How to Deal with Stress at Work

We all feel stress from time to time, especially during our working lives. There is always a deadline that has to be met or a fire that has to be put out. Luckily, there are some habits that we can adopt to help us cope.

In honor of Stress Awareness Monthhere are some tips that can help you relieve stress and get you through the work week.

Get Some Rest

Although you’ve probably heard this a million times before, getting 7-9 hours of sleep is essential for starting your day off right. One hour before you go to sleep, power down all of your devices (besides your alarm clock, of course), and make sure that the room is dark. This will help you fall asleep faster and maintain your REM cycle for a longer stretch throughout the night.

Prioritize

Making a daily to-do list and budgeting your time can help you maintain achievable goals. Organize your list in order of priority, that way you get the most important projects accomplished first.

Delegate

Remember, you don’t have to hold the entire company on your shoulders. Trying to be a Yes-person constantly can be a drain you and will ultimately make your productivity suffer. Make sure that you have a great support system to help you with tasks. 

Keep Your Work Life and Personal Life Separate

When you are at home, make sure that you unplug your “work brain.” Oftentimes when we get home from work, we feel compelled to check our emails or social media channels to ensure that nothing is going wrong while we are away from our desks. Constantly being on alert can increase stress levels and lower productivity during the hours that we are at work. If you must check your email while you are at home, try to limit yourself to looking only once.

Keep Your Desk Clean

Now, this might not work for everyone. Some people thrive in “organized chaos,” but if you see yourself taking a large chunk of your day trying to locate something on your desk, you might need to reorganize.

Write Down What Stresses You Out

Identifying what actually triggers your stress is paramount to reducing it. Every few days write down two things that you feel are causing you the most stress. After you have a few items recorded, study it. If you see a pattern, then brainstorm ways that you can change your habits to relieve, or at least lessen, your stress levels.

Take A Full Lunch

No matter how much time your company gives you for lunch, use that time wisely. We often want to inhale our lunches in a few minutes so we can get back to our tasks, but if you just take your time and refocus your energy, you can find that your productivity will rise and stress levels will fall.

In Conclusion

These are just a couple of ways that stress can be eliminated at work. Finding your own combination of stress relief techniques can greatly help you both physically and mentally. So take some time for yourself, take a deep breath, and relax.