How to relieve Job Stress
The current health pandemic has changed things for all of us. People have been forced to work from home, living in isolation with their family or partners. It can get overwhelming to manage personal and professional life if you don’t have a separate office space at home. Kids can disrupt your meetings or work time or make arranging calls difficult. Students are unable to study because families may be sharing devices and parents need it for work. Whether you work at home or go to the office, relieving and managing job stress is very important. How does one relieve job stress after work?
Job stress can be anything from too many projects to an annoying boss, a bullying colleague, serious issues like racism or sexism at work, or a schedule that is demanding and draining. If it impacts your mind, then it will impact your body and your health.
It is important to draw boundaries between your personal and professional life. Work-life balance is one of the most useful things one can learn to do. Globally, employers and supportive companies insist employees don’t be available after work hours or work on weekends unless its an emergency. People who glorify working 18 hours a day are not hardworking, they are just bad at time management. Go to work on time, give it your 100% and finish on time. This is the first step in avoiding stress and ensuring work doesn’t interfere with your personal life.
Exercise 3-4 times a week. Physical activity is very important in reducing stress, anxiety, and improving your mental health. Getting some activity like walking, running, or yoga can boost your mood and clear your mind. You can even join a gym or a fitness studio if you prefer intense exercises. Or start swimming if there is a pool nearby. Go to the beach or the park for a jog or a walk. Regular exercises keeps you fit, calmer, and fights stress. Most runners claim that running relieves a lot of stress from their body and gives them a runner’s high.
Stress can manifest in various forms. People binge out, drink excessively, or smoke a lot. Avoid getting addicted to any particular thing. Forming a healthy diet and sticking to it can help you relieve stress. People who eat healthy, fresh food find it easier to be relaxed and less anxious. Stick to drinking alcohol only on social occasions or avoid it completely. Cut down sugar and bread as it can make you gain weight, damage your skin, and tire you out. Excess sugar consumption is also linked to sugar crashes or feeling cranky and stressed easily and quickly.
Having a hobby is an excellent way of fighting stress and pressure from work. It can be anything such as gardening, cooking, knitting, sewing, singing, dancing, or playing music. Reading is also a very beneficial hobby to battle anxiety and stress. Keep a certain part of your day and weekend dedicated to practicing your hobby. Creative activities refresh your mind, build your imagination, and provide you with sharper memory and thinking skills. Join a hobby club or book club to find people who share similar interests.
Stay away from social media. Limit your screen time as much as you can. Watching too much television or being constantly on social media platforms can harm your eyesight, delay your sleep, and make you feel stressed. Some people don’t use their screens for an hour before sleeping. You can also turn to other forms of entertainment such as reading, or taking a warm bath, listening to music, or doing jigsaw puzzles before sleeping.
Expressing your stress and anxiety to family and friends is very important. Discuss things about work, what projects you are working on, or what is stressing you out with your partner or friends. Find an outlet to express your feelings and relieve the stress. Talking to people who care about you can help you feel loved and listened. You feel calmer and assured about yourself and your work. If your work feels really stressful, then consider going to therapy or professional help.
Relieving job stress starts at the job. Keep communications open, transparent, and honest with your colleagues and employers. Start interacting with people to get to know them beyond their professional roles. If you are the employer or the team leader, hold weekly lunches or monthly parties/networking events so people can get together, discuss, become friends, and understand each other. Having friends at work can boost your productivity and make you feel less stressed. You should also communicate effectively with your boss if things are getting too overwhelming for you. Consider switching roles or cutting back on your time at work if that is a better, calmer option. Sometimes all you need to do is find a solution that works for everyone.