What are ways to handle pressure at work?
- Know how your stress manifests
- Step back, and reprioritize
- Create healthier responses
- Sidestep office drama
- Take your breaks
Does it feel like you’re overly stressed at your job, and just can’t keep up with demands? At times, workplace pressure can feel like too much to cope with, but learning how to do so effectively can benefit both your professional and personal life. Here are a few ways to handle pressure at work to help you take charge.
Know how your stress manifests
Things that may stress out your colleagues may not bother you in the slightest, and vice versa. Take a long look at situations that cause you to have a negative response (be it physical, mental, or emotional).
Consider where you were, who was involved, what your reaction was, and how you felt after the fact. This may reveal unknown causes of stress. Perhaps your workspace is incredibly messy, and it’s making you irritable. Or maybe commuting to your office gives you stress early on in the day, which you find hard to relax from.
Learning what your stress triggers are and how stress shows up in your life is the first step to take to manage stress at work.
Step back, and reprioritize
Once you’ve identified your main causes of stress, take a step back from the situation.
Major sources of work pressure, such as a new project, can have you feeling overwhelmed with all the work you need to do. Stepping back will help you break things down into steps. Ask yourself what can be handled now, and what can wait till later.
Breaking up big problems into small, easily doable tasks can make you feel less pressured to work. And, checking these things off your list as you progress is sure to make you feel accomplished and less stressed.
Create healthier responses
When feeling stressed, it’s easy to fall into familiar habits that make us feel good but they may not always be healthy for us. Stress eating, oversleeping, drinking too much coffee, and more habits may leave you feeling worse than before.
Taking extra care to be healthy and mindful of what you’re doing even when you’re stressed can help in the long run. It helps keep your body healthy, which in turn gives you more energy and helps you focus.
And, you could also add on some stress-busting activities at the end of your day. Taking a walk, or having a short meditation session is a great way to clear your mind. Spending time with loved ones can also be relaxing. You will start seeing a big difference in your ability to tolerate stress once you cultivate healthy responses to it!
Sidestep office drama
Sometimes, the source of your stress isn’t your daily tasks, it’s an interpersonal conflict with colleagues. Office drama can take as much a toll on your mental health as other sources of stress.
Sidestepping conflict with your colleagues can be difficult, but try to avoid gossiping or debating on sensitive topics as much as you can. Try to focus on being positive, and being diplomatic when disagreements with others arise. If conflict happens anyways, learn the appropriate ways to handle it in your office.
Take your breaks
No one can work forever. You need to set time aside to recover and recharge after every workday — otherwise, you risk burning out. A break could mean something as short and simple as a 15-minute breather or using your vacation days to take a trip. Either way, find a time and an activity to help you destress after a long day.
Breaks also mean drawing a firm boundary between your professional and personal life. Avoid being on-call 24/7, and be firm about when you “clock out” for the day. For example, you could stop answering emails after 7 pm.
Taking a break could also mean disengaging from other people in your life. Sometimes, work can be so draining that you don’t have energy left for socializing — forcing yourself to keep your dates with others can cause even more stress. Tell your friends or family you’ll see them some other time if you’re tired. Rescheduling and taking a break for yourself is always okay!
Key Takeaway
Workplace stress is, unfortunately, part of any job. Whether it is a small inconvenience or an overwhelming professional burden, it is something you will inevitably experience. Luckily, there are many ways to handle pressure at work, which can have a positive impact on your ability to cope and reduce stress even when the going gets tough.