Work stress is one of the main sources of concern for people. Nowadays, working conditions could be precarious and exploitative, because companies are more interested in the economic benefits than their workers’ health, according to the current organizational model of work. So, if you want to read about how to deal with work stress, keep reading!

Why do we feel work stress?

There are several causes for work stress, but keep in mind that they can be different for each worker. Long-term stress can affect your health with problems such as heart conditions, back pain, exhaustion, anxiety, depression, injuries, and immune system problems. The causes of work stress can be: 

– Workload: this happens when an employee is working long hours, having short breaks, or dealing with a heavy workload.

– Role at work: a worker can feel stressed if they don’t have a defined position within the organization, have many responsibilities or activities, and must answer to more than one person as their supervisor. 

– Conditions at work: work stress can appear when a job is dangerous or physically strenuous. Other conditions are: be exposed to loud noise, pollution, toxic chemicals, wild environment. 

– Management: when management is too authoritative or doesn’t allow employees to participate in decision-making, it can generate stress. This also happens when the management doesn’t have an organization or policies that cannot reconcile work life with private life.

– Interpersonal conflict: having conflicts with the boss or coworkers are the most stress triggers for employees.

– Fear of the future: thinking about the future and where it is taking, you can be stressful, especially if you feel that you aren’t advancing in your career. 

Tips for managing work stress

• How do you start your day?

If you start your day in a hurry to get the kids to fed and off to school, fighting with traffic, and having coffee as a healthy breakfast, well, that is not the right way to start your day. The best way is to plan and have a schedule for the day, wake up early after a good night of sleep, that give you the chance to prepare a healthy breakfast with good nutrients, and having a positive attitude can reduce your work stress. 

• Have clear requirements

When you have unclear requirements, or your role keeps changing with little or no notice, your stress can reach high levels. The best way to resolve this is by talking with the supervisor, where you can go over your expectations and solutions to relieve your stress and even your supervisor’s.

• Avoid conflict

Interpersonal conflicts not only generate work stress, but they can also affect you physically and emotionally. Conflicts with coworkers are hard to solve, and they always leave an awkward environment. The best way to avoid them is: don’t gossip, don’t share personal opinions about sensitive topics, and don’t engage with colorful humor. Another good point is to keep a cordial relationship with all your coworkers. 

• Organization is key

Some people are naturally disorganized, but even if you are one of them, try to stay organized at least with your job, this can greatly reduce the work stress. Being organized with the time, and having a schedule can help with the rush of the morning to avoid being late, and reducing the hustling of finish the daily activities. A good organization can prevent clutter and its negative effects, improving the efficiency of your job. 

• Be comfortable

Another stressful thing to deal with is physical discomfort, related to where you perform most of the daily activities, like the desk office. If you sit on an uncomfortable chair every day, you will be reactive to stress due to your sore back. Also, things like noises, lightning, and temperature can affect your stress levels. Every worker must have a quiet, comfortable, soothing, and ergonomic workspace.

• Say NO to multitasking

This was once considered a fantastic way to improve efficiency, maximize the time, and finish several activities at once. Eventually, people started to realize that doing different things simultaneously affects their speed and accuracy. Not many people know how to work well with multitasking, and it is just another way to add more stress. 

• Take advantage of your breaks

Working in an office can lead to having a sedentary lifestyle. A great way to combat stress, and its physical and mental effects, is with some workouts. You can do a short walk on your lunch break, or if the schedule allows it, take short exercise breaks during the day. With a good and short workout, you can blow off steam, get into better shape, rid off the sedentary lifestyle, and lift your mood. 

• Work on your perfectionism

Achievements are good for everyone; they can boost your career and give you a feeling of success while excelling at work. But, if you are obtaining this by being a perfectionist, it can create problems for you and your environment. Take into consideration that you cannot do everything perfectly. The best way to avoid this is by trying to do your best, not minding the results and congratulate yourself for your efforts. 

• Listen to music

Music is one of the most effective ways to relieve stress before, during, and after work. It can bring many benefits; for example, playing an uplifting and happy song at breakfast can help you to start the day with high spirits. During work hours, music for concentration is the best to fulfill your daily activities. Try combating the stress of a long day with your favorite songs on the drive home, to be relaxed and have a peaceful night of sleep.

As you can notice, work stress is complicated, with many effects on your health, physical, and emotional condition. But if you manage to relax, it can increase the benefits and help you have a better work-life. Keep reading incredible and interesting articles within the magazine, and follow us in our social media!

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