Stress in the Workplace: 7 Tips for Dealing With It

Stress in the workplace is a fact of life and something we all have to deal with from time to time. It's important to manage and deal with stress so it doesn't affect your health and cause you to lose time at work. Stress and anxiety contribute to long-term work loss.

The following are seven tips for dealing with stress in the workplace:

1. Distractions contribute to stress.

At work, reduce distractions that affect your concentration and your ability to complete tasks on time. Distractions include the radio playing too loud; having your smartphone at hand constantly beeping, buzzing, vibrating, or whatever; noisy co-workers next to your workspace; always checking your emails, among many other distractions.

You must take control of your work environment as best you can or it will take control of you. Eliminate distractions as best you can - close your office door, put that cell phone away, check your emails less often, and turn the radio down… or off.

2. Use stress relief tactics.

A stress reliever to you may be a short walk around the building at break time. It may be getting out of the office for your half-hour or hour lunch break. Reading some inspirational verse or book passage at break time may be a way to get your thoughts collected so you can focus better. If you don't have a stress relief tactic, research some that people use and try them yourself.

3. Stre...etch

Stand up and stretch every so often to get your muscles moving. Breathe deeply as well. Moving and stretching your arms and legs is a nice, short break from your sitting position - or a stationary standing position. It helps keep you loose and less tense.

4. Don't do more than you are able.

You can only do so much on the job each day. Work diligently, smartly, and do your very best - but don't try to be superhuman. If you were, you'd be in Superman or Superwoman's shoes and wouldn't be worrying about holding down a 40+ hour a week job anyway.

Expect much from yourself...but not so much that you're excessively hard on yourself. You can accomplish much at work, but there certainly is a limit to what you can do each day.

5. Smile

Sometimes we all take life way to seriously. Yes, we have responsibilities and are accountable for much in our jobs. However, we can smile and enjoy the journey as they say, while we handle our responsibilities and such. In fact, smile and laugh both!

There's much to be appreciative about if we stop the treadmill we're on and ponder all the good things we have in our life. Smile, laugh, giggle, joke, and enjoy the people and the world around you. Laughter is certainly great medicine and gives you a fresh, new, more positive outlook on life...and work!

6. Ask for assistance.

You're doing the best you can, to the utmost of your abilities at work, but still you feel overwhelmed. This is a time you may have to ask for help. Maybe the workload is so heavy that it's impossible for one person to accomplish it all and meet deadlines. Approach your superior and intelligently discuss the situation with him or her.

Offer suggestions to get over this difficulty, and listen intently to his or her suggestions as well. Hopefully, you will both arrive at a workable solution because of your brainstorming together.

7. Take that vacation.

Are you the type that forgoes vacations and earned days off because you feel the work just has to get done? You are a major contributor to your own stress. Everyone needs time off; a break; a vacation; a trip; a 'get away' day, or whatever you want to call it.

Take those days off and those vacations you've earned - and take them on a regular basis. Your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health will be better for it - and so will your work performance when you get back.

Consider the above seven tips for managing stress in the workplace. Don't let stress take hold and relentlessly damage your overall health and work performance. Understand that stress is a fact of life. Also understand that you can do something about it and help yourself, as well as get help for yourself.