How To Cope With Workplace-Related Stress?

Stress at the workplace due to various reasons is considered quite common in the current scenario. But what we fail to acknowledge is that excessive stress can negatively affect one’s physical, mental as well as behavioural health. Here is what you need to know!

Most people experience stress in the workplace due to workload, deadlines, boss’s behaviour, peer pressure and various other reasons. But when this stress is experienced more than what can be tolerated, a person is likely to be a victim of depression, which can affect his/her workability or desire to work and his/her personal and social life.

Counselor, former lecturer and psychologist Dr. Renuka Sharma (Ph.D.) explains that little stress at the workplace can be good and help improve our efficiency and bring a sense of competition along with the desire to succeed. But, at the same time, if the stress experienced is more, it can begin to affect a person’s personal as well as professional life.

Excessive stress can have a negative effect on a person's mental health, causing irritability, anger, frustration, lack of interest and social isolation. It can also affect his/her relationship with family members.

Major Reasons For Higher Stress At Workplace

1. Workload and Deadlines
   Today’s organizations focus on how to get more work done with a limited workforce. With this increased workload, a person begins to feel stressed and pressured. He/she starts working more and for longer hours, which ultimately affects their social and personal life.
2. Job Insecurity
   There is no job security in today’s world, especially in the private sector. Due to high competition between the companies and the adoption of cost-cutting strategies, there are frequent lay-offs and this uncertainty and insecurity is stressful for the employees.
3. Inadequate Pay
   With the continuous inflation in the country, there has also been a rise in school fees and medical expenses, which heavily affects the pocket of a person with a limited salary. Therefore, to compete with a higher cost of living, when a person works really hard but gets paid inadequately, frustration creeps in.
4. Failure To Do What You Like
   Accept it or not, money is very important to look after the expenses of family and oneself, which is why many times people do jobs which do not entice them. In such a situation, a person is bound to do work that does not mentally satisfy him/her. When this continues, he/she may begin feeling stressed and lose interest in work.

How To Manage Stress?

Dr. Renuka Sharma says that the first thing to do to manage stress is to find out its cause. Because many times we know that we are stressed but are unaware of the reason behind it. Therefore, one can jot down his/her problems in a diary to ease the process of understanding the situation clearly and finding a solution.

Once the cause of stress is known, it becomes necessary to figure out a way to overcome it. If a person is not able to manage his/her stress on a personal level, it becomes important to seek professional help. Also, many times there are things at the workplace that we cannot change, but what we can do is slightly change our attitude towards certain things, clear out our minds and start afresh.

Some Tips For Stress Management At Workplace

To reduce workplace-related stress, it is important to inculcate discipline as well as slightly change our way of thinking, behaviour and lifestyle, for which the following habits can be adopted:

• Follow a disciplined routine.
• Try to learn time management and schedule your day-to-day tasks, at both office and home. This will help you complete your work in the stipulated time.
• Be it your professional or personal life, list out your priorities and plan your work accordingly.
• Try not to vent your anger and frustration at your workplace on your family members. This can ruin the relationships as well as the vibe or atmosphere at home.
• Focus on ensuring you get quality sleep and healthy food. Eat a balanced diet and sleep for at least 7 hours a day.
• Yoga and exercise can also be very helpful in reducing our stress. Therefore, set out 30 minutes from your daily routine for a workout. Exercising releases endorphins in the body, a hormone that helps in relieving stress.
• Do not work continuously for hours and keep taking breaks at regular intervals.
• Make efforts at your end to keep the work environment pleasant. Try to change your way of thinking and view things from a positive aspect. This will not only help you bond with your colleagues but will also lighten the atmosphere around you.
• Make sure there is no communication gap between you and your superiors or subordinates. Do not hesitate to ask questions or discuss the ideas in your mind with them. This will help you in understanding each other's point of view better and improve relations.