Work-related stress can get the best of us all. Emails, Slack messages,
phones ringing off the hook, your co-worker dropping by for an impromptu
meeting — it’s enough to make anyone frazzled. Feeling some tension is normal, especially
if you’re facing a looming deadline or challenging assignment. But when work
stress becomes chronic, it can end up affecting both your physical and
emotional well-being. Experiencing work strain is unavoidable — even if you
love what you do — but there are steps you can take to keep job stress to a
minimum.
1. Be aware how it affects you
This might sound overly simple, but it’s easy to underestimate how much stress
effects you. Take note if you find yourself emotionally exhausted and
pessimistic by the end of the day.
Long-term exposure to unmanaged stress can take a toll on your body and mental
health, and may potentially lead to burnout, depression and anxiety.
Here’s a look at some of the subtler signs of stress:
low energy or fatigue
headaches
insomnia
changes in appetite
digestive issues
rapid heart rate
sweating
low self-esteem
loss of sex drive
frequent illnesses
2. Write down your stressors
Identifying and recording stressful situations can help you understand what’s
bothering you. Some of these can be subtle sources of tension, such as an
uncomfortable workspace.
Keep a journal for 1 week to track your stress triggers and your reactions to
them. Make sure to include the people, places, and events that gave you a
physical, mental, or emotional response.
As you write, ask yourself:
- How did this make me feel? (Afraid, angry, hurt?)
- What was my reaction? (Afterward did I go for a walk or consume alcohol?)
- What are some ways of resolving it? (How can I find solutions to this stressor?)
3. Take time to recharge
Taking even a few minutes of personal time during a busy day can help prevent
burnout.
- Listening to an interesting podcast in between meetings or watching a funny video can give you relaxing pauses throughout the day.
- It’s also important to take breaks from thinking about your job by not checking work-related emails on your time off or disconnecting from your phone in the evenings.
4. Hone your time management skills
- Sometimes, feeling overwhelmed by work comes down to how organized you are. Try setting up a priority list at the beginning of your work week by preparing tasks and ranking them according to importance.
- You can also beat procrastination by setting aside specific time blocks for deep concentration work.
5. Balance your work & personal life
- Being available around the clock will easily burn you out. It’s important to create clear boundaries between your work and home life to help you avoid potential stress.
- Part of this means setting aside time for socializing and establishing rules for when you’ll check emails or take phone calls.
6.Re-evaluate negative thoughts
When you’ve worry and chronic stress for an extended period of time, your mind may tend to jump to conclusions and read into every situation with a negative lens.
- For example, if your boss doesn’t say hi to you first thing in the morning, you might react thinking “they’re mad at me.”
- Instead of making automatic judgements, try distancing yourself from your negative thoughts and simply observe.
7. Rely on a strong support network
Keep in touch with trusted friends and family members to help cope with
stressful work situations.
If you’re struggling with an especially challenging work week, try asking
parent friends if they can help out with carpooling your kids to school on
certain days.
Having people you can rely on during the tough times can alleviate some of the
built-up tension.
8. Take care of yourself
Setting aside time for self-car is a must if you regularly find yourself
feeling overwhelmed by work. This means prioritizing sleep, setting aside time
for fun, and making sure you’re eating well throughout the day.
Feel like you don’t have the time? Keep in mind that you’ll likely be able
to tackle work issues more effectively when your core needs are being met.
9. Learn relaxation techniques
Purposefully slowing down and being conscious of your surroundings can keep you
relaxed throughout the week. Meditation, deep breathing exercises, and
mindfulness all work to calm your anxiety.
Start by taking a few minutes each day to focus on being present and enjoying a
simple activity — whether that’s a short walk around the park or appreciating a
meal at your desk.
Make it a habit
Here are a few other ways to build mindfulness into your daily routine:
Pause for a few moments before starting your workday and set your intention.
Download a meditation app from EAP Assist you can use when feeling
excessive pressure at work or during your commute.
Schedule in a 5-minute break to try breathing exercises.
10. Stay out of the office gossip mill
Workplace conflict can take a major toll on your emotional well-being. Try to
avoid participating in gossipy situations.
If you know that one of your colleagues is especially prone to gossip, find a
way to spend less time with them or steer the conversation to safer topics.
Some other strategies for staying out of the fray include:
- emphasizing the positive (“Tom has been juggling a lot lately and handling it really well.”)
- ignoring the conversation and changing the subject to something unrelated
- walking away (“Sorry, I have a huge deadline due after lunch and can’t stay and chat.”)
11. Let go of perfectionism
If you need to get that presentation just right or find
yourself working extra hours perfecting a report you finished days ago, it may
be time to take a step back and reflect.
While perfectionism has some positive benefits, it can also be highly
stressful and lead to burnout.
Try to keep your high standards in check by focusing on the effort you put into
a project and not personalizing failure when you make a mistake.
12. Take a break
Being able to disconnect or “switch off” from responsibilities and job-related
activities can help you relax and unwind like no other.
A work-free staycation or trip a few hours out of town can still help you
reset.
13. Approach your supervisor
Getting support from your boss can significantly alleviate feelings of burnout.
Set up a quiet time to talk with them and calmly discuss feeling overwhelmed by
challenging tasks. Approach the conversation from a place of problem solving,
rather than listing out complaints.
For example, you could say that you want to revisit what’s expected of you
outside of working hours because things feel a bit overwhelming right now. The
point is to find a resolution that helps reduce strain.
If this task sounds daunting or you don’t have a good relationship with your
boss, consider reaching out to someone in your company’s human resources
department. They can help you navigate the conversation and offer
troubleshooting tips.
14. Seek counselling
You don’t need to have a mental health condition to ask for help. Feeling
overwhelmed at work is a perfectly valid reason to reach out for additional
help and support.
Working with an EAP Assist counsellor can help you better identify your work
stressors and help you come up with ways to better navigate them. They can also
help you develop strategies for decompressing and taking care of yourself.