Six Fail-Safe Ways to Eliminate Job-Related Stress

“Stress is not what happens to us. It is our response to what happens and response is something we can choose.” –Maureen Killoran 

Stress has often been thought and perceived to be an ignorant state.

This is because stressed people view every little thing as an emergency.  In the workplace, stress seems to be multiplied. Regardless of whether you are working in an accounting firm or a digital marketing agency, your office is a teeming pot full of potential stressors. Stress is not always necessarily bad, though. Within your comfort zone, it can help an individual stay focused, energetic and rise to meet challenges in the workplace. However, excessive stress can be overwhelming and may not only be detrimental to your physical and emotional health, but it can negatively impact your productivity and emotional health.

More often than not, your ability to deal and handle stress can mean the difference between your success or failure at work. Though there are innumerable factors influencing our stress levels, one crucial thing to keep in mind that you cannot always control everything in your environment. However, this is not to say that you are powerless to change it—regardless of how extremely difficult a situation can be.
Though stress can come in varying degrees at your workplace, it is imperative that you need to take measures to protect yourself from the potentially damaging effects on your health and your job satisfaction.  The items below are some of the six steps you can take.

1.)    Take breaks 

You must remember that first and foremost: You are human. This means that you are susceptible to feeling exhausted after taking on so many tasks. No matter how busy you may seem, it is crucial to take little breaks now and then. Additionally, if you have quite a lot of tasks to do for the day, do not be afraid to ask for assistance. You might just be surprised who would be willing to give you a hand.  If you want to stay productive throughout the day without the feeling of being worn-down, take a break for a few minutes. You will see just how much your productivity will improve.

2.)     Resolve your concerns 

Identify what causes your stress and find ways to come to terms with them. One example would be, if you are stressed out about a complicated work task, consider asking around for some clarification or assistance. If you have a particular conflict with a co-worker, think of some ways you can both resolve it. Try to fix what is within your power. Remember, if there is something you can do to fix it, do it.

3.)    Focus on one thing at a time 

When you are inundated by innumerable tasks, multitasking may seem like the logical thing to do. Unfortunately, multitasking can be very counterproductive. You end up committing more errors; your attention is all over the place, and you get stressed out a lot more quickly. Instead of attempting to deal with everything at once, focus on accomplishing one thing at a time. This would effectively minimize stress and would help you zero your focus on the objective at hand.

4.)    Adjust your expectations 

Work challenges are imperative to encourage professional growth and keep us motivated. However, taking much more than you can handle can create unnecessary stress. Have a realistic view of what you can handle and what you could not and avoid creating needless stress by taking on more than you can chew.

5.)    Think ahead 

The foundation of a stress-free work experience is effective time management. One great way to manage your time is to think ahead of work tasks that ought to be done and deadlines to be met. From your standpoint, tasks with faraway deadlines can be pushed for later. However, you need to take into account that you may be given other necessary tasks to complete in the days leading up to the deadline. So, do work tasks as soon as you can to prevent yourself from scrambling to get things done at the last minute.

6.)    Breathe and relax 

When you feel rather overwhelmed with work tasks, take a brief moment to stop and breathe. Relax and release the stress and allow yourself to calm your mind and body down. Reconnect with the present by solely focusing on your breathing and try to breathe with your bellow for just 1-2 minutes. Focus only on the air you are breathing in and out, and you will have a much clearer head.

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