5 Ways to Cope With Work Stress
Does work stress you out?
Work is one of the biggest stressors that Americans deal with, and it can often feel hopeless. If you feel stressed out at work or when you think about work, you’re definitely not alone.
Sometimes stress builds up over a long period of time, and other times there’s a situation that makes your stress level spike. Work stress often comes up in response to big projects, a new role, or working with colleagues. We all feel stressed from time to time, but chronic stress is unpleasant and can have serious side effects. It might be hard to tell if you’re stressed sometimes, because there are lots of little ways our bodies try to clue us into what’s going on. Symptoms might be physical, like stomach aches, or mental, like major shifts in mood.
What are some symptoms of stress?
Changes in sleep
Changes in eating
Digestive problems
Mood swings + irritability
Fatigue
Body or head aches
When you ignore stress, it doesn’t go away, it usually just gets worse. Work stress can be complicated because you rely on work to survive and pay your bills, so it can feel like you don’t have a lot of options. Fortunately, that’s not the case, and there are things you can do to lower your stress level at work.
What can you do to lower your stress at work? Here are 5 ideas:
Practice mindfulness
When you notice your stress level is high at work, try practicing mindfulness. This doesn’t just have to be meditating, although that is a helpful practice for being mindful of the present moment. There are guided mindfulness meditations out there that you can try. You can also focus on your breathing for a few minutes, or do a movement practice like yoga or running that helps you connect to the present moment. See what works for you!
Clear up communication
One of the most frustrating things about work is communicating with many different people, all of whom have different communication styles. While it’s not possible to control how other people communicate, you can decide how you communicate with others. Stick to your boundaries around communication and don’t answer after hours. Be as direct as possible when communicating to show others that’s how you like to communicate. Try to lead by example with your communication habits at work to help lower work stress.
Spend less time multitasking
Working on more than one task at a time can be stressful. It’s tempting to do several things at once, especially when we’re pressed for time. However, doing more than one task at once doesn’t really help you get anything done, it just means two things aren’t being done as well. Try to focus on one thing at a time to lessen the things you have to keep track of at once, which can contribute to work stress.
Make yourself take breaks
Lots of folks work nonstop without bothering to pause and notice what’s going on in their body or mind. Sometimes that’s the result of staffing issues or unrealistic schedules, but other times it’s because it’s hard to get out of the groove of work and prioritize yourself. Try scheduling breaks into your calendar or phone to take a break. This will give you a built-in check each day to see how you’re feeling and if you need to take a few minutes to yourself.
Be honest about your capacity
It’s okay if your productivity at work doesn’t always look the same. Remember, you’re doing your best. Think about it this way: if you have 100% to give and you give 100%, you’ve done your best. But if you only have 40% to give and you give 40%, you’ve also done your best, even though it looks different from when you give 100%.
It’s very rare that someone has the mental or physical energy to be working at their maximum capacity every single day. Try to be kind to yourself as you notice what you can handle and what is no longer feasible for you.
Once you’ve figured out what you can handle, it’s important to talk about this with your manager or supervisor. Sometimes there are unrealistic expectations at work, but those won’t work for everyone. It’s helpful to be honest about what’s going on so you can work with your employer to get the support you need.
