Managing stress is important in the workplace. If you often feel stressed at work, you might be at risk of developing depression or anxiety. Stress can also make existing mental health problems worse.

In honour of National Stress Awareness Day on the 1st of November, we’ve put together a guide on how to manage workplace stress.

Recognise what makes you feel stressed

Think about times when you’ve been really stressed at work, do you notice a pattern? Maybe you know you get stressed when you have a deadline coming up, try to organise your workload better so that everything isn’t left until the last minute. If a certain task stresses you out then why not ask a co-worker for help?

By identifying what it is that causes stress, you can take steps to try and eliminate it.

Schedule your day

Take five minutes at the beginning of the day to think about what you need to get done and prioritise tasks. Make a list in order of importance and work through it in that order. By approaching your workload in a methodical and organised fashion you can see exactly what still needs to be done and when.

Minimise distractions

It can be hard sometimes to get things done when you feel like you’re constantly being interrupted, which can add to the pressure when you’re already feeling stressed out.

Assess interruptions and how important they are. Do they need to be prioritised ahead of your existing workload or can they wait until later?

Minimise disruption from colleagues by setting up out of office email if you’re working on something important, stating that you’ll only be responding to urgent enquiries. If you’re lucky enough to have your own office, close the door over as a signal to others that you don’t wish to be disturbed.

Eat and sleep well

What you do outside of work is just as important as what you do while you’re there. Making sure you’re eating healthily and getting enough sleep can help to reduce the physical and mental toll stress can take on your body. You’ll also find it easier to focus if you’re well rested and have had enough to eat.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness and breathing techniques can help to calm your mood if you find everything is starting to get on top of you. There are many apps you can download for your phone that will help you start practicing these techniques.

If your job is causing you unnecessary stress, perhaps it’s time for a change. Search thousands of roles in your local area at [site_name]