Did you know that office stress is reported as being associated with health complaints more frequently than any other cause of stress? This includes family and financial issues. With companies’ facing more pressure to downsize their workforce, those who haven’t been let go must pick up the slack left behind by fewer workers. With more work to do and higher expectations, it’s no wonder the stress levels in offices are at all-time highs.
What to do? They are many tactics you can use to help relieve office stress. Remember our ABC Model? You may not be able to change your activating events, but you can change your beliefs. And your consequences will change as well.
Following are some tips you can use to help change your beliefs about your workplace stress. Implement some of these tips, and you’re bound to have different consequences.
- Make a plan for the day. Either start you day planning what you want to accomplish or do it at the end of the day before. Having a roadmap will keep you from wandering on activities that don’t get you to your destination at the end of the day.
- When you’ve given the boss a full 8 hours of productive work, stop. Really stop. Don’t stay a few minutes more to finish up something, and certainly don’t take the work home. As hard as it may be in this economic work environment, you need the time to unplug from work and rejuvenate yourself. Give your family and personal activities your full attention. You’ll be more productive the next day if you do.
- While at work, focus on only one activity at a time. Multitasking is not productive. It’s just doing many things poorly. Actually this single item may be the biggest contributor to office stress. Making progress toward completing several tasks through small incremental steps is not satisfying, and it keeps your mind continuously switching gears to get back in sync with each new activity. Focus on one task, complete it, and savor the feeling of accomplishment.
- Use a to-do list. Unload your subconscious mind of all the tasks it’s trying to remember to do. Write it down. There are several good time management programs around that can help you manage your workload. Use something. Anything. But get it all down on paper or a computer.
- Work hard for a little while, then take a break. Our minds can’t focus on a single task very long before wandering. So instead of fighting that natural tendency, go with it. Look outside, take a walk to the restroom, refresh your cup of coffee. Do not read your email or browse on the internet. These are each tasks that should be on your to-do list that you schedule specific time during the day to attack. You’ll be sucked into either one if you start now and you’ll find yourself an hour later wondering where all the time went.
- When you do take a break, have something nearby that you can focus your attention on. Family pictures, souvenirs from a recent vacation, even pictures for your next vacation all help to remind you of why you’re working.
- Finally, have something fun that can give you a little physical relief from the tedium of work. Nerf waste basket hoops, squeeze balls, USB toys, or even a few chair exercises can help to give your mind a little rest and your body some new positions to experience, other than the one in your chair.
Office stress, especially on a long term basis, can cause numerous emotional and physical issues. Don’t neglect the fact that your work environment could be causing issues at home or with others. Take the time to evaluate your office environment to see if you’ve overlooked just how much stress you may be experiencing.
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Take time to determine how much stress is in your life and what effects it has on you.
