Anyone who’s ever had a job has inevitably experienced work-related stress. This type of stress may be caused by a heavy workload, conflicts with management or co-workers, long hours or job insecurity. It’s important to learn to identify stress and address it to avoid both the short-term and long-term health effects and generally make work into a positive force in your daily life.

Identify Problem Areas

Start by keeping a stress diary for at least a week or two. Write down all situations that create stress and note how you respond to them. Record your thoughts and feelings and what it took to make you feel better about the situation. You should also log the time and date. Keeping a journal can help you identify patterns among your list of stressors and make it possible to see if there are certain times of day when you are more prone to feeling stressed out.

Develop Healthy Responses

One of the most important ways to deal with stress in the workplace is to learn how to manage your reaction. This is accomplished in a variety of ways:

• Taking a deep breath instead of responding immediately
• Learning to keep a positive attitude
• Asserting your feelings and opinions instead of reacting aggressively
• Setting limits and learning to say no to requests that create excessive stress
• Seeking out support by talking to a supervisor
• Consulting a psychologist or mental health professional trained in stress management

Learn Stress Management Techniques

Some of the most common stress management techniques include meditation, deep breathing exercises and other relaxation methods such as yoga and tai-chi. You can also learn to manage your time wisely so you don’t feel as overwhelmed when you are overloaded with work. Prioritizing tasks to focus on what’s most urgent and important can be a great help.

Stress is common for nearly anyone in the workplace. With a few tips and tricks, you can learn how to effectively manage your stress levels, stay productive and feel good about your time on the job.

References:

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTCS_01.htm

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/03/20/12-ways-to-eliminate-stress-at-work/#3d0fac307f29

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/lifestyles/your-health-mental-health-coping-stress-health-canada-2008.html

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/stress_workplace.html