Yahoo Finance 7 tips to manage your work stress
Stress is something that comes to everyone, whether it be from demanding deadlines, challenging requests or just too many things on our plate.
According to the 2011 Statistics Canada report “What’s Stressing the Stressed?” 27 per cent of Canadian workers described their days as being “quite a bit” or “extremely” stressful, which isn’t just problematic for trying to have an easier day, but can also impact health as well. Stress can contribute to a whole host of medical problems, including headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
So we can all agree, being stressed isn’t ideal. But how to minimize stress can be a challenge, and one that many of us aren’t sure how to approach.
Sure, you could destroy a stress ball, but there’s got to be a better way.
Kelly McNelis, founder of Women for One, says that trying to find a balance between work, home and any other obligations in life can feel overwhelming, but there are ways to try and find balance, helping us better manage those stressed-out moments when they arise.
1. Recognize when you’re feeling stressed and overwhelmed
It may not sound like much, but you can’t do anything to minimize your stress until you actively realize when you’re in the midst of a stressful situation. Seeing this when you’re in the middle of the situation isn’t always straightforward.
“For some people, overwork and anxiety become more of a lifestyle than something to avoid or manage,” says McNelis. “I know that when I’m completely overwhelmed, I shut down, and this alerts me to the fact that I’ve spread myself too thin or placed too many expectations on myself.
“Many of us are disconnected from our bodies and emotions, so it’s just a matter of making it a habit to get curious and ask ‘how do I really feel?’ instead of jumping into autopilot,” says McNelis. “When we check in with the most important person in our lives (us), it becomes so much easier to recognize what we need in any given moment, and to offer that to ourselves.”
2. Make yourself a priority
“I am a firm believer that you need to be willing to put your oxygen mask on before supporting others,” says McNelis. While she admits she hasn’t always been good at figuring out how to balance her roles of wife, mom, businesswoman, author and women’s advocate with her own needs, she says she has been able to perform better in those roles by setting clear boundaries for herself.
McNelis says she also practices lots of self-care, going for walks or turning off her phone to spend time just for her, and makes those moments a priority. If you find you need ideas for how to take time for yourself, book time into your day to medidate, exercise, write in a journal, take a nap, or take a solo walk.
3. Approach your daily life as a whole
“I think those boundaries people tend to make between their “9 to 5” and the rest of their life are somewhat artificial and unattainable,” says McNelis, “For me, it’s more about not letting myself get to a point where I feel overwhelmed by any specific area of my life.” If you’re the kind of person who prefers to divide your life between work and home, but are finding that the cumulative stress is getting to you, it may be time to step back and see if you can reduce the stressors overall, not just in one area of your life.
4. Prioritize
When you’ve got a lot on your plate at work, it’s good to know what needs to be done first, and what can wait a little longer. And once you’ve figured out what’s most important, only do that one thing first. McNelis recommends “slowing down, taking baby steps and focusing on one thing at a time.”
5. Ask for help
“I know many people, especially women, who steamroll over their own needs because they’re trying to be everything to everyone,” says McNelis. “Don’t do that! Let colleagues and managers know what they can do to help you bring your best self forward at work.” Delegating tasks can be difficult, but realizing you don’t need to do everything yourself can be liberating.
That help can also come in the form of reaching out to someone to help with the mental load, too.
“If you need to, turn to a trusted mentor, a therapist, a good friend who knows how to listen, or even a colleague or manager who might be able to alleviate the stress you’re experiencing,” says McNelis.
6. Embrace the stress
Stressful moments happen, and there’s no way to completely prevent them from happening. Instead of dreading those moments, though, take them as opportunities to find a new perspective.
“Sometimes those pressure-cooker moments can help me to generate my most creative ideas, so I try to welcome them for what they are,” says McNelis.
7. Breathe
“This sounds so simple, but it’s one of the most profound actions I can think of,” says McNelis. “Even if it means merely taking ten deep breaths in a stressful moment, this simple act can be so clarifying and create space for new solutions to emerge.
“It gives us room to get real with what’s going on in the moment, so that we can actually ask (and give) ourselves what we need.”
Yahoo Canada Finance readers, do you have any tips for minimizing stress at work? Share them with us in the comments!
