Managing the effects of stress in the workplace

One of the first things people think about when discussing stress in the workplace is how it may affect their health. Short-term stress can lead to minor health problems such as headaches, disrupted sleep, upset stomach, and even weight gain. Chronic stress can build up over time and cause more serious health problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, anxiety, and a weaker immune system. These health conditions can make it harder for you to complete your job, therefore creating even more stress! This creates a cyclical pattern that can damage your health and your job. When you feel stressed, your job performance is negatively impacted. Stress makes people feel like they can’t focus, which may lead them to feel directionless and unsatisfied in their job. This sort of cloudy thinking can lead to poor decision-making that can eventually lead to harmful mistakes at work. It can also result in an overall questioning of one’s career choices. Overwhelming stress can make a job you love feel like a prison. Even worse, stress can spread, turning your entire office into an unhealthy place to work.

Stress changes the way people see themselves, and how they see others. High levels of stress among multiple employees can lead to strained interactions between once friendly coworkers. When you are stressed, you may be more quick to anger and then take this anger out on coworkers. A buildup of this aggression towards colleagues can lead to distrust, defensiveness, and a total withdrawal from coworkers and group office activities. Stress can turn a once positive working environment into a place of resentment and toxicity. 

When colleagues have strained relationships because of stress, it can affect the overall productivity of the office. Lack of support from colleagues can lead to panic and frustration regarding deadlines. This type of stressful work environment will eventually lead to poor time management and therefore missed deadlines and a misunderstanding of what projects need working on and when. When employees cannot focus because of stress, the effects on their relationships can be serious. Everything in the office slows down. An entire office’s productivity and drive can be affected by the stress of just one employee. 

Find out what causes stress

Identifying the sources of your stress is the first step in managing and reducing your stress. A good way to find out what causes stress is writing everything that happened in the course of a day, as well as how you reacted to these events. For example, if you write, “In the morning meeting my manager called me out for a bad pitch. I felt bad and unfocused for the next 45 minutes,” you have identified that you feel your boss has publicly shamed you and that has caused you stress and anxiety. 

Writing down everything that happens to you over the course of a week or more can help you find patterns and clues as to what causes stress. Once you can understand exactly what stresses you out, you can avoid and plan for these things in the future. You may even talk to your boss or coworkers about the cause of your stress, so they can also help you avoid it. 

Create healthy responses

Once you realize exactly what stresses you, you can focus on how you respond to these stressful events. You cannot avoid all stressful events, so it’s good to develop healthy responses instead of unhealthy ones like eating junk food, complaining to coworkers, or shutting down completely. A healthy response might be as simple as going to a quiet space in the office and taking 10 deep breaths after a stressful event. Or it may be a larger lifestyle change, such as going on a long run after work. Find activities that calm you down and make you feel secure. 

Stay on top of things

Stress can overwhelm and cause deadlines, meetings, and tasks to feel like they are building up to a point where you can’t complete anything. This is why staying organized and planning effectively can help you defeat stress in the workplace. Even if you consider yourself a disorganized person, it’s important to have some organizational tricks to help you combat stress. Writing a list of tasks you want to get done at the beginning of each work week is a great organizational tool to start with. Writing a list and prioritizing what tasks you want to complete can make your week more manageable. 

Take things one step at a time

While you want to stay on top of tasks, you don’t want to do too many things at once. When you are multitasking, it may feel like you are accomplishing many tasks at once, but it can often lead to a decrease in accuracy and thoroughness. Only completing half of many tasks is another thing that can cause a buildup in stress. Instead, focus on completing one task at a time. At first, this deep concentration on one task may make you feel less accomplished, but eventually you will see how concentrating on one activity at time can help complete tasks in a satisfactory manner. 

Talk to a manager

When you feel like your stress is getting out of control and it is something you can no longer manage, you need to talk to your manager or direct supervisor. As we mentioned before, stress affects the entire workplace, so your boss has a vested interest in helping you control your stress. Start by mentioning what is causing you stress. Don’t merely list a bunch of complaints about what you dislike about your position, but talk about specific stressors and how you think these can be eased. Receiving support and resources from your boss can go a long way in decreasing your overall stress levels in the workplace. 

Create boundaries

As our offices become more digital, it is also becoming harder to detach ourselves from work. Email and other workplace communications make it feel you should be available 24/7. Therefore, it’s important to set boundaries of when and where you work. Create a schedule of when you feel it’s appropriate to respond to emails or calls regarding work and make sure your coworkers and supervisors are aware of this schedule. 

This also means setting aside time for fun and social activities. It may seem strange at first to set aside time to have fun — but sometimes we need the reminder. Find a balance between work and your personal life that gives you energy and makes you feel you are succeeding in both areas. 

Make a support network 

Stress always seems more manageable after talking about it with people you trust. When possible, accept help and advice from coworkers. If you have damaged relationships with your coworkers because of stress, try to repair these relationships. Also, see if your company offers any stress management resources like an employee assistance program. Talk to your boss or someone in HR. It may surprise you to find that your company has specific resources to deal with stress and the health problems associated with stress.

If your stress feels so overwhelming that it cannot be helped by the support of your peers and friends, you may want to seek more professional help. Talking to a psychiatrist can help you make sense of your stress and help you create strategies for coping with stress. They may even offer medication that can help you manage unhealthy behaviors. Again, check with your boss or HR to see what counseling resources are available through your work. 

Take a break 

Taking a break from the activities you find stressful is a great way to recharge and gain a new perspective. Take short breaks while you are at work if possible. Go on a walk or listen to relaxing music for half an hour, anything that lowers your stress levels. If you have a sedentary job, walking or some other form of physical activity can help combat the mental and physical effects of stress. 

Taking a break also means making sure your vacation days don’t go to waste. Taking an extended break from the office can help you relax and lower your stress levels. After a vacation, you will return to the office recharged and ready to tackle new projects. You work hard at your job, so taking a well-earned vacation is necessary to help you keep up your work ethic.

The effects of stress in the workplace are many, but they can be resolved by following these simple ways to manage it.