How to Deal With Stress at Work
Think about the last time you had an awkward conversation or made a small mistake at work. What was your reaction?
If you couldn’t stop obsessing about it, Liz Fosslin and Molly West Duffy, authors of No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work , invite you to ask yourself the following questions, as highlighted for Glamor :
Do a quick self-assessment. How many of these statements apply to you?
- You get nervous if you haven’t checked your work email in 10 minutes.
- When friends ask you how you are doing, you begin to talk about minor inconveniences at work.
- Later, you dream about this inconvenience.
- You fixate on work during dinner, at the gym, and when trying to sleep.
- Your mood depends almost entirely on how the work is going.
It’s okay to feel some stress about work and career, but if you’ve answered yes to most of the statements above, it’s time to take a deep breath and, as the authors write, worry less.
Okay, easier said than done. It’s not just a switch that can magically release stress. But there are a few simple things you can do to put less pressure on yourself.
“Less passion for work” does not mean “Not caring about work,” the authors note. “That means taking better care of yourself. Take time for the people you love, exercise, and guilt-free relaxation. Remind yourself that few people look back on their lives and wish they had stayed in the office until 10:00 pm. “
Here’s how they suggest doing it.
Just answer the letter
Take time to look over your emails and actually reply to them, rather than read them and wait during the day for a time when you are more “focused” to reply. Guess what: the email will nibble you, you will be more anxious, and you will be less productive.
It reminds me of this acronym for productivity : OHIO. Deal with it just once. If you think about a task to be completed or receive a message to be answered, then do it and be done with it.
Set aside time for deep work
In today’s business culture, it’s okay to think that you always have to be online so that someone doesn’t need you for the smallest things, but try to set aside a day (or a few hours) when you don’t have any appointments, calls or events scheduled. the authors suggest. This way, you have time to work deeply, without the stress of interruptions between tasks.
Signal to your brain that work is over
Fosslien and Duffy suggest doing an after-work ritual to tell your brain that work is over and it’s time to relax. “Walk or bike home, meditate on the road, listen to music, read a magazine, or lift weights, which some studies show improves your mood more than cardio,” they suggest or do what works for you. For me personally, getting off the metro a few stops earlier and walking for a while helps me to relax.
These three tips will not relieve you of all your work-related anxieties, but they will help you enjoy your time away from work. “If you’ve lit a candle at both ends, consider it your permission to go home, put on your sweatpants and enjoy your weekend night out,” the authors write. “Your job will be there tomorrow.”