Whether you work for yourself or for someone else, there are times when you will experience periods of stress. There are many reasons for this; it could be that you are putting too much on your shoulders, have a big presentation or meeting coming up or that you are learning a new role. Work stress, while it can be unavoidable, doesn’t need to take over your life. If you find that you are becoming overwhelmed and it is impacting your everyday life, you need to take a step back and see what you can do in order to fix it. Luckily, there are many solutions that you can try, you just need to find something that works best for you. Here we take a look at some top tips to help deal with work stress that should make it that bit better going forward.
Give yourself regular breaks
When you are stuck into a project or have a tight deadline, it can be tempting to stay at your desk and not give yourself time off for lunch. You might grab a sandwich and a cup of coffee at lunchtime, but eat this while still continuing to work in order to get what you are working on finished. While this seems productive in theory, it can actually cause you to become burnt out and you might find that you are less productive. To combat this, give yourself regular breaks even if it is just for a walk around the block to clear your head. You’ll feel a lot fresher and less stressed after.
Don’t be afraid to pass work on to someone else
We can often feel that our workload is ours and we need to prove our worth by being able to do everything. This isn’t necessarily the case. It’s important that you recognise when you have simply got too much on your plate and pass this onto someone else who can help you. Being able to delegate isn’t a sign of weakness and is actually a sign that you are a good leader and aren’t afraid of collaboration. If you have no-one to pass the work onto, speak to your manager or your clients to find a compromise on your deadlines so it is more manageable.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep
Sleep is vital to reduce your stress levels and ensure you are taking care of your physical and mental well-being. If you don’t get enough sleep, your cortisol levels will rise and you will be more stressed in your work and personal life. Make sure to give yourself a good bedtime routine where you wind down in the evenings and don’t work too late. Ensure your bedroom is a relaxing space with a comfortable bed and nice low-level lighting to keep you relaxed.
Take time out to do something you enjoy
Another big part of managing stress levels is taking time out of your day to do something that you enjoy. This could be something as small as taking a bubble bath and reading a book or taking your dog out for a walk. No matter what you decide, it’s important to do something where you can just switch off completely and reset your brain. If you are just sitting inside focusing on work all the time it will make you feel a lot more stressed and you won’t be able to tackle your tasks with a level head.
Look into natural remedies
If you find that you still aren’t de-stressing, there are some natural remedies you can look into that might help you relax while you are at home. You could have a bath in essential oils to help relax you, or you could spray pillow mist on your pillow before you sleep. You could also look into things such as Delta 9 Gummies which are a legal form of THC and enable you an ideal way to relax and chill while also elevating your mindset after a long and busy day at work.
Get enough exercise in
Exercise is something that we should all make more time for in our lives. Often when we hear the word it makes us envisage sweaty treadmill runs which often isn’t the most fun of activity. Yet this doesn’t need to be the case – there are so many forms of exercise out there you are sure to find something you actually enjoy and that can get the endorphins flowing. You could try yoga or pilates, or perhaps get in touch with a friend so you can go to some classes together. This is a great way to catch up and also get some exercise in too!
Speak to friends and family
Feeling lonely or isolated can be common if you are working all hours and it can make you feel a lot worse. In order to combat this, take time out to speak to your nearest and dearest, whether on the phone or meeting up with them in person. You could invite them round for coffee or head for a glass of wine after work together. Just meeting up for an hour or so can help you to talk about anything that’s bothering you and also just get your mind into a positive place.
These are just a few of the things you can do in your life that can help you to deal with work stress. As said above, work stress is something that sometimes can’t be avoided, but knowing how to deal with it properly can help it not to have too much of an impact on your everyday life. You need to remember to take care of yourself and the better your general mental and physical wellbeing is, the more you have a chance of being able to deal better with the stresses that are thrown at you. Have you recently been dealing with work stress? If so, what are some things you have done in order to make it better? Let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you.