Managing your stress to ensure success for you and your company


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simon_ireland-davies2.jpgSimon Ireland-Davies, provides some top tips on how to manage stress in the workplace.

While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health, so it’s important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there is a lot that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.

It’s important to learn new and better ways of coping with the pressure. The ability to manage stress in your workplace can make the difference between success or failure for your company. Your emotions are contagious, and stress has an impact on the quality of your interactions with others. The better you are at managing your own stress, the more you'll positively affect those around you and the less other people's stress will negatively affect you. When people feel overwhelmed, they lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less rewarding. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended, they can lead to bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health problems.

Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress

  • Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
  • Loss of interest in work, hobbies or relationships
  • Problems sleeping & fatigue
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Muscle tension or headaches
  • Stomach problems
  • Social withdrawal
  • Loss of sex drive
  • Using alcohol or drugs to cope
When stress on the job is interfering with your ability to work, care for yourself, or manage your personal life, it’s time to do something differently. Start by paying attention to your physical and emotional health. When your own needs are taken care of, you’re stronger and more resilient to stress. The better you feel, the better equipped you’ll be to manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed. You don’t have to radically change your lifestyle, indeed it may be impossible or impractical to anyway, but even small things can lift your mood, increase your energy, and make you feel like you’re back in the driver’s seat. Take things one step at a time, and as you make more positive lifestyle choices, you’ll soon notice a noticeable difference in your stress level, both at home at work.

Take action to reduce your stress levels!

There are also some simple, easy to implement, practical things which you can do to reduce your stress levels:

  • Plan your time. Analyze your working pattern, responsibilities, and daily tasks. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime.
  • Be realistic. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate how long things will take. Drop tasks that aren't truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.
  • Plan regular breaks. Make sure to take short breaks throughout the day to sit back and clear your mind. Also try to get away from your desk for lunch. Stepping away from work to briefly relax and recharge will help you be more, not less, productive.
  • Prioritize tasks. Make a list of tasks you have to do, and tackle them in order of importance. Do the high-priority items first. If you have something particularly unpleasant to do, get it over with early. The rest of your day will be more pleasant as a result.
  • Break projects into small steps. If a large project seems overwhelming, make a step-by-step plan. Focus on one manageable step at a time, rather than taking on everything at once.
  • Delegate responsibility. You don't have to do it all yourself, so if other people can take care of the task, why not let them? Let go of the desire to control or oversee every little step.
  • Get organised. If you're always running late, set your clocks and watches fast and give yourself extra time. If your desk is a mess, file and throw away the clutter; just knowing where everything is saves time and cuts stress. Make to-do lists and cross off items as you accomplish them. Plan your day and stick to the schedule - you'll feel less overwhelmed. 
  • Get time away. If you feel stress building, take a break. Walk away from the situation. Take a stroll around the block, sit on a park bench, or spend a few minutes meditating. Exercise does wonders for the psyche. But even just finding a quiet place and listening to your iPod can reduce stress.
  • Share with someone. Sometimes the best stress-reducer is simply sharing your stress with someone close to you. The act of talking it out - and getting support and empathy from someone else is often an excellent way of blowing off steam and reducing stress. It's also great to work with a Coach to address stress. Striding Out can support with this
  • Laugh. When you - or the people around you - start taking things too seriously, find a way to break through with laughter. Share a joke or funny story.

 

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