Work stress is incredibly common, affecting people in all industries and levels of work. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t experience any work stress at all! Whether you’re just dealing with a bit of work stress, or feel like you are under far too much pressure, these tips can help you. If you feel completely overwhelmed, talk to a professional and/or your employer.
- Make a schedule and stick to it. Leaving things up to chance is a good way to feel anxious and overwhelmed as you will not have the stability and predictability of a schedule.
- Treat yourself kindly outside of work. If you eat well, sleep right, and avoid stress as much as possible in your personal life, you will be better suited to handle anything work throws at you.
- Delegate as you can. If you have too much on your plate and it’s acceptable to share the load, don’t feel bad about doing so.
- Set up times during which you will not be interrupted. Tell your colleagues that you are busy and unable to respond to emails, messages, etc., unless they are highly urgent. Make a plan to deal with any interruptions that come through anyway.
- Consider setting up specific office hours during which people can come in and talk to you — this leaves the rest of your time free to work without the stress of interruptions.
- Take breaks, especially if you feel particularly challenged. A quick walk outside or a similar activity gets you away from your desk, energizes you, and changes your perspective.
- Let go of self-induced stress. If you can worry less about things that don’t truly matter, you’ll feel better.
- Set priorities and stick to it, make a list of what is most important.