Coping With Work Stress
There is no such thing as a stress-free workplace, which means that more and more people need tips to help them in coping with stress at work. If you find yourself becoming anxious about going to work or about facets of your job, then you are probably feeling stressed. If you do not learn to recognize the signs of stress and learn how to deal with it effectively, then stress can lead to illness.
One of the main things you have to do to help you cope with stress is to identify what specific incidents trigger your stressful feelings. Each person is unique and reacts differently in situations than others. What one person may be able to shrug off and forget may be a big deal for you. The way to start identifying the triggers is to start writing down the things that really irritate you at work. Once you realize what causes your stress, then you can start to look for solutions to the problem.
Keep a journal for a week, noting the times of the day when you feel the most stressed and what events occurred immediately prior to that feeling. Describe the situation, telling what events took place, who was involved and what was said or observed. Describe how you reacted to the situation and tell how you felt. It is your reaction that will give you an insight into your stress and as you reflect on it, you may realize that perhaps you overreacted or perhaps there was something else you should have said or done.
It is quite possible that your workload is causing you stress. Make a list of all the things you have to do at work on a daily basis. Think about whether you can alleviate some of this load by delegating tasks to others or if there are tasks you can put off until later when you have more time. Developing time management skills is an important way of coping with stress at work – handling the jobs that need to be done right away and then handling the less important duties.
Think about the expectations and goals you set for yourself. Are they realistic? Maybe you are trying to do too much, too fast and this is causing you stress. Set more realistic goals for each day by using a planner and realize that on times, unexpected events may interrupt your plans. If there is some task that does require your undivided attention, set aside a block of time when you notify all those around you that you are not to be interrupted.
If there are coworkers that are causing you stress, you have to work out exactly what they are doing that is causing you to feel this way. It is possible that they do not even realize that they are affecting you. A simple conversation in which you explain your feelings can solve the problem. You can also talk with your supervisors to find ways of alleviating the stress without causing further problems in the workplace.