This post is written by Katleen Brown, a health, beauty and fitness writer. In her spare time, she likes to do research to bring awareness. Recognizing the unity of body, mind, and outlook, she helps empower women to tune into their innate & inner wisdom to transform their health and truly flourish. Get in touch with her onGoogle+,PinterestandTwitter.
Occupational stress is directly related to an individual’s job
Often times, the root cause of this type of stress is that work responsibilities are not in line with the skills, knowledge or expectations of a particular individual. When employees do not feel supported or appreciated by their co-workers and superiors, occupational stress can (and usually does) increase. The work environment may be the source of stress, as the workplace may be excessively noisy or hazardous.Work-related stress can be seen in a variety of ways, and it will affect the body and mind in different ways (none of which are good). It can be a series of small things that builds stress, such as a constantly ringing phone or a fax machine that always jams. Larger causes of work-related stress could include: an unresolved conflict with a co-worker or an assignment that is mentally or physically dissatisfying.If constant daily stress is not properly controlled, it can lead to physical ailments, such as stomach pains, elevated blood pressure, back pain, chronic headaches, and negative thinking associated with depression.Below are 11 of thebest ways to reduce stress that are directly related to an office environment.
Start and complete one task at a time. This will reduce stress, because completing tasks gives the mind a sense of calm and accomplishment.
Writing things down relieves stress and worry, because you will not be concerned about trying to remember a task, an idea, or an appointment.
Don’t create office drama or make a big deal about an insignificant matter. This is one of the things that will make your day easier and more pleasant.
Don’t waste your time, and try to guess how something should be done. Ask. This will reduce conflicts, negativity, stress and potentialsymptoms of depressionin you and your co-workers.
Create a healthy balance of work and rest throughout your day. Since, I work on a computer all day, I get up from my desk every hour and take a walk (usually to the restroom), and this helps give my eyes a quick break from staring at a computer screen all day. In addition, every two hours, I will take a full 15 minute break, which helps to keep daily office stress from building up.
Set boundaries, which for me, means not staying late or going in earlier than my scheduled start time, to try to ‘catch up’ on work assignments.
Avoid snacking on unhealthy food during the day. If your office is anything like mine, everyone seems to have a talent for baking, and a deep desire to share their sugary treats. It is important to maintain ahealthy diet,to help manage stress and avoid excess weight gain.
Don’t strive for perfection, as this is an impossible task. Stress will certainly increase and self-esteem will drop, because you have set forth an unreachable goal. When a project is completed correctly, move on to the next. When you spend too much time making sure that every “T” is crossed and every “I” is dotted, you will find yourself falling quickly behind and your workload will grow out of control.
Use the weekends for family-fun activities that you enjoy. If you have a work-related cell phone – turn it off on the weekends, if possible (or only check it twice a day, to see if there are any legitimate emergencies that must be dealt with). To keep work-related stress down, avoid worrying and obsessing about work deadlines when you are away from the office.
Use your entire lunch time wisely and eat slowly, enjoy casual (not work-related) conversations with your co-workers, and take a short walk outside (this is important for a change of scenery, to absorb sunlight and to take a deep breath of fresh air). These simple suggestions will reduce your daytime stress.
Keep your workspace uncluttered. Keep personal possession and work files to a minimum on your desk, so you can better focus on the task at hand. When there are too many distractions on and around your desk, work gets delayed and stress to meet deadlines increases.
Bonus tip #1 to reducing work-related stress:
Arrive at work 10 to 15 minutes earlier than your scheduled start time. But do not use these few minutes to start working; use them to relax from your morning commute, to get a fresh cup of coffee, and to take a deep breath before starting your productive, stress-free day.
Bonus tip #2 to reducing work-related stress:
Delegate or eliminate. This is directed at the people who feel that they must micromanage, and this causes unnecessary stress. Believe in your team, and delegate your workload to your team members. When you take a good look at everything you do during the day, and re-evaluate your tasks, I’m sure there are some things that can be passed down, or even eliminated from your day. In addition, it is OK to say “no” to new projects.If you over-commit yourself, it may backfire, and instead of looking good in the boss’s eyes, you may look incompetent and untrustworthy.
Work-related stress can be seen in a variety of ways, and it will affect the body and mind in different ways (none of which are good). It can be a series of small things that builds stress, such as a constantly ringing phone or a fax machine that always jams. Larger causes of work-related stress could include: an unresolved conflict with a co-worker or an assignment that is mentally or physically dissatisfying.If constant daily stress is not properly controlled, it can lead to physical ailments, such as stomach pains, elevated blood pressure, back pain, chronic headaches, and negative thinking associated with depression.Below are 11 of thebest ways to reduce stress that are directly related to an office environment.