate stress and lead to a better, more collaborative solution.
Find a coping mechanism. During some instances, stress will be yours alone to manage. Before allowing panic to set in and steal any remaining effectiveness you may have, find a healthy outlet to help yourself de-stress. Make sure that it’s something accessible and doesn’t require more than 15-20 minutes to do. Coping mechanisms differ according to taste and preference so take some time to find the right one for you. Try taking a brisk walk outside, giving yourself a hand massage in the restroom, stretching, practicing meditative breathing, watching funny videos on YouTube, taking a coffee or tea break with a close colleague, planning your next tropical holiday, or anything else you can think of to distract yourself from the stress. Just be sure that you limit the distraction for twenty minutes at the most. Once you’ve reset your frame of mind, return to your work and tackle the problem with a new perspective and a renewed vigour.
