Are you stressed at work? Try these helpful tips to manage it well - PART 3 of 3

 How’s it going?

I’ve really enjoyed hearing from folks who have been implementing some of the tips to reduce work stress!

I hear about work stress so often that I felt the need to do my part to help squash this epidemic (yes, I said epidemic!). :) So many people are working so much - and under high pressure - that their results are leading to feeling super drained after work, which runs into the quality of your personal life.

As previously mentioned, the high level of stress occurring CHRONICALLY causes wear and tear on our bodies and puts us at risk for illness. I review a ton of hospital medical records for my work at the Atlanta Regional Commission and the adverse health effects resulting from behavior, lifestyle and chronic stress are astounding. The prevalence of heart disease and hypertension (among other conditions) is though the roof. I don’t want this to be fear-based post or focus on that; what I would like to focus on is prevention and what we can do for ourselves to improve our overall well-being. With anything, we can make the decision to be responsible for ourselves and make healthy choices. That being said, here are a few more tips to reduce work stress:

~ Focus on what is going WELL and what you are grateful for. There are a lot of positives, and they will become apparent if you choose to look for them. When you find yourself down about your work, creating a list of these items will help you shift your perspective.

~ Honor your energy. Schedule the tasks that you feel take more focus and concentration during the times of the day when you feel you have the most energy. Schedule the lighter tasks during times when you generally feel less energetic. (As mentioned in other posts, of course do what you can to get to any root cause for low energy, too :). There is no need to fight or resist what you&rsquo ;re feeling as that can lead to feeling more drained and frustrated. You’ll find yourself more productive when you honor how your body feels.

~ Focus on one thing at a time. Yup, I know this is a tough one and I know that we’re always juggling multiple tasks. Give it a shot if you don’t do this already: block out a time for email only instead of responding to every email all day long as they come in. When you’re working on a project that requires focus, close all other windows if you’re working on a computer. I find that I’m more productive this way. Set a timer on your phone or computer and make an effort to focus in order to complete your project during that set period of time.

Final note: Be sure to take care of yourself outside of work and remember that you teach people how to treat you. If you answer a work email that arrives at 10pm - unless you’re on call or it’s absolutely necessary for your job - then people will come to expect that from you. You don’t have to put other people’s priorities before yours or your well-being. The email can usually wait for a response until the next day. So I chose the tips from this series from a bigger list I created as I feel they are some of the most effective.

What other mechanisms do you have in place for self-care in the workplace? Please share your ideas by commenting below!

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