Putting in long working hours and the outcome is futile? Gritting your teeth, you become anxious to get the work done. Work gets piled up but you feel lethargic. You begin skipping meals, fuming on petty issues, ‘irateness’ creeps in and you wish you could simply step out and never come back? Well, yes, anybody would be able to tell that you are stressed. But then how do you manage a healthy work-life-balance and not let the stressful work culture impact your personal life? Here are 10 ways that could be helpful.
#10 – Be on guard, but not uptight
Accept that you are stressed and it is not merely a phase that will pass on its own. Space out, schedule tasks, delegate work, and break down the process into baby steps. Distance distractions, let go of the time wasted and make the most of the time you have left.
#9 – Brake to take a break
Excuse yourself, step out for a couple of minutes, stretch a bit, take the stairs to the ground floor and back up. Try relieving the stress at work by taking a moment away from your desk. That is all you need to divert your mind and feel refreshed. If not, there is nothing like a hot cup of tea or coffee!
#8 – Device your own therapy.
Music is a fantastic healer for some while for some reading does the trick. Some let go of all their tension via the medium of words while some find solace in procrastinating. What is your way to vent out? Is singing out loud or having a quick humorous chat with you colleagues a way of managing stress at work?
#7 – Allot time for power naps.
Oh! Yes! Despite all the speculations, they miraculously work! 15 mins post lunch and you feel as fresh as a daisy! No exaggeration here; only make sure you tune out completely for that period of time with yourself.
#6 – Squeeze a stress ball.
Too afraid that in the heat of the moment you may end up saying something that you will regret later? Keep a stress ball handy. Breathe in and breathe out – let go and relax. There are plenty of quirky and hilarious stress balls available in the market. Get one that will not only calm you down but also cheer you up.
#5 – Even in the dictionary ‘Today’ comes before ‘Tomorrow’.
Quit worrying about how your efforts will shape up and focus on giving it your best shot currently. Our managing stress skills go for a toss when we overthink the consequences of our actions and whether it pleases all. Stop thinking if your boss will like it or not, believe in your creation and give it your 100% – be it an annual report or a company presentation for clients.
# 4 – Self critic, self-appraise, self-value.
The only person you need to compete with is ‘yourself’. As clichéd as it sounds, it makes perfect sense. You need to work hard to outdo yourself and re-invent your personal record. Treating oneself as a competitor is the best way to grow while learning. You even learn how to handle stress at work the next time by learning from your past mistakes.
#3 – Switch off altogether.
We humans need rest. Not just for physical fitness, but for our mental well-being as well. We take our means of convenience too seriously and end up carrying it practically everywhere. If there is anything that needs rest more than us, it would definitely be our mobile phones. Engage in something physical like fun employee activities or workshops. The state of tranquility is much more than mere silence.
#2 – Squeal, squeak, shriek – Communicate!
If you have a plan, a set way of thinking and suddenly feel like improvising, go for it. Being in the organization for a long time, you are the best person to make a judgment on what will be suitable in the current situation. Call in a team meeting if needed and take a call with backed up evidence but speak up and share your opinion!
#1 – Breathe!
If you feel even a tinge of panic, the urge to worry, use the imaginary mute button and keep it on hold. Fretting won’t help you much. Even if something does go wrong majorly, you will need a clear head to think.
Figure out what triggers your instincts to be stressed. Is it because things do not happen the way you want them to? Is it the dread of not being able to give the required time to your loved ones? Being cooped up all day in paper work? Multi-tasking becomes hectic?
There always is a way to be normal. Being stressed takes a lot of effort, because then you are like a grenade, waiting to go kaboom!
