It is very important to maintain healthy work-life balance lest your health and life on whole will go haywire. Stress at the workplace is like a slow poison which will take away your productivity and efficiency over a span of time. Even though a certain amount of stress at the workplace is normal, if it exceeds to high levels for sure it will have a detrimental effect on your performance and not only that it will also harm your physical and emotional well being and your relationships with friends and family as well. In workplace obviously you cannot control everything but you can take steps to solve a problem in case you are stuck in a situation. It is hugely vital to safeguard your mind from damaging effect of stress and bolster your overall well-being both in and out of your office.

But, before we learn how to cope with stress we should know about the factors which cause stress. Mentioned below are some of the factors which contribute to stress at workplace.

• Scare of losing your job due to unreasonable performance demands
• More overtime because of staff cutbacks
• Pressure to cope up with rising expectations
• No job satisfaction
• No time to relax
• Excessive work pressure
• No control over how things should be executed
• Any kind of problems at home
• Health issues
• Nagging boss

What are the signs of excessive work place stress?

• Feeling nervous, restless, or depressed
• Use of alcohol or drugs for relaxing
• Apathy or lack of interest in work
• Sleeping issues
• Fatigue
• Problems in concentrating
• Social withdrawal
• Health issues

 

Now, when we are aware of things which lead to stress at work we should resort to ways how to handle stress

Establishing a support system with co-workers: 

When you know that you have the support of people who are working with you and for you, the level of stress automatically plummets. Always pay heed to suggestions and advice from your co-workers. In free time try engaging in productive conversations with your colleagues so as to encourage an overall enriched ecosystem.

Follow a fitness routine:

When you follow fitness routine you can feel good hormones released into your body and at the same time, you can sense the vibes of positive energy. The busy work life often leads us to ignore our health. Never ignore the importance of exercise and healthy diet as they not only make you physically stronger but also ensure your mental well being. When your mood is uplifted you tend to handle situations in a better way. Take out time for any form of physical activity such as running, walking, swimming, dancing etc.

Eat stress-busting meals:

Your mental health also depends on kind of food you eat. Avoid any kind of mood swings by avoiding refined carbs. If your blood sugar level is low you will feel irritated and anxious which will lead to high-stress levels at work and in case you eat too much food you will feel lethargic. Avoid foods like French fries or aerated drinks as they lead to mood crash down and worsen the levels of stress.

Avoid consumption of alcohol and nicotine

If you are addicted to stimulants then your level of anxiety will eventually rise, leading to more feeling of stress at work. On the contrary consume foods which are rich in Omega- 3 fatty acids such as flaxseed, fatty fish, walnuts etc.  and also limit your consumption of alcohol as it eases the symptoms of stress but on the temporary basis.

Follow proper sleeping routine

If you do get able to complete your daily sleeping schedules of 6-8 hours, chances are you will get stressed down more often. Try to get your 8 hours of proper sleep. Upon meeting the sleeping requirements, you will probably feel refreshed and that will automatically contribute to increasing the productivity with a better note.  Try to switch off work from your mind once you reach home. If you carry the stress of work home it will definitely interfere with your sleeping. Also working late at night and going for early morning shifts can be quite stressful. Avoid irregular shifts in order to avoid sleep deprivation to scale up.

Prioritize tasks

When the workload is more focus on prioritizing important tasks. Create a work schedule and try to stick to it. Try to leave early for work. Even few extra minutes will ensure that you are not running around frantically. Take short breaks during the day as this will increase your concentration level. Do not make yourself available for work 24/7 as this will augment your stress levels.

Do not over-commit:

 Do not try to squeeze in too many activities in a day as this will lead to burn out.  You should include a limited number of tasks in a day.  Stick to those which are absolutely necessary. Over-commitment can be said as the self- invited stress thus, sticking to the areas mastered by you should be only selected.

Delegate work

One person cannot do everything by himself. So it is important to delegate tasks as this will reduce workplace stress. Also, this spares some extra time as well that you can invest in some other important tasks.  

Avoid unrealistic goals

You are automatically going to feel stressed if you set unrealistic goals. Avoid being a perfectionist. Success in the workplace is a systematic process. It is not a one day story. There are certain things which are out of our control. Do not stress about them.

Create a light environment at workplace

You cannot control the behavior of people in the workplace. But then you can work on creating an easy environment. Do not react to negativity in the workplace and thus you can see stress levels diminishing eventually.

Go for short holidays

It is important to take short breaks from work. Such breaks help you get refreshed and rejuvenate your lost energies so that you can perform in a much better way.

So, these are some of the ways how you can cope up with workplace stress. Obviously, there can be some situations that can make us stressed out, but in the last what matters is the most, how we deal with stress. Above activities can contribute to making oneself happy out of the really stressful hours. So, to be happy does not solely depends on the stress levels rather it depends on your attitude and passion for being happy and stresses free throughout working hours.