Did you know that the average business professional will have 30-60 projects going at one time? Did you also know that most workers in the workplace are interrupted about seven times each hour? It stands to reason that with numbers like these, it is no wonder many of us can’t sleep at night. However, there is good news on the horizon. There are things you can do to reduce workplace stress so that you get your work done and still have energy left at the end of the day.
How to Control Stress at Work
Focus on one thing at a time– If you focus on one task at a time instead of trying to multi-task, you will definitely feel much less stressed out. By concentrating on doing one thing at a time, you are also ensuring that the task will be of the highest quality instead of a rush job.
Ask questions instead of guessing– Don’t try and read other people’s minds. It simply is not going to work and you will get yourself stressed out for nothing. Ask questions about things you are unsure of instead of guessing. Many times guessing does nothing but lead to misunderstandings, negativity and unnecessary conflicts.
Balance focused work with short breaks– People that do this often have their own method that works best for them. But, as a general rule, try focusing on work for 45 minutes straight. Then, walk away from the office or your desk for 15 minutes. During these 15 minutes, you can talk a walk or eat a piece of fruit. Doing this each and every day will help you to not only relax but also will help to avoid stress build-up throughout the day.
Disconnect completely on the weekends– You need to be able to successfully balance work and rest in order to control stress. Work is set aside for Monday through Friday. On the weekends, stay away from the office and anything to do with work. This means no going into work to finish up a project for an hour on a Saturday afternoon. It also means no checking work emails from the time you leave work on Friday until you return to work on Monday morning.
Delegate, delegate, and delegate– It is important to note that you don’t have to handle every little thing on your own. You don’t have to control and you don’t have to micro-manage. If it is at all possible, delegate some of your tasks to others in the office.
