6 Ways to Manage Your Stress at the Office!

The workplace is a challenging environment in addition to the pressures of meeting productivity targets , meeting or exceeding performance standards and adequately responding to client needs, employees often find they must manage stressors that are not directly work-related. As an employee, you might experience stress at work due to your manager’s expectations, lack of collaboration with peers and other working conditions that are difficult or uncomfortable. Here are six ways to manage stress at the office and keep your cool even when things get tough.

 Talk to your manager about expectations

If you’re feeling stressed at work, it might be because of your manager’s high expectations or at times unclear/unreasonable expectations. Before you succumb to burnout, try addressing your manager’s expectations. If a manager is hard on you, it’s because they believe you can do the work, and they want to see you excel, but at the same time they will be open to providing your extra resources to succeed. Having a discussion will ensure that your stretch goals are clear and you feel motivated to achieve them. A manager who is being too easy on you is unlikely to push you to your full potential.

If you are working for a manager who doesn’t (or can’t) specify the expectations for a particular role, you may feel as if you’re walking a tightrope. In this situation, it's helpful to have a conversation with your manager about expectations for the role. When having this talk, do ensure that you record his wants from the role. How does he / she visualise success and define the matrics for the same. If you have a manager who is unorganized or doesn’t like to spell out expectations, you can help him or her out by offering to have a one-on-one conversation and sharing some of your thoughts on the key deliverables. Do get a sign-off on the same for your future performance evaluation.

 Take short breaks

You work hard, and that’s something to be proud of. But taking breaks at work is important for improving your overall performance and health. It can be helpful in reducing the negative effects of workplace stress. There are different types of breaks you might take at work, such as taking a short walk, just a few minutes to eat a healthy snack or doing a few mindful exercises or just washing your face to feel refreshed. Even if you don’t have time to take a full break, you can often find a way to reduce your stress level by working on something less stressful, like answering mail , working on a presentation etc. Diverting attention from the stress causing assignment to a less stressful task will help to recenter you.

Exercise during lunch

Exercising during lunch can help reduce stress and improve focus. If your employer has an exercise program, taking part during lunch can be a great way to manage your stress. But even if your employer doesn’t have an exercise program, you can still take advantage of your lunch break to get active by going for a walk or a indulging in quick desk yoga or even working out in restroom. Exercising at lunch can reduce stress, boost your energy and help you improve your mood.

Communicate with peers and collaborate

Creating and maintaining strong relationships with your coworkers can be helpful when managing stress at work. You might take part in a peer-to-peer support group or opening up a dialogue with your coworkers about the things that are causing you stress. 

If you feel like your stress at work is due to a lack of collaboration with peers or colleagues who are not pulling their weight, have a one-to-one discussion with concerned person. Instead of finger pointing, share what's causing you concern and how can you work collaboratively to address the issues. In case, that doesn't work have a joint meeting with you manager and document it for future.

 Try breathing exercises

If stress at work has made you feel overwhelmed, try some breathing exercises. Breathing exercises can help you reduce stress, calm yourself down and refocus on the task at hand. Breathing exercises can be as simple as counting to 10 as you take a deep breath in, holding your breath for a few seconds, and then letting the breath out slowly over 10 seconds

Change up your workspace

If you’re feeling stressed at work and you’ve tried every other method on this list without success, consider changing up your workspace — even if it’s just for a day. Some people find that their workspace has too many distractions and triggers stress. If you’re feeling stressed, try changing up your workspace. You might find that changing your workspace relieves the stress you feel. You could change your desk location, move your desk to another area or try working from a new part of the office. If none of that is possible, just add a zen table top garden, table top anti stress games , white nose machines , LED photo frame with pictures of sea or mountains etc.

Conclusion

Managing stress at work is important. It can help improve your focus and reduce your risk of developing health issues. To better manage your stress, you can use the tips in this article, such as talking to your manager about expectations and creating healthy relationships with coworkers. Keeping your stress in check will be beneficial for both you and your employer. But if you’ve tried all the methods on this list and you’re still stressed at work, consult a psychologist for further help.