3 Ideas to Help Manage Your Stress at Work
For many of us, feeling stressed at work is nothing new. Now that we are well and truly into the swing of 2020 the ‘easing’ our way back into the work week is a thing of the past and the tasks and expectations are probably mounting. Unfortunately, this usually comes with an increased feeling of stress.
When we experience heightened feelings of stress at work it can have a number of negative ripple effects. Our sleep is often compromised, leaving us lethargic and less on the ball. Often our mood is directly impacted, and for many this can mean feeling irritable or sad and overwhelmed. One of the biggest casualties of feeling stressed and overwhelmed at work can be our relationships. As we put so much of ourselves into our work it can mean that our relationships suffer and the people we care about the most often don’t get the ‘best’ version of ourselves.
So what can you do to manage this stress?
Here are three simple ideas that may help you to start managing your stress at work better.
Set Boundaries - They way we work today can feel limitless, we are contactable all the time. Now we can even send emails on a plane! For these reasons we can often feel like we need to be all things for all people and available all the time. It might be helpful to set some small boundaries on when you’re available and where you’re available. For example, it might be helpful to block out an hour or two in your work day that is non-negotiable, where you are not available for meetings or appointments. This time can be used to help you get through your emails or return that call from two days ago. Just getting your unread email numbers down can be incredibly helpful in reducing your stress! It might also be helpful to consider ‘location boundaries’ - as in, you are not going to check your work emails in bed or in the lounge room, as these are dedicated relaxation and/or family spaces.
Take a Break - A simple idea that is often lost on many of us. I know I have been guilty of eating my lunch at my work desk many times! It can be incredibly helpful to your mood, but also your overall well-being, if you commit to taking a small break during the day. It might be to actually take your lunch break and leave your desk, or simply to leave the building to grab a coffee or go for a short walk around the block. This simple break from thinking about work can help your brain reset and feel more refreshed and engaged when you return.
Emails! - Although a fantastic invention, and can make communication a lot easier, emails can be awful! The ability of people to send them at any time of the day can mean that you often feel like the work day never ends. The thing is people can read and respond to their emails at a time that suits them (i.e. after the kids have gone to bed) but this doesn’t mean you have to as well. It is perfectly reasonable that you’re only available on email in the hours that you work. It’s up to you to set this habit in place and people will learn to adjust to you. If you do nothing else, turn the email notifications off on your phone! You choose to engage with your emails when you want to and not the other way round.
Hopefully the above ideas have given you food for thought in how you might start to manage your stress at work. If you feel like your stress at work is becoming unmanageable or if you are noticing negative changes in your mood, energy or engagement please feel free to reach out to Piece by Piece Therapies for support. We are specially trained in supporting people to manage stress and to help improve overall well-being.
Happy Emailing!