Some time ago, I wrote an article on managing stress, but due to the many discussions around this topic I have decided to revisit this discussion. I will be doing it in two parts, this week we will be looking at minimising stress at work, and next week we will look at how we can manage stress at home. The demands of work can contribute to stress, especially in the era of optimization, where the cedi or the dollar needs to go that much further. Teams are getting smaller, and the demands are getting bigger, this will certainly have its toll on people if this is not managed well. If you are feeling stressed, you may not be alone, however, everyone deals with stress differently, take time to find methods that work for you. One thing that I was taught when I was embarking on my course to become a life coach, is that, even though we may be in pursuit of our future dreams and aspirations, we should be grateful for what we have now. The practice of focusing on the here and now is referred to as mindfulness, it is known to help find calmness and clarity to respond to stressful situations. If you find yourself getting more and more stressed at work, then find below some tips that can help identify and subsequently alleviate stress,
- Don’t be so hard on yourself, remember you won’t get it right 100% of the time.
- Although you don’t come to make friends at work, it makes sense to make friendships or develop a network, so you feel supported.
- If you find that your workload is heavy, why not talk to your line manager or HR about it? Discuss your workload with your manager. Try setting realistic targets and talk about how you can solve the issues you’re having. If you do not share your concerns, then how will anyone be able to help you? Your employer may be able to make some changes to help you.
- One of the most important things that you can do is to ensure that you make a conscious effort to look after your physical health. Physical activity can certainly lift your mood.
- Eat well, there are also foods that can really lift your mood.
- Be strategic about giving yourself short breaks. Take time away from your desk. That break can leave you feeling recharged.
- Use your leave days and take time off.
- Understand what your triggers are, when do you feel stress, what are the signs? This can be a good place to start.
- If you are feeling really stressed, find out about any services that are being offered to employees in terms of counselling etc. This is something a lot of organisations are offering now.
Stay tuned for next week’s conversation on managing stress.
