Managing Work-Related Stress

Work-related stress is something we can all relate to. Oftentimes it can get in the way of our personal life. We need to understand that it is okay to feel a little overwhelmed at work, especially if a lot is happening at once and you're faced with an unrealistic deadline or a challenging task. But when this stress at work becomes chronic and interferes with your life away from work, it can affect your physical and mental health. We often hear the philosophy by David Forman " Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life". While this may have some truth in it, there are still challenges and hurdles at work that can be very overwhelming and depletes your energy.

According to Cindy Lamothe, who wrote a beautiful article on this topic, we need to:

1. Recognize how work stress affects you. Be aware of low energy and fatigue, insomnia, changes in appetite, low self-esteem, loss of sex drive, and frequent illness- all these can be signs of stress. Long-standing exposure to unmanaged stress can take a toll on your body and mind. Recent studies show this can lead to burnout and depression and even anxiety.

2. Journal your stressors and how it makes you feel. This can help you to visualize what is bothering you. Track your triggers and how you react to them. As you journal, ask yourself: - How did this situation make me feel? - What was my reaction towards the situation? - How can I resolve this situation?

3. Finding a few minutes at work for personal time to recharge. This can help prevent burnout. Take a small break or look away from your screen.

4. Time management. Sometimes feeling overwhelmed at work comes down to how organized you are. Try ranking tasks according to importance. Make a list of tasks that need to be done daily and tick them off as you complete each task.

5. Try to balance work and personal life. It is important to create clear boundaries between your work and home life to avoid burnout and additional stress. This means you have a set time for any work-related task that needs to be done at home. Once that time you allotted for work has passed you avoid anything relating to your job; of course, unless it is an emergency.

6. Re-evaluate negative thoughts. Most times when we are dealt with chronic stress, we tend to read into situations with a negative mindset. Instead of making judgments, try refocusing your thoughts and distance yourself from negative thoughts.

7. Develop a strong support system, this can be friends and family members. If you are having a very busy demanding schedule, try asking a relative to pick up your kids from school, or just having someone to talk to at the end of the day can help. Having people you can rely on and trust to assist you during difficult times can help to alleviate some of the tension and stress.

8. Self-care should be a priority. Taking care of yourself is a must if you regularly find yourself feeling drained and overwhelmed by work. Self-care can range from adequate sleep, setting aside time for hobbies and fun, not skipping meals, and even investing in a personal hygiene care routine. This helps to give us a boost of confidence which is also healthy for our mental health.

9. Relaxation techniques and Exercising. This can be done through meditation, deep breathing, cardio exercises, and even mindfulness to calm your anxiety.

10. Desist from Office Gossip. Workplace stress can take a major toll on your mental well-being. Try to emphasize more of the positives rather than the negatives, ignoring conversation and changing the subject or walking away acting busy or uninterested can help to avoid and stay away from gossip mills.

11. Avoid perfectionism. While perfectionism has some positive benefits, it can also be highly stressful and lead to burnout. Try to keep your high standards in check by focusing on the effort you put into a project and not personalizing failure when you make a mistake.

12. It is okay to need to take a break or Go on a vacation. We all need to disconnect from our responsibilities at work and unwind. You don't need to hop on a flight across the world, you can simply visit the beach, enjoy family time or even take a trip to another city for a few days, to help you reset and relax.

13. Approach your supervisor. Approach the conversation from a place of problem-solving, rather than listing out complaints. The point is to find a resolution that helps to reduce stress and strain at work.

14. Seek counseling or professional help. Many people think they need to have some sort of mental disorder to seek a psychiatric evaluation. When work stress becomes overwhelming we can seek therapy to prevent this from escalating to depression or anxiety.

If you've tried all these steps and with no improvement, contact your local psychiatrist for evaluation and treatment. Remember, you do not need to have a chronic mental condition to seek help. It is always better to prevent an illness than treat it. Seek help early and improve your life, and how you cope and function in society, at work, and at home.


Kind regards, Psychiatric Associates & Team

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By: Nafeeza Hussain