In the current economic cycle, stress at work may increase. A high workload is often the reason; but it can occur for other reasons too, such as long hours, the threat of job loss or redundancy, and progressively blurred boundaries between work and non-work hours.
Over time, these symptoms can lead to mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, or physical conditions such as chronic headaches or heart disease.
SOME STRESS BUSTERS
Be active – Exercise won’t make your stress disappear, but it will reduce some of the emotional intensity that you’re feeling, clearing your thoughts, and letting you deal with your problems more calmly.
Take control – There’s a solution to any problem. If you remain passive – thinking, ‘I can’t do anything about my problem’, your stress may get worse. That feeling of loss of control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing. The act of taking control is in itself empowering.
Connect with people – A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease your work troubles and help you see things in a different way. The activities we do with friends help us relax. We often have a good laugh with them, which is an excellent stress reliever.
Have some ‘me time’ – We all need to take some time for socialising, relaxation or exercise. It is good by setting aside a couple of nights a week for some quality ‘time-out’ away from work. By earmarking those two days, it means you won’t be tempted to work overtime.
Challenge yourself – Setting yourself goals and tests, whether at work or outside, such as learning a new language or a new sport, helps build confidence. This will help you deal with stress. By continuing to learn, you become more emotionally resilient as a person.
Avoid unhealthy habits – Don’t rely on alcohol, smoking and caffeine as your ways of coping. Men more than women are likely to do this. often called avoidance behaviour. Women are better at seeking support from their social circle. In the long term, these crutches won’t solve your problems. They’ll just create new ones.
Help other people – Evidence shows that people who help others through activities such as volunteering or community work, become more resilient. The more you give, the more resilient and happier you feel.
Work smarter, not harder – Working smarter means prioritising your work, concentrating on the tasks that’ll make a real difference. Leave the least important tasks to last.
Try to be positive – Look for the positives in life, and things for which you’re grateful. Try writing down three things that went well, or for which you’re grateful, at the end of every day.
Accept the things you can’t change – Changing a difficult situation isn’t always possible. Perhaps concentrate on the things you do have control over, i.e. If your company is making redundancies, there’s not much you can do about it. In a situation like that, you could focus on the things that you can control, such as looking for a new job.