Stress management in the workplace: are you helping yourself?

Stress management in the workplace: are you helping yourself?

A little bit of stress is ok and can even motivate you. But long-term stress is detrimental to your health and workplace productivity. We discuss how to manage your stress and proactively keep it in check!

Our world is a stressful place. On a daily basis in the workplace, you may juggle deadlines, demanding clients, constant change & conflict. You may also be dealing with job security concerns & resource constraints.

Technology has made people available to their devices, clients and employers 24 hours a day. Also, in many instances long hours are taken for granted.



A little bit of stress can give you the kick along to meet a deadline. However, long-term stress has been proven to have a detrimental impact on your health. Feeling stressed out or overwhelmed will have a negative impact on your productivity and job performance. Work related stress is a health and safety issue that contributes to absenteeism.

5 Signs you are stressed

1. Over-reacting to trivial situations
2. Inability to concentrate
3. Irritability
4. Sleeping or eating issues
5. Headaches or neck aches

Whether stress has a big impact on your life depends on how you choose to respond to it. We encourage you to be mindful of your response to stress and understand the situations (or people) that stress you out.

Steps you can take to better manage your stress

If you are feeling stressed, here are some steps you can take to deal with it:

• Consider whether you can avoid putting yourself in situations with people you find stressful
• Admit to yourself that co-workers and clients are unlikely to be perfect
• Accept that not every battle is worth your energy
• Proactively improve your time management and work life balance
• Seek professional help if a situation is beyond your control
• Adjust your attitude to ensure you are practicing gratitude
  

4 tips to help you better manage stress in the workplace

1. Practice meditation and deep breathing regularly
2. Exercise at least 20 minutes a day
3. Ensure you eat well and get enough sleep
4. Disconnect from your workplace regularly, engage in a hobby or plan and take a regular holiday

Only you can manage your own stress levels.

We challenge you this week to spend 10 minutes thinking about the factors that contribute to your stress levels and then take action, using some of our tips, to help you proactively manage them. Good luck!