Job-related stress is common in many careers. Work demands, challenging coworkers, unsupportive bosses, and other workplace issues can all contribute to feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or burned out. Fortunately, there are some effective yet simple techniques you can use to manage job stress.
Create a Balanced Routine
Having a balanced daily routine is essential for managing stress. Make sure to build in time for work as well as leisure activities, socializing, exercise, relaxing, and getting adequate sleep. Don’t overbook yourself or take on too many responsibilities. Leave buffer time in your schedule to account for unexpected tasks or delays. Having time to recharge your batteries outside of work will help you go into each workday feeling refreshed and focused.
Set Manageable Goals
Setting unrealistic goals and deadlines for yourself is a surefire way to ramp up your stress levels. Take an honest look at your workload and commit to reasonable goals and timelines that you can actually achieve. Break large projects down into smaller action steps. Celebrate when you complete a goal or milestone rather than continually pushing yourself harder. Ask for help when you need it to meet targets.
Take Short Breaks
It’s easy to get lost in your work and push yourself to keep going for hours on end. However, taking regular short breaks of just 5-10 minutes every hour has been shown to significantly reduce on-the-job stress. Use your breaks to get up and move around, chat with a coworker, grab a healthy snack, listen to music, or just sit quietly and clear your mind. Breaks will boost your energy and focus so you can tackle the next hour productively.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Simple relaxation techniques like deep breathing, meditation, visualization, and progressive muscle relaxation can activate your relaxation response and neutralize stress almost instantly. Set reminders to practice these techniques for a few minutes every hour or two during your workday. You can also make use of microbreaks – 60-90 second mini meditations to clear your mind between tasks. Scientists have studied how meditation changes the brain and discovered it slows down or reduces activity in several areas.
Nurture Supportive Relationships
Having positive personal and professional relationships acts as a buffer against job stress. Make an effort to connect with coworkers, ask your supervisor for regular feedback, and share stress management tips with colleagues. Talk to your family and friends about your work challenges. Build a strong network of social support you can turn to on difficult days. Don’t isolate yourself when you start feeling overwhelmed.
Focus on What You Can Control
A major source of stress comes from dwelling on things you can’t control, like organizational changes, other people’s actions, or events that have already happened. Shift your focus to aspects of your work you have control over – your effort, attitude, organization, time management, and self-care. Let go of perfectionism and the need to control everything, which just sets you up for frustration. Direct your mental energies toward the things you can influence to make more effective use of them.
Make stress management a regular part of your work routine, not just something you resort to when stress peaks. Implementing even a few of these simple techniques can help you stay balanced, productive, and energized at work.
