Dealing With Stress on the Job
No matter how much you love your job, there will still be days that can be overwhelming or stressful. Don’t despair when those days hit; there are plenty of ways to deal with them. We took a poll around the Absolute Staffing office to get some ideas about how people de-stress during work.
Stress can come from many circumstances: being overwhelmed, fighting with a printer, struggling with a coworker, deadlines, meetings. Luckily there are just as many ways to de-stress, dust off and get back in the zone.
One colleague says she deals with stress by trying to stay as organized as possible. She uses a daily to do list and crosses items off as she completes them. She will also listen to soothing music to help her with tough days.
Jane Collingwood of PsychCentral recommends using music. Especially slow, quiet classical music. She writes “This type of music can have a beneficial effect on our physiological functions, slowing the pulse and heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and decreasing the levels of stress hormones.”
A popular answer to my non-scientific poll was to try and get away from the desk, stretch your legs and walk around. Making sure not to work through lunches is a great way to give yourself that much-needed down-time each day.
The career experts at Right Management report that only 1 in 5 office workers report taking a lunch away from their desks. In addition to getting a stress break, FastCompany.com explains that “taking a break–even for 15 to 20 minutes–is a proven way to sustain concentration and energy levels throughout the day.”
Another co-worker responded that she likes to put her head back and close her eyes for a few moments. That, or sing the theme song to The Love Boat. To each his own! Everybody is different and if it works for you, it works for you.
For myself, I like to stop what I’m doing, reorganize my desk and re-write my to-do list. That always seems to help me refresh and refocus.
Some co-workers focus on de-stressing each evening by trying not to bring work home or just simply knowing that you have cocktails and a baseball game waiting on you. That evening reward can help you push through the day, one co-worker says.
A final colleague pointed out that stressing in the middle of completing work can, and most likely will, only cause additional stress by potentially making errors. Stress can lead to more stress, so she tries to remind herself that she only has control of herself and that she’s giving 110%. That seems to take some of the pressure off.
It is important to remember to take care of you each day. If you aren’t taking care of yourself, you aren’t bringing your best self to work.
