Nowadays, our lives are more hectic than ever. Most of us feel like we are spread too thin, trying to balance our personal and professional lives. We are stuck in the middle of work, family, finances, any additional activities that we do, such as yoga, jogging, or swimming, and trying to maintain some form of our social life. It’s no wonder that people today report much higher levels of stress than they used to.

 

Probably the most important cause of stress and anxiety for a vast majority of people is work. The development of technology has made everything much faster, and that is reflected in the way people approach work. Deadlines are much more critical, and in general, everybody wants everything to be done as fast as possible.

 

Of course, this attitude to work is bound to leave negative consequences on the workers. Everybody is in a hurry, and that causes even more stress and anxiety. Add a hostile environment and difficult bosses to the mix, and you have the recipe for a disaster.

 

So, how can we fight the stress and anxiety and stay sane? Here are some suggestions.

 

1. Sleep enough

The consequences of the lack of sleep of sleep are well-known and terrible. Not only does it make you feel grumpy and tired, but lack of sleep can actually put you at risk of diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Make sure you get enough sleep every night in order to be productive and rested.

 

2. Eat well and exercise

Living a healthy life is very important for reducing your stress levels. If your general health is good, you are less predisposed to succumbing to psychological and emotional pressure, which makes you more resistant to stress and anxiety. Make sure your diet is balanced, so your body has all the nutrients it needs in order to function well. Don't forget to exercise, because exercise has plenty of benefits not only for your shape and physical well-being but also for your mood.

 

3. Use your emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence is extremely important in a work environment. It can help you lead and have your voice heard. There are four components of emotional intelligence: social-awareness, self-awareness, self-management, and relationship management. If you try to improve all of them, you will notice improvements in your relationship with your colleagues, subordinates, and bosses. Better relationships cause less stress, which means that your work environment will cause less anxiety.

 

4. Leave home earlier

Have you ever been late for work? Have you ever made it in the nick of time? If you have done either of those, you know how much stress it can cause. The easy (at least in theory) solution is to leave home about 15 minutes earlier every day. This way, you’ll avoid the rush hour, and you’ll have enough time to prepare well for your day, make a cup of coffee, or just relax before you start work. The very fact that you can take a couple of minutes for yourself before you’re attacked by your workload can go a long way in making your day less stressful.

 

 

5. Set reasonable deadlines

If you don’t think you’ll be able to meet the deadline your boss set for you, say so immediately. If you can get a bit more time, it’s great. If you can’t – well, you did say that you wouldn’t be able to make it in time, so if you are late in the end, nobody can say it was your fault. This is a crucial moment in your dealing with work-related anxiety. You need to feel that you’ve done your best, but you also need to know that you’ve respected your own limitations. If you set realistic expectations for yourself, you’ll be much less anxious.

 

6. Prioritize and create schedules

Organize well. If you set strict priorities and organize your time realistically, it’ll give you a sense of safety. You’ll have a system to fall back on, and it’ll do wonders in reducing your work-related anxiety. It’ll also make you more productive, and without the sense of chaos, you won’t be under so much stress.

 

7. Ask for help

If you need help, ask for it. Delegate responsibility if you can, or tell your boss that you can’t do a big task alone. If the anxiety becomes too much for you to handle alone, ask your family or friends for help. Let them take some of the home-related workload for you, or ask them to help in any way that can make your life a bit easier for you. If necessary, contact a registered NDIS provider and ask for professional help. Whatever the case may be, make sure you take care of your health.

 

8. Don’t take the work home

One of the most important things when it comes to work-related stress and anxiety is not taking work home with you. Your office is for work, and your home is for relaxing and spending time with your family and friends. Don't check your email at home, and try not to think about work at all once you close the office door behind you. It's important to realize that your job is not your life and to focus on the things that make you happy.

 

Even though stress and anxiety as consequences of work are serious issues, you can do something to avoid them. Adjustments to your lifestyle can be difficult, but they are important for your general well-being. Changing your attitude to work and colleagues is even more difficult, but it is crucial in maintaining a healthy life and reducing anxiety.

Guest post by Neil White

 

 

About the Author

Neil is a student of web design who enjoys writing a great content. His home is the whole world because he travels a lot. While you are reading this he is probably somewhere other than where he was yesterday.

 

 

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