Learning to Avoid Stress in the Workplace

Most people assume that when you are talking about work, you mean going to an office. Work for each of you is individual, it could be a home office, at your kitchen table, or on the move somewhere. Wherever you are working and also whether employed or self employed you will experience frustrations and annoyances, which over time can manifest into Stress.

Stress can be caused by your own behaviours or by outside influences, however ultimately we all have some degree of control in how we manage ourselves.

I'm making an assumption that because you are reading this article you want to learn about reducing stress in the workplace, or remind yourself on what you could do.

One of my specialist areas is self awareness, so I'm going to focus much of what I say around that, along with some other snippets thrown in. So, here are my thoughts:

Learn to understand what is frustration, anxiety and full blown stress. By recognising this within yourself you will be able to detect the subtle differences between those emotions (plus any others you might experience in between)

Consider any specific trigger points, a certain person that you just can't seem to get on with, a person who approaches tasks in a completely different way to you...these are all common in triggering a stressful moment

Write it all down. Whether its a 'download' journal, just getting how you feel on paper, or writing a to do list, the act of writing can help you see things from a different perspective. This can sometimes cause overwhelm and more stress in itself short term, but its how you handle it that makes the difference.

Learn what you need to do yourself along with what can be delegated, outsourced or declined. One of the top issues that people come for coaching on is the act of saying "No". In a corporate environment you could be doing this because you don't want to be perceived as weak, if you are self-employed or freelance you might be afraid of declining work for fears of a different nature.

Take a break. I know, I know, but really and truly a break will make you more alert and have a clearer mind when you return to your workplace. A break could be reading, calling a friend, getting some fresh air, or just sitting quietly for a while. Most importantly eat lunch as far away from your main work area as possible - even if this is just the next room.

Eat and drink - I just alluded to it, but when we are not fed and watered, everything can seem a bit more difficult and long term it's not healthy

Take up a hobby or get together with a group of like minded people. Especially if you work on your own or from home, its very easy to start to feel isolated.

Speak up. When you are getting annoyed about something, speak up. Choose the appropriate time, place and person (if needed) but just get those anxieties out on the table. Even saying out loud to yourself what you feel stressed about can give you that different perspective that I mentioned earlier.

When people are experiencing stress over a sustained period of time it can have a serious impact on both physical and mental health. So hopefully I've reminded you of a few simple techniques that you can use to avoid stress.

Some of you will have methods for avoiding stress that I haven't mentioned, I'd love to hear what these are so please feel free to add your comments.