Tips to cope with stress in the work place

Unfortunately, workplace stress hits us all. Some stress is normal; it is part of an everyday working life. It can even be used to our advantage at times, used as extra adrenaline to help push us over the line. But excessive stress is not good on any level and can have a detrimental effect on our overall wellbeing, mental health, productivity and working relationships. No matter what your working demands are, there are things both you and your management can do in order to help lessen stress.

So, how do you cope with it? Stress can keep you energetic and alert when you are striving for some of those targets, or when you’re doing a big presentation. But when things get too far out of your comfort zone, it can leave you worried, uncertain, exhausted and overwhelmed.

Here are four main things you can do on a personal level to help minimise stress:

• Organise yourself – Creating a good working programme for yourself is essential. Taking regular breaks at work and making time for your relationships outside of work can help prevent burnout. Having an organised desk as well as a realistic and well-structured working time schedule, can stop you from always feeling rushed or under pressure.
• Get enough sleep – It might seem obvious but not enough people do it. A good night’s sleep can totally re-energise you and will help you stay balanced. If you don’t sleep well enough, you can fall into a vicious circle of getting even more stressed because of it. Some sleep tips here.
• Get exercising – Exercise is possibly the biggest stress reliever you can do. Outside of work regular exercise releases tension, as well as helping you sleep better. At work, simple things such as getting away from a stressful environment and moving around for a few minutes can help you regain your emotional balance. Also, try not to eat your lunch at your desk (if you work in an office), get up, get out, get fresh air and take a mental break where and when you can.
• Communicate as much as you can – If you are feeling stressed at work, the best thing you can do is talk to your colleagues. By letting people you trust know what’s going on for you, you can get help and support, as well as build up positive working relationships. Not only this, but speaking to friends or family and having someone ‘listen’ can really help relieve tension.

With so much stress at work, it can’t all be down to the employees. A meaningful companywide system to cultivate greater wellbeing in the workplace is badly needed and the best approach. Absenteeism as a result of stress is a massive issue for work places all throughout Ireland and beyond.

Stress usually comes from one of two places. Work or at home. Sometimes we don’t even know we are stressed, so it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly where the problems are coming from. A stress matrix is also a good formula which Arinite health and safety consultants have formulated. It is used as a technique to find out how stressed employees actually are.

So what are the best things management can do?

• Communication – Perhaps the most important factor to take into consideration when working as a team. Promoting a positive working relationship and atmosphere is essential. If you feel as though, some staff are not performing to their potential or are suffering, then the best thing to do is talk to them. Asking your employees what they want out of their job, or what needs to change to create a better working experience, might be the best thing you ever do.
• Responsibilities – Giving employees a level of control over their own workload might seem risky, but it can pay dividends. Staff tend not to like micro management, as they feel it puts pressure on them. Allowing them to control their own workload gives them an opportunity to manage themselves and work within their own capabilities.
• Change – Any sort of change within a business is inevitable and is bound to happen. But any change which will affect a job role, should be carefully managed and handled. Giving maximum support to your staff, through training and any necessary resources is a must.
• Rewards – Although it might not always be applicable, offering rewards can be a really great method of driving your work force forward. Even if monetary rewards are not available, smaller rewards can be a great way to simply show your appreciation.

Although almost completely unavoidable, stress is one of the biggest problems within the work place. However, if combatted honestly, well and efficiently it can help us all perform to our maximum potential and lead to happier, healthier lives for all.