Stress is normal in any work places but handling it properly is a challenge especially if the work requires great ability and demanding thus it can interfere with one’s productivity and performance and can affect the physical and emotional health of a person. Stress can make or break a person in a working place depending upon on how one’s  manage the problems he/she encounters in order to become successful at work. Whatever your work demands or ambitions, there are steps you can take to protect yourself from the damaging effects of stress and improve your job satisfaction.  

                  Working under pressure and with today’s hectic world the workplace seems like an emotional roller coaster with long hours, tight deadlines, and increasing demands that can make an employee feeling worried, uncertain, and overwhelmed by stress. And this stress can start major damage to mind and body as well as to one’s job satisfaction. But no matter what you do for a living, or how stressful your job is, there are plenty of things you can do to reduce your overall stress levels and regain a sense of control at work. Here are some tips in coping up with stress:

1. Having initiative to create positive relationship
2. Getting some regular exercise
3. Choosing the right kind of food and eat well
4. Getting enough sleep
5. Prioritizing and Organizing activities and tasks
   1. Breaking bad habits

       Employees are not merely robots or computer who works heartless in a working place though most of the time the brain is functioning talking with colleagues can ease the tension and stress. It only means that social contact is an antidote to stress. Though some of us treat our coworkers not as a close buddy we can be sociable and try to talk with them even during breaks rather than directing attention to the smart phone or tablet.  Being a good listener is a good attitude to build new friendship. Having a strong network of supportive friends and family members is extremely important to managing stress in all areas of your life. On the flip side, the more lonely and isolated you are, the greater your vulnerability to stress.

Regular exercise is a powerful stress reliever.  It can lift the mood, increase energy,

             sharpen focus; relax both the mind and body. Try walking, dancing, swimming, or any

            healthful physical activities. As you move, instead of continuing to focus on your

            thoughts focus on your body and how it feels as you exercise. As well as maximizing

            stress relief,   adding this mindfulness element can help your nervous system become

           “unstuck” if you’ve experienced trauma.

 

Food choices can have a huge impact on how one’s feel during the work day. Eating small, frequent and healthy meals, for example, can help your body maintain an even level of blood sugar, keeping your energy and focus up, and avoiding mood swings. Low blood sugar, on the other hand, can make you feel anxious and irritable, while eating too much can make you lethargic. Reducing intake of foods that can adversely affect mood such as such as caffeine, alcohol, trans fats, and foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones.

A lack of sleep can leave you vulnerable to even more stress. When you’re well-rested, it’s much easier to keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with job and workplace stress. Try to improve the quality of your sleepby keeping a regular sleep schedule and aiming for 8 hours a night. Avoid stimulating activity and stressful situations before bedtime such as catching up on work. Turn off screens one hour before bedtime. The light emitted from TV, tablets, smartphones, and computers suppresses your body’s production of melatonin and can severely disrupt your sleep. Instead, focus on quiet, soothing activities, such as reading or listening to soft music, while keeping lights low.

Create a balanced schedule thus all work and no play is a recipe for burnout. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime. Make sure to take short breaks throughout the day to take a walk or chat to a friendly face. Also try to get away from your desk or work station for lunch. It will help you relax and recharge and be more, not less, productive. Tackle high-priority tasks first and if you have something particularly unpleasant to do, get it over with early so that the  rest of your day will be more pleasant as a result.

 

Being a perfectionist, fault- finder or having negative attitudes towards work is a self-destruction and self-defeating behaviors.  When a worker set unrealistic goals for oneself it is setting oneself to fall short but instead do best so no one can ask for more than that. And at the same time always think positive towards oneself, coworkers and even in small accomplishment. When used appropriately, humor is a great way to relieve stress in the workplace. When you or those around you start taking things too seriously, find a way to lighten the mood by sharing a joke or funny story.

By: MRS. ARDETH C. BELLEZA