Anti-Stress Nuggets from HR

By Olamide Malik

Some level of stress is typical at the workplace. However, excessive stress can interfere with productivity and impact physical and emotional health. When you feel overwhelmed at work, you lose confidence and may become irritable or withdrawn. This can make you less productive and less effective in your job, and make the work seem less rewarding. If you ignore the warning signs of work stress, 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.

Managing workplace stress is about focusing on the one thing that’s always within your control: You. Your ability to deal with stress effectively can mean the difference between success or failure at the work place. The following tip have proven to help in managing job and workplace stress.

1. Time Management

• Create a balanced work life balance. Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout.

• Don’t over-commit yourself. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

• Try to leave earlier in the morning.10-15 minutes can make the difference between frantically rushing to your desk and having time to ease into your day. Don’t add to your stress levels by running late.

• Plan regular breaks. Make sure to take short breaks throughout the day to take a walk or sit back and clear your mind. Also try to get away from your desk or work station for lunch. Stepping away from work to briefly relax and recharge will help you be more, not less, productive.

2. Task Management

• Prioritize tasks. With competing deadlines and fast-changing priorities, it’s critical to define what’s truly important and why. Make a list of tasks you have to do, and tackle them in order of importance. Do the high-priority items first.

• 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. If other people can take care of the task, let them.

• Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to contribute differently to a task, revise a deadline, or change their behavior at work, be willing to do the same. Sometimes, if you can both bend a little, you’ll be able to find a happy middle ground that reduces the stress levels for everyone.

3. Act Rather Than React:

Typically, you’re in control of your actions and responses, but not in control of macro forces or someone else’s tone, for example. “Be impeccable for your actions and try to let go of the rest. Also, while you may not have control over the interrupters, you can control your response. Many interruptions are recurring and can be anticipated. You want to have preset criteria for which response you want to make.