How To Deal With Work Stress

Stress is a double-edged sword. It can keep you motivated like when you are close to graduating or landing a great job offer. However, it can also be too overwhelming like the stress you often face at work. No one likes to deal with stress, but it is an inevitable part of life.

We all go through experiences that cause stress from new responsibilities to an unexpected change.  While there is no way to control many of these events, it is possible to change the way that they affect you. Creating a sustainable and strong system to handle stress is important. Of course, it is important to note that everyone handles stress differently, but there are some common coping methods that you can try to overcome the stress that you are under.

1. Change Your Perspective

There are a lot of things that cause stress which are actually temporary, but we tend to overestimate how long they are going to last according to CLAritychi.com.   When something is causing you stress, you should take the time to ask yourself if this will matter in a few months or years.  An example of this will when your boss micromanages you and this causes stress, before you react you should think about whether or not this is a long-term job.

If the answer is yes, you will need to have an honest conversation with your boss and try to come to a compromise. If the answer to the question was no, then you should focus on landing your dream job sooner rather than later. It is important to remember that the more importance you give something, the larger the impact it has on you.

2. Break It Down

Imagine you are assigned a large project at work and have no idea where you should start.  Now imagine you have a short deadline that you need to stick to and this will start to keep you up at night. This is completely understandable, but the amount of stress it causes it never good.

If you are in this situation, the best steps to limit stress will be to work backward and figure out the small steps that will be involved in executing the project.  If you have to plan the annual gala for your business, you could start with researching local venues and reaching out via email. Starting with the small tasks and gradually moving onto the more challenging steps will help reduce stress. This is due to the fact that you will feel more in control of what is happening and get the courage you need to keep going. This is also a strategy that you can use in the future when you are faced with any major work projects.

3. Practice Appreciation

If you want to increase the stress you are under, all you need to do is obsess over everything that is not working. This is a sure way to make yourself unproductive and fidgety. What you should actually do is draw energy from this and focus it on making things work instead.

If you have a project that is taking you longer than expected to finish, you could easily be tempted to beat yourself up over this.  What you should do is redirect your thinking to feel grateful that you have the work you are doing, assuming it is something that you enjoy, and focus on how it is helping you live the life that you want or getting you to the life that you want.  It is important to remember that things will rarely go as planned and you need to embrace the detours while looking at the big picture.

If you are building up a business, you are going to go through some ups and downs.  You should think of this as carving your worn path and working on your own terms.  Not only will this motivate you to keep going, you will also be able to channel your stress into getting everything done.

4. Take A Break

When you are struggling and have hit a wall, you need to take a step back and disconnect for a bit.  This could mean working out in the morning, going on a walk or doing some yoga.  You need to give yourself a break because taking the time to recharge will be helpful in the short and long-term.

5. Breathe

One of the best ways to get through a stressful situation is to practice breathing.  This may not be intuitive, particularly when you are at work, but if you get into the habit you will see how much difference it can make.