We’ve all been there. Even if you love your job, there are just some days where everything seems to go south. Sure, you can grit your teeth and bear it. But if the job stress continues, it’s important you do something about it.
Why? Isn’t everyone stressed about their jobs? Quite a few people are, yes, but just because it’s the status quo doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Chronic stress is very bad for your health. Don’t just suffer through. Instead, use some of these tips to manage your job stress in a healthy way.
Pay attention to your job stress.
It’s easy to let a general sense of stress pervade our lives. But, in order to best manage your stress, you first need to understand it. Try tracking your stress for a couple of weeks. Keep a journal (this can be as simple as a note in your phone) where you record moments of stress, what got you there, and how you respond.
Understanding what’s triggering your stress — whether it’s a certain project, person, or environment — can help you start to mitigate and navigate those stressful moments. Also, minding your response to that stress can help you change your patterns so you’re making healthier choices.
For example, tracking might alert you to the fact that you always grab a cup of coffee when you’re feeling stressed. But that caffeine might be overstimulating you and you may be better served by a short walk.
Create boundaries.
There are two very important boundaries you need to create to help minimize job stress. The first is the boundary between your work life and your non-work life. Even if you have a fluid work schedule or work from home, find a way to signal to your brain that you’re clocking out for the day. Then, let yourself relax.
It’s also important to create a boundary between what is your job and what isn’t. Seems simple, but you’ll need clarity on the exact scope of your job responsibilities to do this. Once you have that clarity, you can politely but firmly decline involvement in meetings and projects that don’t pertain to your role. Not only does this prevent you from an overloaded plate, leading to stress, but it can actually help you perform better at work since you’ll be better able to focus on your primary responsibilities.
It may also serve you to maintain social boundaries at work, too. The farther you can stay from office politics and drama, the less stress you’ll have to manage.
Take care of yourself.
You can’t pour from an empty cup. You can’t charge from a dead battery. And you certainly can’t healthily manage your job stress if you’re totally spent. Make it a point to practice self-care.
Get into a morning routine you enjoy so you start your day in a boosted mood. Pack a lunch you’ll look forward to eating. Put together a playlist for your drive home. Look for little ways that you can make your day better for yourself and job stress might start to melt away.
Be grateful.
Yes, easier said than done, but gratitude can be transformative. It can be especially helpful in repatterning stress-triggered internal thoughts. Look for things for which you’re grateful and you’ll have something much more pleasant to focus on than a daunting to-do list or an impossible deadline.
Because, at the end of the day, you can’t control your work, but you can control the way you respond to it. Learning to — and choosing to — make choices that moderate your job stress and help you keep perspective is game-changing.
If you want more tools and resources to help you handle stress — whether job-related or coming from another source — we’re here to help. Call, email, or text our team at the Ventura Counseling & Wellness Center.
