Most people overburden themselves at work. Learning how to handle stress at work can help establish a healthier and more balanced work environment.
I’ve often pondered on how to handle stress at work, how to move from a mentally-depressing, emotionally-weakening situation to a healthier, more in-control-and-more-creative manner of performance.
Lack of sleep, head-splitting migraines, food binges or loss of appetite, sudden bursts of anger (either directed at one’s self or another), having too many things to do in a day, and not knowing how or where to start… These are some of the signs that a person is experiencing stress.
Just like most people, I’ve never been an avid fan of stress, especially at work. I never welcomed it into my life. But it came nonetheless – taking me into its arms and forcing me to fall in step to the rhythm. It usually arrives heavily cloaked and expertly disguised that I do not often learn about its disastrous effects (to both mind and body) unless it has accumulated its strength in silence.
Since stress still manages to rattle me from time to time, learning how to handle this consistently is imperative. I’ve learned that there are simple, smart ways that I can always turn to before things drive me ballistic.
Grab Yourself a Mental Thermometer
First, Latvala shares Schlenger’s wisdom on the need for people to check on their mental temperature.
When everything seems to be going haywire, never force yourself to “produce.” A person needs to back off at times and find another simpler task that’s pleasant to do. In doing so, frazzled nerves are somehow kept to a bare minimum until it disappears altogether, and the previous task can be handled with a better and clearer mental perspective when he gets back to it.
Examine Your To-Do List
Second, it is best to check your to-do list. Never overburden yourself with numerous tasks, only to mentally beat yourself afterward if you weren’t able to accomplish those things.
It may help to rearrange your tasks by taking note of your priorities for that particular week. What’s important? What can you do immediately? What can be done at a later time during the week?
If you’re doing something that makes you crazy, and you’ve realized that it’s not that important, better stop and ask yourself why it’s affecting you and why you still choose to do it. You’ve got to pinpoint the reasons, and see if a certain task is worth doing on your own or can be delegated to another.
Let Others Lend a Hand
Third, “pass the buck – and don’t look back.” (Charlotte Latvala. Secrets to a Saner Day. Redbook. Vol. 198 No. 5. New York, USA: Hearst Communications, Inc., A Unit of the Hearst Corporation, May 2002.)
Delegating certain tasks to another may prove to be a wise option to consider.
As of my understanding, this tip may be related to smart delegation or “stewardship delegation” as Stephen R. Covey calls it in his book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”
Sure, some people would choose to delegate a task. However, they sometimes forget that they need to back off and allow the other person to be responsible for the desired results that both parties have agreed on beforehand.
According to Covey, there are two ways of delegating a task: The gofer delegation and the stewardship delegation. The latter is best used by those who would like to get a firm grip on things and be a more effective person in the process.
Covey explains that unlike (what he termed as) “gofer delegation,” which simply means, “go for this or go for that,” stewardship delegation involves a higher form of commitment and mutual understanding between the person delegating the task and the one being delegated to. “Stewardship delegation is focused on results instead of methods,” he says. (Stephen R. Covey. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Restoring the Character Ethic. USA: Simon & Schuster.1989.)
Trying to do everything for everyone may trigger a red sign of warning that may bring about a host of mental and physical ills. So share the load using Covey’s means of delegation – a manner that may, eventually, produce a more fulfilling result and better working relationship between the parties involved.
Allow a Few Delicious Moments of Being Idle
Finally, Latvala points out that the fourth tip in learning how to handle stress at work is to allow idle moments to creep in. In other words, “cut some slack.”
Most of us try to do so many things at a time. But then, there will be times when a person would realize that rushing thing tend to get things out of control – faster. For this, Latvala shares that during these crazy moments at work, we need to remind ourselves of the simple fact of wisdom that “It’s OK not to be Superwoman”.
About the author: Alana Bay is a passionate blogger and content writer. She tries to keep up with advancing technologies. So Alana prefers to use VeePN to secure her internet surfing and protect her writings from scammers. She is eager to establish a good relationship with other Internet users to share her knowledge with them.