According to The American Institute of Stress, 83% of American workers are stressed about their work. There are several causes of work-related stress, including too much work, tight deadlines, annoying coworkers, and a lack of crucial resources to complete tasks.
If your work makes you feel overwhelmed and sad daily or most days, you need to step back and examine what is triggering the stress and manage it. These tips will help you make work less overwhelming on the day to day so that you can get through it.
maintain a healthy work-life balance
All work and no play make Jack a dull boy-this ancient proverb is a reminder that you need a healthy work-life balance to be your best self. One of the leading causes of work-related stress is burnout, whereby you put in hours of work with no rest, easy time with friends, or personal time. Plan your time well to get time to complete your task, enjoy a hobby with friends or family, and rejuvenate for the next workday.
don’t bite more than you can chew
Some workers will say yes to every task that comes their way to appear hardworking and dedicated to the company. They accumulate tasks on their desk that take up most of their time, to the extent of forgoing lunch breaks and carrying the work home. Such a situation is a recipe for stress, feeling overwhelmed and tired.
Learn to say no to tasks when you feel overwhelmed. You can also accept the work but ask the supervisor to push the deadline forward to give you enough time to work on them.
talk about your thoughts and concerns
When you have a lot of thoughts and concerns going through your mind, talking to someone about it can help you get back on your feet. The active listener can be your spouse, a mentor, an accountability coach, or a colleague.
Sharing thoughts can help you feel better about lifting the pressure off your shoulders, and the listener can suggest a solution because they view your problem from a different angle. You can also talk to your supervisor about something you are unhappy about at work, such as low pay, working overtime, or toxic coworker.
set realistic daily goals
Setting realistic daily goals motivates you to face every day as it comes. It also helps you to maximize your time and resource. Achieving your set goals will boost your self-esteem, make you feel productive, and give you an overall positive attitude towards work and life.
You could also reward yourself after achieving your set goals. Rewarding yourself also motivates you to wake up every day and carry out your tasks. In your mind, you can’t wait to meet your daily goals to earn the reward at the end of the day.
The reward can be a nap, a movie, ice cream, a long hot bath, or spending time with a loved one.
