These days, it seems as though everyone is busy. From taking kids to and from school, managing work responsibilities, and taking care of the house, many of us find ourselves stressed out and maxed out! But stress doesn’t have to run your world. Where you spend your forty hours a week might be causing you undue stress if you do not know how to manage it properly. This includes dealing with demanding bosses, high-performance expectations, and keeping work deadlines in check to avoid procrastination and delays. Fortunately, our team at Collective Counseling works regularly with individuals who are struggling with managing their work/life balance and can assist in stress management with a few simple tips and recommendations. Let’s explore some practical strategies you can use to reduce your stress levels at work and finally get a grip on your day-to-day performance!
What is work-related stress?
Workplace stress is stress and anxiety that manifests during your time at your place of work. It can be caused by various sources, including your amount of workload, your job security, your physical environment, or even interpersonal relationships with your boss or coworkers. When you are able to recognize the signs of stress, such as decreased motivation, irritability, anxiety, and fatigue, you will know when it is time to make some changes for your overall health and well-being.
What Are Some Tips for Addressing Work-Related Stress?
There are a few recommendations our team at Collective Counseling may suggest to help you get a grip on your work-related stress and find successful management solutions. They may include the following:
- Identify your stressors. Identifying your stressors is the first step to finding relief in your daily work environment. Specific stressors may include a particular coworker, a clash in personalities with a supervisor or boss, or the volume of work you are required to do in one day’s time. When you pinpoint the stressors, you can then work with a counselor at Collective Counseling to determine ways to address them and reduce stress levels overall.
- Keep a stress journal. When you are feeling overwhelmed with stress, you can keep a journal to track your levels of stress over the course of several weeks or months. This allows you and your counselor to determine specific instances that are causing anxiety and find ways to address them. This may include avoidance or changes in emotional response to reduce the physical symptoms of stress you experience. When you can recognize patterns, it can provide everyone an insight into how certain situations impact you and how you can change your responses.
- Make time management a priority. Poor time management is often a cause of increased work-related stress. When you can keep your tasks and deadlines in line, you will often feel more in control and have a better understanding of what needs to be done first versus later. Spacing out your workload with better time management can make a huge difference on how you feel each and every day!
- Create a to-do list. One way to prioritize time management is to create a to-do list in a way that helps you the most. Whether you use a notepad, a tablet, or your smartphone, you can create a list of things you need to do and list them in order of importance. This also gives you a sense of accomplishment when you look back on your day and see how much you got done!
Who Can I Contact for Help in Managing Work-Related Stress?
Stress management can be helpful in improving both working and personal relationships in and out of the office. When you have the tools necessary to reduce your stress levels and find a balance between work and home, you will find that you feel much less overwhelmed and more in control of your day-to-day activities. If you are seeking assistance in learning more about ways to reduce workplace stress, complete this form today to find a therapist that is right for you.
