Work-related stress has unfortunately become part of most people’s lives in this fast-paced, competitive world. You may rarely come across someone who has a stress-free professional life. Even if you are not constantly under pressure at work, stressful situations of lesser duration can also lead to a worn-out feeling. People find it difficult to cope with the stress and don’t know how to leave work at work!
Workplace stress has become an important reason that leads to several ailments, depression, and even suicide in some cases. The issue needs to be addressed on various levels and proper steps must be taken to reduce the impact.
But how do you know whether you or someone around you is suffering from workplace stress?
You can look for a few signs and symptoms that indicate stress. Losing confidence and feelings of anger, irritability or frustration are some of the most common signs of being overwhelmed at work. But there could also be other symptoms such as:
Depression
Losing interest in work
Problems in falling asleep
Feeling fatigued and tiredness
Inability to concentrate on work
Physical problems such as muscle tension, headaches, and stomach related issues
Withdrawal from social engagements
Sudden inclination towards alcohol or other such addictive behaviours
What could be the common stressors in your workplace?
There are some factors that may be common, irrespective of what type of professional you are or what field you work in. Some of them are:
Stress can have long-lasting effects on your health | Image: file imagePIN IT
Low payments and salaries
Extreme workload with unrealistic deadlines
Little or no control over job-related decision-making
Conflict in demands
Lack of clarity about performance expectations
Lack of growth and advancement opportunities
Uninteresting work that is not challenging enough
No support from the community
How To Leave Work At Work?
One of the easiest ways to overcome this issue is to share your feelings with someone. Something as simple as talking it out can help. The listener, whether you or someone else who is listening to you, need not fix anything. All they need to do is to just be empathetic towards the stressed-out colleague or family member.
But apart from being vocal about your workplace woes, here’s what you can do.
1. Identify the stressors
The first and most important step to live a stress-free life is to get to know the stress points. You can maintain a journal where you jot down stressful situations at your work on a day-to-day basis. Keep noting such situations and your reactions to them over a period. Such daily tracking can help you identify a pattern in your stress.
2. Avoid substituting stress with food or substance
You may have seen that people often respond to stress by getting into food or substance abuse. Instead of indulging in such activities, you can find healthy ways to combat stress. Find out what hobbies you’d like to engage in. And spend your time in such positive activities. Also, focus on getting proper sleep and limit your caffeine intake.
3. Set your boundaries
When dealing with workplace stress it’s extremely important to disengage from your professional responsibilities every day. But in a digital world where physical distance is never an issue, you may end up carrying work in your personal life. That leads to your constantly being under stress and there’s no work-life balance. And that’s why you should set some boundaries. Make sure that once home, you stop discussing work or engaging with your colleagues to attend to professional responsibilities.
4. Take a break
A break can help you recharge your batteries. So, don’t think and just take that much-deserved vacation with your family or go solo. Remember to switch your work-mode off. Inform your colleagues that you won’t be available for any work in that period and avoid any work-related phone calls. When you unwind in this way, you can get back to your professional duties with improved workability.
5. Take your manager in confidence
Often people make the mistake of not talking to their supervisor about the work pressure. But you might be surprised by the support that you may receive when you share your concerns and complaints. After all, managers and bosses are humans too. So, next time you feel stressed out, talk to your supervisor first.
Combating stress can help you become more productive and keep you mentally and physically healthy. So, with these useful and effective tips, maintain the work-life balance and say goodbye to stress.
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