We feel stressed when we react to the demands of a particular situation that is beyond our control. E.g. An iconic artiste may not fright at singing during a concert but an upcoming artiste may feel a lot of stress at his or her first concert trial. Stress can also be felt when the body recognizes something as a threat it can’t handle.
“Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional responses that can happen when there is a conflict between job demands on an employee and the amount of control an employee has over meeting these demands. In general, the combination of high demands in a job and a low amount of control over the situation can lead to stress.” – CCOHS
Workplace stress doesn’t necessary have one source, it’s multi-faceted and this can transcend to negatively impacting your work, your relationship with your colleagues and your overall performance in life. Sometimes it is said that a little stress is needed to have an exciting life. This little stress is sometimes perceived as “challenges”, “oppositions to make you better”, “positive stress”, etc. but when overlooked and allowed in excess, it can result to a negative mental impact. How can you deal with it?
TIPS FOR STRESS MANAGEMENT
- GET TO THE ROOT CAUSE. Find out the exact cause of the stress, sometimes we treat the symptoms without going down to the root causes. This will help to eliminate the entire issue.
- CLEARLY DEFINE ROLES. Your roles should be clearly defined to allow for easy work flow. When your work is specific, it becomes more attainable and achievable than having vague specifications. So, make sure your duties and responsibilities are specific so you don’t bear unidentified burden.
- MANAGE WORKLOADS. When you are given your workload for the week, create a To-do list in order of importance. The most pressing needs should come first, this will help you maintain your work activities. Take breaks off in-between tasks to refuel your energy and thinking capacity.
- PROMOTE WORK-LIFE BALANCE. Balance, is the spice of life, learn to balance your life on and off work. Work when you are meant to and take breaks when necessary. Don’t be caught sleeping when you are meant to be delivering results, however don’t get overworked. If you are a Team Lead, learn to delegate tasks to your team members and supervise properly. Celebrate team success, recognize employees’ contributions effectively and disapprove where necessary. Learn to manage how you work at the office, even when relating with your colleagues, management, and clients.
- ALLOW CONTINUOUS LEARNING. One way to reduce workplace stress, is admitting that you don’t know it all, give room for learning. then faced with a challenging situation at work, seek help, ask your colleagues for help or read up on it. This reduces the pressure on you as there are thousands of resources online that can help simplify a challenging situation.
