Simple Steps to Manage Work Stress

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If you’ve ever had a job, you probably know what it’s like to be stressed at work. Full email inboxes, impromptu meetings, an overnight shift, a challenging task, a difficult customer – and constantly reshuffling priorities in the hopes you’ll have enough time to meet your upcoming deadline. Workplace stress can get the best of us all. And beyond the blows to your performance and productivity, workplace stress can affect your mental health.

• Work was identified as a “significant source of stress” by 70% of people responding to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America survey.

• 4 in 5 employees show early signs of burnout and feel emotionally drained by work, according to Mental Health America’s Mind the Workplace report.

• Long-term unmanaged work stress has been found to have a strong link to depression and anxiety, according to a study about burnout in Frontiers in Psychology.  

So how can you deal with work stress in a healthy way?

You may not feel like you can just walk away from your job, even when it’s taking a toll on our well-being. Mayo Clinic shares tips for managing stress in the workplace and here are a few of our top takeaways:

Figure out your stress triggers. When you feel your stress responses firing, take a moment to evaluate your surroundings. Who were you working with? What were you doing? What was your reaction? You might find an obvious cause of stress or a persistent smaller cause, like an uncomfortable workspace.

Focus on your time management. If you’re feeling overwhelmed during the workday, a time management eval could relieve some of the added pressure. Be mindful of setting realistic goals with your colleagues. Go back to the basics with an old fashioned “to-do” list to keep you on track during the day, and schedule time on your office calendar to work through your list.

Keep perspective on your work-life balance. It’s important to remind yourself you have a life outside of work. When you are stressed, talk to trusted friends and coworkers to get their point of view. Make sure to take your well-earned breaks and time off. Make time, before and after your workday, for activities and hobbies that you enjoy.  

Give yourself some time to try out new routines. If things don’t improve, talk to your supervisor and ask them for help on how to manage your workload or streamline tasks. 

Also if work stress feels hopeless, please reach out to a mental health professional.