Stress at work can take a toll on your peace of mind. According to HealthDay, workplace stress can brim over into family and home life. Deadlines, demands from co-workers and boss might overwhelm any seasoned worker at their job. Here are seven tips that can help you stay calm and focused, even in the busiest of days.
Tip #1 Set goals everyday-. Goals are clearly defined steps to completing a task. Goals are designed to help you see the big picture and help you avoid trudging through an overwhelming number of details. Set goals prior to starting work can streamline your responsibilities and get focused on your project.
Tip #2 Say no. Learning to say no is a vital stress management skill. Two of the most common reasons for not setting time boundaries are feeling guilty or selfish when saying no. Workplace burnout can leave a worker feeling powerless over whether or not to take on new projects. Be clear about your motivation and intent for accepting new projects. Make plans to delegate other tasks to balance out your responsibilities.
Tip #3 Reduce Technology Interruption. Technology keeps us connected to the world. However, phone calls, emails, voice mails can overwhelm and interrupt getting your to do list done. Set up systems to control incoming calls by setting aside a certain time of day to return calls. Depending on how much your job relies on email communication will determine how often you should check for new messages. The bottom line is not to be a chronic email checker and find what practice works best for you.
Tip #4 Take lunch outside of the office. Stepping away from your desk can be a refreshing way to reduce stress at work. Whether you have lunch on the outside patio at work, or walk to a local restaurant or park, step away from you desk to break the monotony of your daily routine. Taking a short walk or enjoying beautiful weather can add exercise or an opportunity for a short meditation break.
Tip #5 Do one thing at a time. Human multitasking was a popular approach to productivity in the 1990’s. However, this is not the most effective way to be productive. Instead, use the list that you created at the beginning of the day. If other ideas or tasks pop up, write them down. Continue with the task at hand until it is completed. Then, return to your list. Evaluate whether your new to do items should be added to your goal list.
Tip #6 Delegate tasks whenever possible. A common thought around delegation includes that it is easier to do the task yourself. One guaranteed path to burnout is the reluctance to delegate tasks. Create a delegation list at the beginning of the work week. Jot down any routine tasks to finish. Review your list at the end of the work week and look for repetitive tasks. Begin by choosing one or two tasks that others could help you complete. Soon you will feel the relief of delegating tasks.
Tip #7 Stop Shuffling Papers. Paperwork stacks can get out of hand very quickly. Make a home for paper as soon as it touches your hands. Filing takes only a few seconds and will save you the enormous tasks of dealing with that unwanted stack of paper at a later time. Stacking desk bins can only be helpful if there is an assigned purpose for the bin. Recognize your filing and sorting habits will create less stress at work.
For over 25 years in the health care profession, Lisa Birnesser has studied stress relief techniques and have helped hundreds of people reduce stress in their lives.Lisa specializes stress management coaching by helping people do what matters most every day.
Excellent post and very important tips for everyone to remember, whether working outside or in the home:)
Though I work within the home, all of these points can be adapted to my work situation. What a great, concise post!
Ohh My the just say no is my worse fault.. I want to help everyone and end up with more than I can do and stress myself out!!! Thanks for the great read!!! JUST SAY NO!!!! posting that to my screen !!! LOL
Multitasking…a women is born with this how are we to quit!
I need to focus on 1 thing at a time but sometimes it doesn’t seem ideal when you have always been a multitasker!
Great points! I like the goal setting – planing your day is what really helps a lot…it gives a direction and so the energy is more focused and there is not a lot of space left for confusion… which adds to stress. Thanks for sharing!
Yes… I gave up multi-tasking too. Our minds cannot keep jumping from one thing to the next all the time without doing some damage. We were NOT created that way! (-_-) Thanks for the notes. Really good…
Norma Doiron
Thanks Lisa these are really great tips. I struggle with leaving for anything since I work out of my home. I will make an effort to leave or at least disconnect from electronics for lunch. Look forward to de-stressing with you.
Thank you, Lisa for the wonderful tips! Tip #6 really resonated with me. I have started to outsource more and more. I even outsource my housework and certain chores around the house. I would love to chat about you doing a guest post on my blog. Great stuff!
but I think, we need first a pen and a paper to do all this. As a freelance worker, I spent most of my time online. But I hardly remember what to do next. So, I prefer to make a list at a diary rather than at worddoc file in my computer.
These are great tips to reduce stress at work. For me, saying no is difficult. I need to work to be better at it.
Love your tips! Taking lunch outside of the office (even when my office is at home-lol) is a great idea! Breaking up the work day into smaller chunks by taking meaningful breaks is very helpful. Thanks for combining such great work-life-balance strategies in one place. 🙂
Oh Lisa this is good. Tips #3 and 5 are my areas to work on. Working from home as an auto transport broker and network marketer simultaneously can get overwhelming at times. I tend to find myself “shuffling” between answering the phone, checking email and get neglectful of other duties that need tending to. I’ll use these two tips right away and let you know how next week goes more smoothly 🙂