Stress is a common, but unavoidable part of the modern workplace.
With tight deadlines, heavy workloads, and personal challenges with colleagues, work can wear you out in no time.
But! That doesn’t mean we’re doomed to short tempers and burnout—there are lots of practical things you can do to make your work-life balance work for you!
Prioritize Self-care
Self-care can mean a lot of different things—it might make you think of vacations in sunny places, or trips to the spa, or a night by yourself playing video games.
But in the workplace, self-care is more about keeping your batteries charged, so that everyday stressors don’t feel insurmountable.
How do you do that? Sleep, diet and exercise are really effective ways to make sure you’re ready for the workday. And while it is hard to get into those routines, it can make a big impact on your everyday at the office.
Pro tip: don’t try to do everything at once—if you can improve in just one of those areas and make it a habit, you’ll find yourself feeling better.
Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness is really just about taking a moment to check in with yourself. Instead of looking at your to-do list, or email notifications, or thinking about what’s for dinner, take a minute to be aware of yourself and your body.
Try closing your eyes—is your body tense, or are your teeth a bit clenched? How do you feel? Are you frustrated, tired, happy, hungry? If any of these feelings are disrupting you, take a minute to address them.
If you aren’t paying attention to how you feel, how are you supposed to do something about it? Mindfulness helps you take stock of where you’re at so you can get where you need to be.
Take Breaks
This one sounds obvious but you’d be surprised. Taking regular breaks throughout the workday can reduce stress and improve focus. Regular breaks can also have a positive impact on your physical health, and can prevent muscle strains and injuries.
Set Boundaries
Setting clear boundaries between work and personal time can also improve your work/life balance. If you’re working from home, you’ve probably already noticed the blur that happens between your work space and your home space. This can happen with your time as well if you don’t set specific boundaries.
If you’d like to set clearer boundaries but it isn’t working, try communicating them clearly to your colleagues and managers—this not only helps you to maintain your limits, but also helps others to respect them, and may even encourage them to set healthy boundaries for themselves.
Seek Support
Finally, seeking support from colleagues, family and friends, or a mental health professional can be helpful in managing stress and improving wellbeing. Talking to someone about your stressors and challenges will give you perspective and make you feel less alone in your struggles.
Managing stress in the workplace is crucial for staying calm and focused. After all, we’re not just robots built to do a job—we are people with bodies and feelings and have needs beyond being productive.
If you’re finding yourself stressed on the regular, try to snap out of some of those routines and see where your problems lie, so you can be the best you at work!
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