Six tips to help combat stress in the workplace
- November 06, 2019
When you’re feeling under immense amounts of pressure you will most likely be stressed. This could be due to an abundance of reasons such as tight deadlines, moving house or having financial difficulties. Whether you’re feeling anxious in your personal life or at work, you will most likely find that one impacts another. Stress can be unavoidable in all aspects of life, but how can you reduce stress at work? We’ve put together a few pointers to help feel a little calmer.
Get an idea of what is causing the problem
If you know what is causing the stress you can then start to work on solutions to either resolve it or prioritise tasks. For example, if you have a tight deadline, investigate ways to delegate or prioritise your workload. Although it may be the last thing you want to do, take 5 minutes out and away from your desk to list what needs to be done, who can possibly help and how you can achieve that deadline.
Talk to your manager and colleagues
If you feel that your stress is not a one off, speak to your manager, they may be able to help reduce your workload. If it’s not anything to do with work, speak to your colleagues about it. Although they may not be able to directly help, they may be able to offer some advice, or just having someone to listen works wonders. As the old saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved!
Take some time out
As mentioned earlier, this may be something you can’t find time for, but you must! Stress reduces productivity so isn’t it better to take 5 minutes out to calm down and rethink your method. You could grab a drink, go for a walk, read a book, there are multiple options, just anywhere away from your desk.
Make sure you eat the right things
We’re not teaching you to suck eggs, but when you’re in a state of stress, eating well will be the last thing on your mind. It is easy to reach for the wrong foods and ‘stress-eat’ or not eat at all. Being stressed releases adrenaline, which will keep you running all day until you stop, and you will most likely be extremely exhausted at this point. By trying to remain on a balanced diet not only will it help your brain function, but you will also have longer lasting energy.
Drink water
Studies have shown that it is harder for people to deal with every day issues when they are dehydrated, drinking more water leads to lower cortisol levels (The stress hormone), which in turn helps reduce stress. A trick to drinking more water is to have a refillable bottle on your desk, you’ll keep taking sips without even knowing about it!
Try and maintain a healthy work life balance
At times this can be tricky, however try to keep this balance as even as possible. Not only is it good for your mental health, it will result in reduced stress when at work. Make sure you take time out to partake in hobbies, by doing something you enjoy you will increase your endorphins which release good hormones into your body, a great way to combat stress. You could always look into working from home options with your employer which can help decrease the stress of commuting, even if it's a day a week.
Whether it’s work or life in general causing stress you can apply most of these points to both. It’s about figuring out what works for you, but the most important thing is to look after yourself!