HOW TO MINIMISE STRESS IN THE WORKPLACE

Stress can affect both your work and personal life. Despite the pressure you may be facing at work there are steps you can take to help reduce your stress levels to ensure you remain healthy and at your best. Here are 8 steps you can take to help you deal with stress at work!

Take breaks

Its important that you take breaks during your workday. Taking breaks, no matter how brief, will reduce stress - even if it is just a couple of minutes to grab a drink, it will help you refocus and complete your work more effectively.

Delegate tasks

Where possible try and delegate some of your work. Trying to take on too much will be overwhelming and guarantees high stress levels. Delegating tasks will help you meet deadlines, maintain a high quality of work and reduce stress.

Get some sleep!

It is very important that you get enough sleep. Turning up to work tired can make even the simplest of tasks difficult. Sleep not only keeps you healthy, it allows you to start each day feeling refreshed and calm.

Allow yourself downtime

Even with a high workload it is essential that you allow yourself some downtime each day. Failing to give yourself some time to relax will quickly lead to you becoming overwhelmed, the quality of your work will suffer and your health will deteriorate. Downtime will significantly reduce your stress levels in the long-term!

Stay organised

It is important that you stay organised at work and plan your time accordingly. If you plan correctly you’ll know what you need to do and by when, preventing any unnecessary stress from deadlines you’d forgotten about or from a task you’ve accidentally left until last minute.

Stop putting things off!

Putting off tasks that you don’t like can increase your stress at work. Try and complete jobs that you don’t like first, that way you won’t spend your entire workday dreading the task.

Don’t just guess…

If you’re not sure of something ask someone for help.  Stress can be avoided if you ask when you’re unsure of something instead of guessing. Asking for help can reduce the number of mistakes and prevent any unnecessary stress.

Keep a tidy desk

Simply making sure your desk is tidy can go a long way in reducing stress. A cluttered desk can increase stress as it can create a sense of chaos in your work environment.  Keep your desk clean an organised to help maintain a calmer atmosphere.