Coping With Work-Related Stress

Many of us experience work-related stress at one point or another throughout our professional lives. An article that we think you might like to dig from this month’s newsletter highlights a surprising statistic. Did you know that the average American spends 90,000 hours at work during their lifetime?

That number alone might stress you out! Work-related stress is totally normal and it’s likely that everyone you work with experiences and handles stress differently. There are various sources of stress; such as a large incoming project, insufficient compensation, a lack of control, or even a less-than-ideal home situation that inevitably spills over into your time at work. An article from the American Psychological Association called, “Coping With Stress at Work” explains helpful ways to overcome your work-related stress when it begins to feel overwhelming. Read the full article here to learn what may trigger stress and how you can work to minimize it. Below is a summary of the article. We hope this information offers up a more enjoyable and productive work experience- stress free!

Steps to manage work-related stress:

1. Track your stressors. This could be done by writing stressful situations in a planner or journal. This allows you to find patterns related to your stressors so you can better manage the stressors in the future.

2. Develop healthy responses. Rather than turning to fast-food as a comfort on your commute home, relieve your stress by asking a neighbor to take a walk with you or commit to reading a book you enjoy when you get home from work.

3. Establish boundaries. Remind yourself that you are not a “bot”-you don’t need to respond automatically! If you feel stressed when you check your email before bed, simply drop that habit and wait until you get back to work the next day.

4. Take time to recharge. The American culture glorifies the idea of being a “workaholic”, but it is important to combat this social norm. Don’t let your vacation days go to waste. A few days off will inspire you to rejuvenate and recharge and return to work better than ever!

5. Learn how to relax. Supplementing the idea of recharging, relaxation can be found in the smaller moments of life. Take five minutes to meditate in the morning or use your commute to have a moment of quiet mindfulness.

6. Talk to your supervisor. Your supervisor may appreciate the opportunity to have an honest discussion about the stress you are experiencing at work, because stress is directly connected to productivity. Let them know about your experience and let them know how they can help.

7. Get some support. As mentioned before, everyone experiences work-related stress at some point! Rely on those you trust to relieve any negative feelings you are having.

We hope you can find ways to implement these steps from the American Psychological Association to manage workplace stress. Consider setting a personal intention to implement at least one of these tips the next time you feel stress rising at work and maybe even share these tips with your colleagues!