Research indicates that a significant percentage of the American population is affected by work stress. And the discouraging news is that the number is steadily on the rise. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health of the CDC has shown that work stress affects nearly 29% to 40% of the American workforce. An online poll indicated that more than 50% of the individuals responded positively to the question on work-stress and exhaustion.

Stress has adverse impacts on health. These effects can be relatively harmless such common colds. The more serious effects include heart ailments and the metabolic syndrome.

Work-stress is so common that it is hard to label any job as stress-free. The key to manage job-stress is adaptability. Some popular techniques that you can experiment with to tackle work-stress are mentioned below:

Begin the day on a positive note

Some of the common household chores such as feeding your children, sending them to school, going through the horrors of traffic, and consuming coffee to kill time can leave an individual stressed. When they enter office, the stress levels are further compounded. It is interesting to observe that a stressful day usually has its roots in the morning.

Commencing the day with a wholesome breakfast, an organized schedule, and a can-do attitude will reduce the levels of work-stress to a significant level.

Know your job

Most individual do not know what is expected of them at work. Some overestimate the job requirements, whereas others do it vice-versa. Sudden changes in job requirement can increase stress levels. If you are always in doubt as to your job performance, talking to your boss or supervisor can help identify the problem. Effective strategies can also be formulated.

Avoid conflict

Conflict among colleagues or with your boss can drain out your physical and mental energy. It is common to get into arguments with your colleagues; therefore, the easiest thing to do is avoid them altogether. Gossiping, back-biting, making personal comments on politics and religion, and office humor can lead to conflicts. Avoid people who do not work well within the team.

Organize yourself

Planning the day and organizing your tasks can do wonders in reducing stress at work. Time management would mean getting to work on time and not having to worry about salary cuts or staying overtime. An organized individual is always the best and most efficient worker.

Make yourself comfortable

Physical comfort is crucial to avoid stress. The stress that the body goes through sitting on an uncomfortable chair may not be noticeable initially. However, in the long run a sore back is sure to trouble you. Trivial factors such as noise at the work place can leave you distracted and frustrated to a certain degree. Ensure that your work environment is quiet and comforting.

Say No to Multitasking

Multitasking was once considered as the hallmark of an efficient worker to maximize one’s productivity. When it was obvious that two things couldn’t be done simultaneously with the same efficiency, multitasking held no relevance. Some people find their focus is divided when performing two tasks at the same time. Learn more about the new hip word called ‘chunking’.

Walk at breaks

Office work is primarily sedentary in nature. Sedentary lifestyle has its own pitfalls. One simple way to deal with this is to get some physical activity during the breaks. Since the lunch break is generally the longest, it would be a great idea to walk a few minutes during this time. Exercise can improve the mood, reduce anger, and soothe the mind.

Do not go all out on Perfectionism

Performing well at work can do wonders to your self-esteem and confidence. However, the quest for perfectionism is never-ending and will only increase your anxiety levels. Jobs that are too demanding and fast-paced will definitely have errors on your part. But giving your best and reaping the rewards of hard work is a wise way to work. You will also notice that your performance at work is improving. Perfectionists tend to fuss about little things and sometimes play the blame game at tedious tasks.

Enjoy soothing music on the road

Listening to music can soothe the mind and can serve as an effective de-stressing tool after work. Listening to music can help beat office-stress, thereby increasing the levels of interaction with all those you meet.

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