Pressured and Stressed at Work? What to do!

Stress at work..rings a bell? of course it does! who doesn’t suffer every now and then from work stress, or even all the time! Well this stress can be both a positive or a negative factor.  At certain levels stress creates a challenging environment for us in the workplace. With these levels maintained, our job becomes more exciting and more rewarding, as stress becomes a positive motivation that pushes us forward. When these levels exceed extremes, stress at work become a serious problem that can threaten our performance and efficiency.
Before noting down the steps to deal with stress at work, it is necessary to stop and take a look at the effects stress has on our bodies, as stress has a huge effect not only on our careers but also on our health.. To list some:

• Mood swings or personality changes.
• Unusual sleeping patterns.
• Changes in appetite and diet such as loss of appetite or overeating.
• Dependence on alcohol or drugs as coping mechanisms.
• Loss of interest in activities such as hobbies, work or socializing.
• Experiencing headaches, panic, tension, exhaustion, or high blood pressure.
• Feeling down or depressed most of the time.
• Losing concentration.

Well as far as the causes of excessive workplace stress, these include:

• Pressure to meet expectations with a changing job requirement.
• Pressure to work at the optimum levels.
• More overtime  hours.
• Fear of losing the job.

Now what you’re looking for, how do we get rid of this stress? Following are some tips:

Take good care of yourself
When you feel so much stressed out, you should start managing your health life. When all your personal needs are satisfied you will feel stronger and with a high self esteem that chases stress away. Healthy life also makes your body more stable which directly affects emotions and thus reduces stress. So it’s a non-vicious circle (as opposed to vicious circles :))

• Sleep Well: sleep deprivation is a known cause of stress, give yourself a 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily so the mind can operate at its optimum.
• Eat Healthy: Bad diets can cause excess of body sugar or lowered body sugar and hence cause mood swings. Your diet should be based on frequent and low portion meals that maintain good levels of sugar in your body. Feeding on Caffeine and Nicotine? You should seriously reduce these two as they lead to anxiety.
• Exercise: Exercising releases chemicals that say to the body “be happy”. It will make you feel relaxed, increase your concentration and lift up your mood. Learn to relax through new relaxation techniques such as yoga, massage, and soft music.

Understand your requirements and expectations
Changing job requirements and miscommunication may be one of the top things that cause stress at work. If you feel unable to communicate with someone professionally, then try to open new communication means with this co-worker, and find ways to have your ideas reach him/her. Have open discussions to give and get feedback form co-workers regularly, and always try to set a meeting with your boss if your job requirements are changing so you can stay on the top of things.

Prioritize and organize tasks assigned to you

• Make sure to follow a flexible schedule that allows you to meet deadlines while avoiding staying overtime.
• Plan everything and make sure to manage any risks that may arise during your work on a project.
• Make sure to take regular breaks so you can sit and and clear your mind.
• Always come to work 10 or 15 minutes earlier so you do not rush things and start your day stressed out being late.
• Do not trust your memory, write everything down!
• Do not always accept the tasks that will be assigned to you if you are overloaded.
• Set realistic timelines and stick to them.

Socialize
Make time for friends and family, enjoy your life, ease all the sorrows, create a joyful mood, and help others. You can try to volunteer for some organizations to get the satisfaction that paid work does not give.

Humor
Try to keep the spirit of humor with your co-workers from time to time. Laughing is one of the easiest and best ways to reduce stress.

To a stress free work..and life!