Reduce and Manage Stress at Work and at Home to Enjoy Life More
Reduce and manage stress at work and at home to enjoy life more
Lisa Bahar, M.A., CCJP, LMFT, LPCC
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor
Working has its challenges and can certainly be a source of stress for many individuals. Managing stress is logical, however to actually implement a healthy self care plan and meet the demands of work while balancing home life and your health can be overwhelming. These tips can hopefully help with managing stress and become an essential part of your daily living.
Do
Do give yourself affirmations
One of the most important self esteem builders and stress management skills is to be your own cheerleader, therefore, affirming within yourself, that you are working and committed to taking care of yourself and manage your life is a big deal. So give yourself a pat on the back daily and remind yourself that you are of value and are taking responsibility by going to work and committing to showing up.
Do structure your sleep schedule
It may be one of the most challenging rhythms to manage, but once you do, you will notice the value of getting plenty of rest. Restful sleep rejuvenates the body and mind, adds clarity and focus to your day, and decreases potential emotional reactions to some conflicts that would otherwise lead to something much larger. Therefore, learning how to prepare for sleep and actually create a sleep schedule that compliments your body is important. Most likely, you have an idea of how much your body needs to get plenty of rest.
Start by taking a mindful approach to how much rest you feel would give you the ideal amount of sleep that is reasonable. Sleep studies can provide good information on the amount of an average amount of sleep; consult a sleep expert if you need guidance. Once you have an idea of how much rest you need, it is important to maintain consistency with the plan. Make preparing for sleep a mindful experience, have your environment conducive to sleep, avoid foods and substances that can interrupt your sleep, and turn off electronics to calm your mind and prepare your mind and body to rest.
Do create a morning routine that is not rushed or urgent
The morning is an important time to train or notice your thoughts that will potentially set the tone for the rest of the day, therefore, having a positive routine in the morning that creates positive emotions, is key to how you may manage stress throughout the day. These routines can be in the form of meditation, morning coffee with time to read the paper for example, making time to awaken before spouse or kids is important for your self care. Pets are also quite pushy in the morning, and therefore, perhaps that is a process that you work out with those you live with, or you can simply feed the pets as part of a morning routine of creating calmness, since they are quite calm once fed.
Do greet people at work with a half smile and hello
Perhaps you already do greet your coworkers, but greet your coworkers with kindness and a gentle demeanor. This sets the tone for interpersonal effectiveness and openness with others.
Do take time for yourself during working hours
Taking time for yourself is essential for balance and focus, it helps with motivation and feeling good about yourself and not resenting the work environment due to fatigue and tiredness. Taking time for yourself during lunch, breaks, and leaving on time can be one of the most difficult things to do, since it requires discipline and structure, however, not taking time for yourself can have more negative effects on you and your work in the long run. Follow employment guidelines and check with your supervisor on when and the length of these times that are allocated to you. Communicate the times you plan to come and go in order to make sure there is no miscommunication or assumptions.
Don't
Do not check email, cell phones and other messages right as you awaken
Make your morning time or time before work be about waking up, getting ready for the day, and just for you. Until you are ready to start work, don’t check your work emails, cell phone or other messages that may be demanding of you.
Do not gossip or participate in the “water cooler” chit chat
As much as office gossip can be a connective experience and validate your feelings at times, it also has a strong potential to create stress and unwanted anxiousness. It is best to avoid the negative emotions that can occur with gossip about what other coworkers might be doing or whatever it is that let rumors get started. Be mindful and non-judgmental of those that chose to participate and gently leave the conversation. Notice how this decreases ruminating thoughts and negative thoughts. Gossip is a habit, and one of the hardest to break since it is collective and dependent on others to keep it going.
Do not forfeit your exercise or self care plan
Maintaining an exercise plan and self care plan is essential to decrease your stress at work and create positive emotions. Therefore, if you have not already started, it is time to start a self care plan to decrease potential vulnerability to negative emotions and increase positive emotions. Self care, also includes golf, massages, facials, hiking, nails, sports, beach trips, etc. The goal is to get the body and mind in balance. Just because you are too tired at the end of the day, doesn’t mean you should quit doing the activities that help you to decrease stress.
Do not over-socialize with co workers in a bar
Sometimes, happy hour is part of the way workers are able to wind down and relax after work, however, if engaged to often, these social activities have a potential to set up problems at the office with a hangover, interaction that may not have been thought through, and even fights if something unanticipated occurs. Therefore, be aware of not over engaging in the social activities that involve drinking or substances that can have an effect on work relationships.
Do not sabotage a coworker
Although, one is bound to not necessarily like all their coworkers, it is important to not sabotage a coworker for a promotion or a transition for example. Ironically, more often than not, that individual may be in a position to help you and will remember the little or big sabotage you instigated. Therefore, keep in mind that all people are connected and maintain good healthy professional relationships. They pay off in the long run.
Summary
Work stress is part of work, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Learning how to manage stress is a challenge and sometimes may feel like too much work, but if you are able to take small steps to change a few behaviors, the results will most likely pay off. The calmer and more balanced you are, the more open you will be to learn, progress, and enjoy your job. Stress is part of life, but letting it consume you is not necessary.
