Is stress as much a permanent fixture at your job as the office pool table? Well at least here at GVT, the pool table is a permanent fixture. If you answered yes, you’re not alone. According to the American Psychological Association, workplace stress costs American companies an estimated $300 billion annually.
But this doesn’t mean you’re relegated to spending 40 hours (or more!) each week as a bundle of nerves.
Here are 5 helpful ways to help you manage stress in the workplace.
#1 - Sit up straight. You’ve probably heard this from your mother and teachers as a child to sit up straight, at the time they probably didn’t know good posture can affect how well you do on the job. Your posture influences psychology and that influences behavior.
#2 - Get organized. Researchers at UCLA found that just looking at clutter can spur the body’s production of stress hormones, so working in a messy office or cubicle can make you stressed even if the work itself isn’t high-stress. It’s OK to start small.
#3 - Abandon unrealistic goals. Ambition is good, but sometimes we can fall into the trap of setting goals for ourselves that are too high, which just discourages us when we fail to reach them. Peter Creed, a psychology professor at Griffith University in Australia, studied nearly 200 college students and noted how they reacted when faced with an unachievable goal. “When contemplating unachievable goals, those with a higher capacity to adjust their goals… report less distress, more career planning, and more exploration.” Like many other things in life, being able to be flexible is key.
Aim high, but with the understanding that you can go back and change those goals. Taking pride in everything you do, no matter how big or how small, is key to confidence and success.
#4 - Try to avoid interruptions. Yes, it can be easier said than done when your phone is ringing and your voicemail light is already flashing, your email inbox is filling up and a co-worker sticks their head in to ask a question. But researchers in Germany found that addressing interruptions rather than staying focused leads to stress. “Workflow interruptions had detrimental effects on satisfaction with one’s own performance, the forgetting of intentions, and irritation,” they wrote.
When the inevitable does happen, don’t let it derail you. If you find yourself interrupted in the middle of a task, write a quick reminder to yourself about what and where you left off. By using this method, you’ll have a reminder of where to begin when you return, and won’t lose time trying to retrace your steps.
#5 - Embrace your stress. Yes, it sounds crazy. But researchers at Yale University discovered that experiment subjects who were presented with the idea that stress can be beneficial “reported improved psychological symptoms and better work performance” compared to other subjects who were taught that stress is debilitating. It didn’t take much to change people’s attitudes, either; subjects watched less than 10 minutes of video about stress, and that was enough to change their outlook about stress. Having a positive outlook on stress makes people more likely to rise to whatever challenge they’re facing when stressful situations occur.
About the author:
Angelo Taylor coordinates all help desk activity for GVT.
