5 Tips to Manage Work Stress

We all feel overwhelmed at times by our work, even when it’s something we enjoy. Admitting we feel stressed isn’t admitting we are bad at our jobs but a good way to preserve them. If you’re feeling some emotional exhaustion from work, here are 5 things you can try to relieve some of the tension.

Take Time to Breathe

It sounds obvious, but we rarely pay attention to our breathing. This can result in rapid breathes to match the stress we’re feeling and make the situation feel worse. Likewise, if we can manage our breath and keep it calm we will be more even headed, even when there is a stressful situation. Sometimes work can be so hectic we don’t have time to set aside just for breathing, so try paying attention to hte breath while you work as well.

Take Breaks

When we have an intense workload and are struggling to keep up, or falling behind, it’s tempting to start to shorten or remove our breaks so we have more time to catch up. While this is good in theory, it tends to have the opposite effect as we become more stressed and less efficient. It has been proven that taking short breaks and removing yourself mentally from work can increase your efficiency and productivity and easily make that time up and more.

Leave Work at Work

Carrying our stress from the day home can have a similar effect in the brain as experiencing the stress. It’s like we never left, so we just feel more and more exhausted. It can take a while to practice, but is possible to learn skills for leaving work at work. One is finding an object you pass an your commute and mentally leaving the workday there when you pass it. Then not picking it back up until you pass it on the way to work the next day.

Discover Your Why

Figuring out what drives you to work is easier said than done, but can have a big impact on our work. Your why might be about delivering a service or product you believe in, being able to practice a skill you enjoy, being able to afford the lifestyle you want, or anything else. If we can identify a reason that we do what we do and remind ourselves that it’s not just another day at the office, but another day moving toward that goal, it can make work feel more fulfilling. It can also make the other skills more effective as we now have a reason to practice them and make the stress more manageable.

Set Healthy Boundaries For Yourself

Setting boundaries is a big topic, so we’ll keep it simple here. Identify what you can and can’t do with regards to work. This might mean not working after hours (turning work apps off, not reading emails, etc.). Or it could be more personal, identifying the need to have more time for other relationships or more time for self care, or enough time to complete projects before accepting another one. Finding your boundaries and holding yourself to them can make work seem less daunting.

These are all quick tips that can help when feeling stressed at work, but they can be hard to implement. Like all other skills it takes time and practice. It’s not uncommon to not be sure how to start or to find the stress is so high that nothing seems to work. In these instances therapy or coaching may be helpful to explore more what the best fit for you is.