6 ways to handle stress in the workplace
While some stress is indeed normal, the challenge lies in differentiating between acceptable levels of stress and excessive stress, and managing the latter.
WORK induced stress is not a new concept, but in today’s society excessive stress has become the new normal.
While some stress is indeed normal, the challenge lies in differentiating between acceptable levels of stress and excessive stress, and managing the latter.
‘It is important to both the employee as well as the employer to address dangerous stress levels, because these cause people to feel anxious, irritable and sometimes even depressed, which impacts on productivity as well as quality of work,’ said Peter Kriel, Head of the Faculty of Business at The Independent Institute of Education.
For the individual experiencing the stress, the impact goes beyond the office into personal life and relationships, potentially becoming life-threatening.
Work stress, coupled with external stress factors such as looking after the family, paying the bills and the proverbial keeping up with the Joneses, can even cause physical illness.
There are a few general but effective ways in which a worker can head off unhealthy stress by managing themselves differently:
- Doing your job. One of the leading causes of stress in the workplace is under-performance, not meeting deadlines and simply not delivering what you are employed to do.
- Ignore office gossip. In our tough economy, rumours often run rife about potentially bad news for employees.
- Plan your work-life balance. Unless there is a real emergency, leave work for office hours.
- Investing in a healthy lifestyle will also go a long way in helping a person cope with stress in and out of the workplace.
- Get enough rest and exercise, eat the right foods and do not overindulge in alcohol.
- Make time for quality family and leisure time and remember to differentiate between those stress factors you can control, and those you can’t.
