Feeling Stressed Out? 4 Ways to Deal with Stress at Work

For most people, stress is a natural part of their working day. There are deadlines to meet, deal with irksome colleagues or clients, or cope with factors in your personal life. Of course, some measure of stress is normal and can even be useful. When stress becomes chronic, it can lead to health problems, emotional distress, and lower quality of life.

The problems of feeling constantly stressed out were highlighted in a report published in the journal BMJ. Researchers found that unresolved stress can lead to depression, anxiety, fatigue, problems with memory, changes in behaviour, and headaches. ^[1]

Other reports indicate that as many as 65% of people in the workplace cite stress as a major problem. One-third of those people questioned say that they experience chronic work-related stress.

If you are feeling stressed out, what can you do to deal with stress at work?

In this article, you will find practical ways to cope with stress better and regain some balance in your day.

What is Stress?

Stress is described as that body’s reaction to changes that require a response to the situation. This can manifest itself in a mental, physical, or emotional way.

For example, when you perceive a threat, hormones and chemicals are released in your body to help respond to the situation appropriately. This can protect you from danger or help you react in a positive way to a challenge.

When Stress Becomes Negative?

Stress becomes a negative reaction when it becomes chronic and you can’t get any relief. This is usually referred to as ‘distress’. In these cases, being in a constant state of ‘fight or flight’ wears down the body’s natural defenses and can cause a number of stress-related problems.

It is in these cases that you need to find ways to deal with stress so that it doesn’t negatively impact on your health and emotional well-being.

How to Deal with Stress at Work

Here are 4 ways that you can deal with stress in the workplace more effectively and help protect your mental, physical, and emotional health.

1. Identify your triggers

First, it is important to know exactly what is stressing you out. To do this, you can try keeping a journal to help identify triggers during the day that causes stress. You should also record your responses. This can help you look for patterns of what is triggering stress.

2. Start the day right

You might be surprised to realise that the stress you have in the morning can carry through to the rest of the day. When you are stressed out trying to get the kids ready for school, deal with the daily commute, and arriving on time at work can cause you to overreact at work.

To help reduce stress at work, make sure and get a good night’s sleep and start the day with a healthy breakfast. Also, avoiding stimulants like coffee can help establish healthy patterns and manage stress better.

3. Set boundaries

Establish boundaries when it comes to answering the phone and emails outside of work. Set specific rules about how many work-related distractions you will allow when you are at home. Of course, everyone has a different work schedule. However, make sure that work doesn’t start to interfere with your family life.

4. Take some time out to relax

Taking time to recharge is an important way of dealing with chronic stress. Having regular breaks from work-related activities help to give your body and mind a break. Don’t let your weekends or holidays go to waste and avoid using that time to catch up on work activities.

It is also important to have a regular time each week for exercise. Physical activity releases positive hormones in your body that give you a feeling of well-being.

If you have had to deal with stress for a long time, it can be challenging to establish new, healthy patterns to prevent and deal with stress. However, in time, you can develop these 4 habits to help you deal with stress at work.

[1] BMJ Journals. Causes and management of stress at work.