Today’s uncertainty in the economy has led to a great deal of additional stress in the workplace. After all, riding that emotional roller coaster can take its toll. During these economic times when work stress is at its highest, it’s important to develop coping skills for work stress.
Learn to Manage Work Stress
It affects you physically and emotionally, so the first thing to do is learn how to manage work stress. There are a number of steps that can help you to reduce the level of stress you feel.
- Take responsibility for yourself to improve your emotional and physical well being.
- Avoid falling into those common pitfalls. You can do this by identifying negative attitudes that add to your work stress, and by identifying what causes you to have a knee jerk reaction.
- Take the time to improve your communication skills. This will make your relationships with coworkers and management a lot easier and a lot smoother.
Learn to Recognize Signs of Excess Work Stress
If you are feeling overwhelmed at work, you may become withdrawn, irritable, and lose your confidence in your skill. This can cause you to be less productive, which not only make you like your job less, but also puts you at higher risk when the cutbacks come. Chronic stress can lead to emotional and physical health problems.
Common Reasons for Work Stress
- Scared of being laid off
- More overtime than you want, because of staff cutbacks
- Rising expectations of what is needed from you, without an increase in job satisfaction
- Pressure to be constantly working at optimum levels
Break Bad Habits Helps to Reduce Work Stress
If you take the time to discover how to improve your relationships at work, you’ll feel like you are more in control. When that happens you’ll also reduce your work stress because you will be able to act properly for the situation. Start by getting rid of those self defeating behaviors.
Companies have found that treating their employees to a little fun occasionally can not only reduce stress, but help build company rapport which all leads to better productivity, less sick days, less turnover, and overall success. Try having a family day and bring in a magician that can entertain the whole family. You will be the new favorite boss.