In small doses, stress helps you to stay focused, energetic,
and alert. But when stress becomes overwhelming, it can damage your health,
your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life. You
can protect yourself by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of
stress overload and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.
Tips
for reducing job stress
Analyze your schedule,
responsibilities, and daily tasks. All work and no play is a recipe for
burnout. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities
and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime.
Don’t
over-commit yourself.
Avoid scheduling things
back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. All too often, we
underestimate how long things will take. If you've got too much on your plate,
distinguish between the "shoulds" and the "musts." Drop
tasks that aren't truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them
entirely.
Plan
regular breaks.
Make sure to take short breaks
throughout the day to take a walk or sit back and clear your mind. Also try to
get away from your desk or work station for lunch. Stepping away from work to
briefly relax and recharge will help you be more, not less, productive.
Prioritize
tasks.
Make a list of tasks you have to
do, and tackle them in order of importance. Do the high-priority items first.
If you have something particularly unpleasant to do, get it over with early.
The rest of your day will be more pleasant as a result.
Delegate
responsibility.
You don’t have to do it all
yourself. If other people can take care of the task, why not let them? Let go
of the desire to control or oversee every little step. You’ll be letting go of
unnecessary stress in the process.
Be
willing to compromise.
When you
ask someone to contribute differently to a task, revise a deadline, or change
their behavior at work, be willing to do the same. Sometimes, if you can both
bend a little, you’ll be able to find a happy middle ground that reduces the
stress levels for everyone concerned.
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