5 Ways to Cope With Stress at Work
Being stressed at work is increasingly common. Unfortunately, I know too well what that means and I’ve been trying to reduce stress and stressors, setting boundaries, and learning to relax.
1. Start your day with a to-do list
Even if you’re super busy, take 10 minutes and write a to do list. You can even get yourself a cute notepad or notebook to help. Whether you’re going to the office or working from home, you should start your day with a list of priorities. Try to break up your tasks and add as many items as you can - the more tasks you cross out, the more accomplished you will feel! Dopamine release does wonders to help with motivation. For example, if you need to write a blog post, try breaking this task into smaller goals like “find images”, “write a title”, “add links”, “find keywords”, “write intro”, “write conclusion”, “write body”, “proofread”, “publish”! See how easy it is to accomplish a lot of tasks during the day? If you take too long to finish a “big” task, you become bored and frustrated with it.
2. Learn to prioritise or delegate
If your job role lets you, do not be afraid to delegate to others. They’re there to help you. Use your co-workers wisely and they can learn from you, and you can have more time to give them a guiding hand. If you are in no position to delegate, be honest, and tell your manager that you can’t do anything - so they need to help you prioritise what needs to be done asap, and what task can wait for a few extra days. Don’t be a hero. It’s not worth your mental health. You’ll find this out sooner or later.
3. Take small breaks
If you feel like you can’t take small breaks “for no reason”, try to find a reason to do so. Smokers go outside a few times a day, so their breaks are covered. If you don’t smoke, you can still leave your desk once in a while, without any problems. Start drinking teas, make yourself an afternoon coffee, cut up some fruit for a snack. You should also put reminders on your phone to do this, and try not to postpone your breaks too many times.
4. Find a hobby
And I’m not talking about a hobby that you can add to your CV! Anything counts as a hobby, as long as it brings you joy. You can pick up embroidery, start baking desserts to take into work, or watch all the musicals available on Netflix. As long as your activity doesn’t remind you of work, go for it! It will help you relax, at least until the next morning.
5. Go outside
I know everyone says this. I was skeptical at first, too. Until the first lockdown happened. I started to look forward to the park walks I took with my housemates, in order to change the scenery, forget about work, and set some work-personal life boundaries. You don’t have to run outside if that’s not for you. You can take a quick stroll around the block, or even go to Tesco’s to grab a snack. Anything that gets you out of the house for at least 15 minutes.