Stress in the workplace can unfortunately occur at any time, sometimes without a triggering moment or event (although in these cases, it may be due to accumulation of stressors and a lack of coping skills or resources). It can become all-consuming and not only effect work performance, but other areas of a person’s life. However, the good news is that stress can be managed. Below, Lysn psychologist Nancy Sokarno provides her top tips for managing stress in the workplace.
TURN BIG TASKS INTO SMALLER ONES
It can sometimes be difficult to keep your eyes on the prize when you’re dealing with mammoth tasks, especially at work. Large tasks that might take a lot of time and effort can seem overwhelming and out of reach. However, creating smaller and achievable goals can allow you and your team to be more motivated. The reason this happens is because you’ve broken down each task and therefore are more likely to achieve them quicker (and can reward yourself when you do)! Even if it’s the simple satisfaction of crossing it off your task list, those small accomplishments achieved on a daily basis are better than going days without feeling like you haven’t made any achievements.
PRIORITISE - Write down what you and your colleagues might be feeling stressed about and try to prioritise in order or importance. This can help you and your team to feel less overwhelmed and instead start thinking the current task at hand. List all of the to-do jobs and mark out dates for when each item needs to be achieved.
CHANGE SURROUNDINGS OR REGULAR ROUTINE – If you’ve noticed that you and your team are feeling particularly stressed, try to take some time out and gain a different perspective from a change in surroundings or routine. For those that work in the same salon or office on a daily basis, temporarily changing your surroundings can be really beneficial. This might simply mean doing that morning meeting from a coffee shop instead of the salon. Changing your surroundings or routine can reignite your motivation and improve your productivity. Sometimes a small shift in scenery can mean a big shift in motivation. Different surroundings provide a new perspective whilst enabling you to interact with different people and which can also spark your creativity. As humans we are all creatures of habit, but it is important to break your regular routine from time to time. This can help to hits the refresh button if you’re feeling like work is particularly stressful or overwhelming.
TAKE REGULAR BREAKS – During any particularly stressful periods it can sometimes feel counterproductive to take regular breaks because it means taking time away from a busy workload. However, it’s actually more productive to take smaller breaks more regularly. Stepping out and taking a moment to refresh will help you and your team to de-stress and will have a positive effect on your mind and body. It’s not healthy to stay in the same place or position for too long, and neither is it healthy to work nonstop. Hitting the break and refresh button regularly will help you stay on track with tasks, keep your energy levels boosted, change your work dynamic and in turn, ease some of those stress levels.
PRACTICE STRESS REDUCING ACTIVITIES - Practice ways to reduce stress levels such as meditation, breathing exercises and mindfulness. Whilst these types of practices might not be the norm for your workplace, you can implement periods throughout the day where it is encouraged or bring in an expert to help. Breathing exercises are a great way to alleviate stress because stress can make your heart beat faster, breathing quicker and cause blood vessels to constrict. So by taking time out to practice deep breathing, it can help relax a person and slow their heart rate down.
Nancy Sokarno is a psychologist at Lysn.
Lysn is a digital mental mealth company with world class wellbeing technology which helps people find their best-fit professional psychologist whilst being able to access online tools to improve their mental health.
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