Simple Tips to Handle Work Stress in a Healthy Way

“What do you do?” The second or third question that we get asked when meeting a new person- what do you do? Not what are your hobbies, what makes you happy, how do you spend your free time but what do we do for a living, for a career?

Our society is built around status and what you do to make money seems to matter enough to be one of the first questions we ask. That pressure trickles down into the stress and anxiety to perform, do more, be more successful, take on more projects, climb the ladder and (possibly the most stressful of all) force ourselves to work in jobs we don’t love because its the “right” thing to do.

Americans work an average of 8.56 hours per day making a 42.8 hour work week, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. CNBC reports that in competitive fields, like tech and finance, it is a given that professionals work over 60 hours a week with constant availability on a smartphone.

An Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) survey highlights just how impactful workplace stress and anxiety truly is. A whopping 72 percent of people who have daily stress and anxiety say it interferes with their lives at least moderately. That stress and anxiety interference is both on and off the job.

75% of the time work-related stress carries over into personal life

Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA)

Employees reported 56% of the time that stress and anxiety affect work performance and three-fourths say that stress carries over into their personal lives as well. Not surprisingly, affecting personal relationships in its wake.

The biggest culprits? Deadlines, interpersonal relationships at work, managing staff and dealing with issues that arise on the job.

Living life at a state of high stress comes with more than its share of downsides. Apart from the unsatisfactory emotional state stress causes, it raises all sorts of chemicals, like cortisol, in the body. Chronically high cortisol levels can cause damage to the brain, increased inflammation, high blood pressure, muscle weakness, fatigue, depression, and insomnia.

Earlier this week I sat outside my office building and vowed to but be mindful. Vowed just to observe and experience what was around me on this beautiful sunny day. I heard the birds, felt the cool breeze…and saw tons of people with their faces glued to their phones. Every single person was staring at their phones as they ate, walked, and sat around me.

The Chicago Tribune interview of Larry Rosen, a researcher on smartphone usage, revealed that subjects in his research checked their phone an average of 77 times a day for 3.5 minutes… with only ten minute breaks in between. American adults spend an average of 11 hours a day looking at a screen, according to market research group Nielsen.

So we get anxious and stressed at work and spend the rest of our day buried shoulder deep in the screen of a device- our phones, television, and computers. How do we step outside the madness and get a breather? Take a moment to stop and actually enjoy our lives instead of running through them at 100 miles per hour.

Okay okay, so now most of us are at least somewhat aware of the busy-body attitude that is driving our culture into a stress and anxiety tailspin but what next?

The American Psychology Association (APA) has something to say about reducing work-related stress. They suggest:

• Track your stressors: keep a journal to become aware of your main stressors and how you react to them
• Establish Boundaries: make rules to help manage your stress, for instance not checking work emails after dinner
• Take time to Relax and Recharge: take time away from work and don’t let your vacation days go to waste; pick up calming activities like meditation, yoga, and mindfulness

What can we do at work to reduce stress?

Most of us have to work for a living and will inevitably encounter anxiety and stress-inducing situations. We can learn how to navigate these sometimes shark-infested waters to lower our stress and have a healthier relationship with work. Learning to reduce work-related stress can spiral into contentment with your life outside of word as well.

• Get Organized: Excessive clutter and disorganization can cause stress from excess stimuli overwhelming your system. Get organized with your folder structure on your desktop, get a planner or clean off your desk.
• Set Daily Priorities: Don’t go into the day blind. May a plan for your upcoming day the night before with your priorities. It’s not only helpful to be organized, but you will relieve some pressure knowing what is on the agenda.
• Be Aware of Your Triggers: This goes hand in have with the APA suggestion of Tracking your triggers with a journal. Pay attention to what causes you stress, along with your reaction.
• Manage your Reactions: After identifying your triggers, notice how you react to those triggers. Do you grab a snack, snap at a coworker, vent to your family? Once you become aware, you can adjust your reaction to a healthier approach.
• Spend Time Away from the Screen: Set boundaries to have some off-screen time to invest in the real world going on all around you. If you have an iPhone, check your battery usage and try to reduce that number by ⅓. Download apps to lock social media, hide your apps deep in folders to make them harder to reach, turn off your notifications.

What can we do at home to help reduce stress at work the next day?

How you take care of yourself when you go home also has a big impact on how you feel at work the next day. Making sure your body and mind are in optimal conditional to handle the upcoming tasks and obstacles is of utmost importance.

• Get good sleep: Sleep quality is a huge component that can contribute to or reduce the amount of stress you experience. Get a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
• Spend time with loved ones: Quality time building relationships and bonding with the ones you love can help lower stress and anxiety.
• Learn and Practice Mindfulness: Adding small moments of becoming present to observe the world around you in a non-judgemental awareness has shown to lower both stress and anxiety. Learning ways to practice mindfulness daily can genuinely change your relationship with stress.
• Exercise: Exercise boosts feel-good hormones in the body like dopamine, serotonin, and epinephrine. So get your body moving before, after or during work hours. Don’t have time for a formal workout – take the stairs instead of the elevator, or take a few laps around the building in between meetings.
• Eat Healthily: The gut-brain axis plays an essential role in hole much and how intense we feel stress. When your stomach is inflamed and irritated, it’s more likely your mental state will be as well. Eat fruits, veggies, and leafy greens. Stay clear of processed foods.