Get Rid Of Workplace Stress With The No.1 Best Hack Ever
Workplace stress is a common plague for all working professionals. While some of us can manage to get rid of workplace stress, most succumb to the pressure without even realizing it until it gets too late.
When stress levels are left unchecked, they gradually manifest as bigger mental health concerns including high anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Depression costs the U.S. $51 billion in absenteeism and lost productivity alone.
In fact, workplace stress is not only an individual concern but plays an integral role in the company’s progress and success rates.
It is no surprise that some of the biggest companies including Microsoft, Barclays, and Unilever understand the simple truth that mental health is as valuable and important as physical health.
Healthy and happy employees have increased productivity levels, feel more dedicated to their work and produce strong long-term results.
Sadly, a recent study showed that more than three-quarters (76%) of respondents agree that workplace stress affects their mental health.
The huge numbers expose the reality of workplace stress, yet not many companies or employees work consciously to get rid of workplace stress or thrive to achieve a work-life balance.
Here are hacks that have been proven to get rid of workplace stress and actually enjoy your work rather than dragging yourself to it every Monday morning.
Don’t Listen To The Internet Gurus, Pave Your Own Path
The internet is stacked with influencers and gurus who claim to know about your life better than you know it yourself. On one hand, the toxic hustle culture is overly glamorized while on the other you are made to believe that if you don’t love your work 24/7 and 365 days then you are living a dull and passionless life.
Elon Musk’s infamous belief is that one should work for 16 hours a day if they really and actually want to achieve success and change their lives.
We do not want to comment on the righteousness of Mr. Musk’s tweet. It is his way of living life and he seems pretty satisfied with it.. Or not.
However, his tweet promotes a black and white mentality. You either work 16 hours a day or you are doomed to fail.
But every individual has their unique traits, timeline, goals, desires, strengths, and weaknesses. Obsessively duplicating the life of successful people is bound to lead to workplace stress because you are built differently and you need to pave your own path.
Understand what are your priorities and be shameless about them. This is how you can get rid of workplace stress.
Harsh loved his family. Being around them gave him immense joy and satisfaction. However, Harsh believed that he ‘should’ work more if he wants to be successful even if that comes at the cost of seeing his kid for a maximum of half an hour a day.
One day Harsh hit a dead end. He felt hopeless, demotivated, and presented himself. He suspected that he may have depression and decided to go to therapy.
In therapy, he understood many important things about himself. The biggest awareness was how his mind was full of opinions and voices that were not even his!
He neglected his family, his happiness, and his health simply because he believed that he HAD to.
In therapy, he learned to challenge these beliefs, boost his self-esteem and fearlessly accept his actual wants and desires.
He feels happier and more content with his work as well as his life.
Enjoy Your Free Time Without Any Guilt
Do you feel guilty when you are sitting idle?
Do you feel that you have a deep need to stay productive, ALWAYS?
Try doing nothing for 5 minutes. You can stare out of your window, or your ceiling.
How does that feel?
Most of us will feel uncomfortable because we have trained our minds to constantly do something because if we are not doing something then we are wasting our precious time.
Or worse the whole fear of missing out takes over.
Workplace stress is strongly related to our need to be productive. We are willing to break our body but not comfortable with taking a break for our body.
The best way you can get rid of workplace stress and increase your productivity levels is when you take a break for yourself.
Do something silly. Something that does not really have a goal or an outcome.
Jump in the muddy puddle or order favorite ice-cream for your mother. These simple ways to break your routine can really help you to get rid of workplace stress.
If You Want It, Ask For It
Many employees find it difficult to set boundaries or say ‘no’.
It could be tied to many factors such as financial constraints, poor self-esteem, being a people pleaser, or others.
However, leveling up your confidence and asking for what you need and what you want can help you get rid of a workplace that often comes with the inability to set strong boundaries.
If you feel that you struggle with confidence issues or find it difficult to communicate effectively with your seniors then working with a therapist or a life coach can yield amazing benefits for your self-esteem.
Low confidence is often rooted in past experiences and self-imposed beliefs. In therapy, you can learn how to modify them and gradually indulge in more positive self-talk.
Take A Step Back & Breathe
Stress is an inevitable part of living and surviving. A certain amount of stress can even push you towards your goal and become more active rather than passive.
The problem happens when we over-exaggerate the stressful situations in our heads.
Let’s understand these two scenarios:
Jaya is late for work. It is raining heavily and there is mad traffic on her way to work. She has an important meeting to attend at 12:00 PM and it is already 11:30 PM. There is no way she will be able to reach the office on time.
She panics a little but then takes a deep breath and focuses her energy on what she can do about the situation. She realizes that it is best to inform her colleagues about her present situation.
She leaves a message on the group then plugs in her earphones and enjoys the pouring rain.
Scenario 2:
Jaya is late for work. It is raining heavily and there is mad traffic on her way to work. She has an important meeting to attend at 12:00 PM and it is already 11:30 PM. There is no way she will be able to reach the office on time.
She panics a lot and begins to think about all the things that could go wrong.
What if they think I am unprofessional?
What if I never get this meeting again?
Why did I have to be late today only!
This traffic is so annoying!!!!
In her panic, she decides to ditch the cab and take the metro instead. On her way to the metro, she realizes that it would have been better to stay in the cab because now her ETA has increased by 20 minutes more!
She forgets to inform her colleagues and reaches the office when the meeting is over.
The only difference between the two scenarios is that in the first situation Jaya chooses to act instead of reacting.
In the second situation, she reacts negatively and then gets stuck in the spiral.
Hence, the best way to get rid of workplace stress is to learn how to take a step back, evaluate the situation with a calm mind and then act upon it.
Say ‘YES’ to Therapy
As mentioned above, many big-shot companies advocate mental health needs. Additionally, Gen Z and the upcoming start-ups are inculcating the same work culture among their employees.
If your company is providing corporate wellness programs or services then make the most optimal use of it. Talk to the on-site counsellor or communicate to HR about your concerns.
At times there are many personal factors that contribute to workplace stress. To get rid of workplace stress you need to identify and resolve issues in your personal life.
Therapy gives you a safe and non-judgmental space where you can freely open up about your concerns, feelings, and thoughts. The therapist also provides tools, guidance, and genuine support to help you overcome issues and get rid of workplace stress.
Your Take-Aways
Workplace stress is a common concern that affects more than 60 percent of employees.
When we fail to get rid of workplace stress, other mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and even physical concerns such as high blood pressure, heart diseases, and chronic body pains start impacting our lives.
When we learn how to get rid of workplace stress, we are in a much better position to stay mentally and physically fit. It increases our positivity, productivity, and happiness levels.
Giving priority to your needs, setting boundaries, taking a break, and going to therapy can help you to get rid of workplace stress and live a more balanced life.
