Stress at work could lead to significant health consequences, ranging from benign flu and colds to potentially malignant health issues such as heart diseases and chronic fatigue.

Stress at work is a common phenomenon. While finding a low-stress job may be nearly impossible, since every job comes with its own unique stressors. A better approach to co-existing with stress is adopting effective coping strategies to mitigate its effect at work.

There are common workplace stressors you should be aware of, they are; Interpersonal conflict, Disorganization, Physical Discomfort, Multitasking, and so on. These stressors and others are what you should try your best to avoid to enjoy a stress-free work life. In this article, seven stress management techniques are discussed, which you can experiment with any one of them if you are finding it hard to cope with stress at work. Here are some stress management techniques you can carry out to help out with stress.

7 Ways to Combat Stress at Work

 

Begin the day with Plan

Many people begin their day to work already stressed. This makes you more reactive to stress in the workplace. You may need to prepare breakfast, get your kids to school, and carry out a little clean-up before starting your day. It’s best to start your day with a schedule so your day doesn’t start chaotic.

A stress-free morning is a great way to ensure the entire day won’t be so stressful. When the day begins with a plan, good food, and a positive mindset, you’ll find yourself enjoying your job while your productivity peaks.

Ensure Requirements are defined

A major factor that contributes to job burnout is unclear requirements for workers. Not knowing what’s expected of you or when the requirements for your role keeps changing can get you extremely stressed.

If you come to the realization or feel what you’re doing isn’t enough, it’s advisable to talk about it with a superior or supervisor. You can discuss what your capabilities are, your expectations, and your strategies.

Avoid Conflict

Conflict among co-workers may be inescapable, but it’s advisable to avoid conflict at work or anywhere else in general as much as you can. Interpersonal conflict takes a toll on our physical and emotional health. This can result in poor performance at work and affect your productivity.

There are great ways to avoid conflict, some of which are avoiding gossips, avoiding discussions involving sensitive opinions (religion/politics, etc).

Eventually, after trying your best to avoid conflict, it may end up finding you. When it does, try your best to handle it appropriately.

Be Organized

If you consider yourself a disorganized person, you’ll need to have a change of habit and start planning. Planning helps you stay organised and can significantly reduce your stress at work. When you’re organized, you’ll rush less at your job and you’ll avoid carrying out tasks in a tense state.

Getting yourself organised will rid you of the negative effect of clutter and helps you remain efficient with your work.

Get Comfortable

Physical discomfort is a common stressor at work, it’s often related to where you carry out most of your daily task (such as your workspace). Sitting in a particular position for long periods of time can give you an achy back, making you more stress reactive. It can also lead to severe injuries at work if not managed properly.

Office noise is also a contributing factor to stress. It can be distracting and cause feelings of frustration. Endeavour to do what you can to create a comfortable and calming workspace.

Don’t Multitask

The hype around multitasking has been over pushed. It is seen as a way to optimally use time in other to get more tasks completed in a day. However, it’s observed that when multitasking, efficiency suffers on the task being carried out as a result of splitting focus into several tasks. Sometimes, multitasking leads to no progress at all on the task, and there is a possibility of being overwhelmed. Multitasking is not for most people.

Take Breaks

Living sedentarily over time comes with some ill effects. You can fight the mental and physical effects of stress at work by taking breaks and doing some exercise during this period. A 10 to 15 minutes walk for your break will be beneficial in combating stress. It can help lift your mood and put you in better shape.