Do you always feel stressed when you work?
Too many deadlines, an annoying boss, not feeling fulfilled?
What about no kindness?
No thank you, just demands and orders and no humaness shown with your boss, your co-workers or Frankie the receptionist. What’s up with that?
There’s more of a chance of singing trees than a boss saying “Thank you. Well done. Superb! Excellent. Keep up the good work.” Instead they are like Hell’s Kitchen, creating fires and spreading them across office politics. Don’t get me started.
In a time where self-care is more important than anything else, we often find ourselves, setting ourselves as the least priority. But in order to be effective and efficient at work and at life, self-care is as important as brushing your teeth in the morning. Please don’t tell me you skip that? Do you? I hope not!
How to Manage Your stress?
Identify your stressors
What are your stressors? Is it your boss’s manners, your coworkers’ incompetence or the fact that no one really cares and they all just pass the work like a baton of self-indulgence? Figure out what they are and write it down.
Time
For a week or two, place a checkmark each time your stressor occurs. This will ensure, you know that something is actually stressing you out compared to just a one off.
Condense
Narrow your stressors to the top 3 – if there is 3, hopefully, it’s one or maybe two, but if it’s more, just narrow it down to 3, Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Take a look
Read your stressor out loud to yourself in front of the mirror (make sure you are alone, don’t want anyone to hear.) Repeat it to yourself. Does it make you cringe? Feel exhausted or just plain shivers run down your spine.
Mindfulness
These stressors are challenges, just like in work, you must solve the challenge (Yippe said no one ever). How can you solve the problem without choking your co-worker?
Here are some tips:
- Practice deep breathing: Anytime, you can a ping from the person, take a deep breath before reading it.
- Guided Imagery: Keep an image on your desk, pull it out, when you have a difficult task to do and pretend you are in that picture working. You will feel a lot better.
- Meditation: Have a stressful meeting – try meditating for 3 minutes before. Close your eyes and just think happy thoughts. It changes the game.
- Add happy things to your office: If you feel stressed, placing plants, comfortable chairs, decorations and a fridge may just help ease you into enjoying your work time alleviating some of the stress.
- Party: Don’t be a workaholic, you need the break. We all do. We are human after all. Don’t be afraid to stop work at 5 and go and hang out with friends. Forget what your boss said and let it go. How much longer can you obsessed with impressing the boss?
- Alter your negative thoughts: When your boss/co-workers say something to you that you feel is rude, it may just be that they are under pressure and there is no self-reflection on you personally. So take it with a pinch of salt even though it seems like you feel like hot sauce. Easier said than done. Don’t listen critically. You know your worth. Someone doesn’t have to tell you, that you are doing a good job because it is way easier to criticize someone to make themselves feel better. But in reality, we both know, you were right!
Remember Rakstars, when encountering stress in the workplace, it is inevitable to get rid of it all. But the stress involved should not increase your risk of health issues, decrease workplace morale and productivity. Stress – will always be part of our lives – but we shouldn’t feel crippled of stress hanging on our shoulders causing intense neck pain. Know when it’s time to take a break, set your boundaries and soar to the heights you can manage.
When you identify and understand your stress, then you can create a plan of action to reduce the amount of stress, allowing you to live your best Rakstar life!
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- Photo by fauxels
