15 Strategies for Coping with Work Stress

In this Article (Index)

• 15 Tips for Coping with Work Stress
• What Causes Work Stress?
• 1. Be Aware Of How Your Job Affects You
• 2. Identify the Stress-Provoking Situations
• 3. Unwind at Home After Work and on Weekends
• 4. Take Time Off from Work
• 5. Supporting Network
• 6. Approach Your Work Differently
• 7. Home (Life) - Job balance
• 8. Steer clear of office gossip
• 9. Reframe negative thoughts
• 10. You aren't perfect
• 11. Learn how to relax
• 12. Talk to your Manager
• 13. Therapy
• 14. Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle
• 15. Move On

15 Tips for Coping with Work Stress

What Causes Work Stress?

The most common workplace stressors are: (1)

• Low salaries.
• Excessive workload (long working hours, understaffing, heavy workloads).
• Lack of career development opportunities
• Lack of social support
• No control over work-related decisions
• Unclear performance expectations; unrealistic demands
• The office itself (noisy, crowded, temperature, no windows)
• Poor working relationships.
• Management: leadership style, lack of transparency, support, respect, and motivation. Poor communication.

Do they sound familiar? We have all been through this at one time or another, but depending on how you feel, and the combination of different factors, they can break your spirit.

1. Be Aware Of How Your Job Affects You

Your job can leave you worn out, pessimistic, and anxious. Burnout is linked to depression and anxiety.

Chronic stress affects your health, it can disturb your sleep, raise your blood pressure, and weaken your immune system.
Coping with stress can lead to unhealthy habits like eating unhealthy foods, smoking, or increasing alcohol intake, which can only worsen matters.

Be on the lookout for work burnout symptoms:

• Lack of energy, fatigue.
• Sleep problems.
• Headaches.
• Low self-esteem.
• Changes in appetite.
• Recurring illnesses.
• Sweating, increased heart rate.
• Digestive issues.
• Lack of sexual drive, loss of libido.
• Irritability, mood swings, and angry outbursts.

2. Identify the Stress-Provoking Situations

Find out what causes your stress. Is it the commute to work, working from home, your colleagues, certain work situations, or your workspace, is it noisy, distracting, or is your chair uncomfortable?

Carry a journal for one or two weeks and record your feelings, reactions, and the situations that triggered stress. Track your stressors.

You are trying to find out what is going on. Some key questions are:
What did you feel? Was it anger, pain, fear, or confusion? What were your thoughts?, and, how did you react?
Did you react violently? Did you voice a complaint? Did you keep quiet and leave the room?

This can help you find patterns and start asking yourself how to find a solution to these stressors. (2)

3. Unwind at Home After Work and on Weekends

The moment you leave the office or, if working from home, when you turn off your notebook and leave your desk, you stop working until the next day.

Work shouldn't be a 24/7 commitment. You are productive and work with commitment, energy, and motivation, so you shouldn't feel guilty when your day is over.

When you've done your daily work it is time to go home. If commuting, enjoy the ride, and listen to music. Think about what you will do in your free time when you get home. Unplug.

Shut out work and work-related thoughts from your mind. Do gym, cook a healthy dinner, and share an activity with your partner. There is life after work!

Unwinding and recovering at home is critical for keeping motivated and for your well-being.

In a 2022 study by Sonnentag, Cheng & Parker (6) being active on weekends, or in the evening after work, was better than being passive, like watching T.V. Activity coupled with a "psychological detachment" from work are "particularly effective [and] improved well-being." (6)

4. Take Time Off from Work

Micro Breaks

Scientific evidence shows that taking micro-breaks, just 10 minutes long, during your workday helps recover from work stress. (3). The 2022 study also found that "Microbreaks during the workday are... effective for sustaining energy [and] effective breaks include physical activity and recovery." (6)

Take a respite from work to recharge. A short break will help you disconnect.
To be effective you must "switch off" from work and this means not thinking about work either.

Turn off your phone, forget about your emails, and take a quick stroll in the park or a brisk walk around the block. Listen to a non-job-related podcast. Microbreaks can also include having a social chat or a relaxation exercise.

Being outdoors in contact with nature has a positive effect on coping with stressful situations at work. (4)

Bringing nature to your workplace with indoor plants has a positive effect on mental health. (4)

Take a Vacation

This is a longer recovery than the microbreak or the evening, or weekend disconnect. Taking a vacation is the best way to get away from work stress and dedicate time to yourself and your well-being.

Vacations involve a passive recovery due to the removal of work stress, and an active recovery through pleasant leisure activities involving relaxing, physical activity, time with a partner, etc.

It should be a "real" vacation, meaning that you shouldn't take any calls from work, or look at your e-mails and messages. Unplug to recharge.

You don't have to travel, even if you stay at home, a change in your daily routine will clear your mind from work-related clutter.

However, the benefits and well-being caused by vacations are short-lived: "specifically, reduced distress and burnout, and increased engagement, fade within one month of returning to work."(6)

Other factors must be taken into account to lower work-related stress.

5. Supporting Network

Don't keep your feelings bottled up. Suffering from stress in isolation isn't the solution. Instead, discuss work-stress situations with a trusted friend, your partner, or a family member. They will listen to you, offer empathy, and express love, and support.

Perhaps they can share a similar experience and this can guide you towards a way to cope better with work stress.

Sharing the burden can lighten its weight. "When we feel supported and equipped to cope, stress tends to diminish. Thus, an event's perceived stress... influenced by our perceived social support, greatly shapes how we perceive it." (8)

6. Approach Your Work Differently

This means using work-related skills to work differently, by organizing how you work, planning your workload in a realistic manner, defining urgent and important tasks, and improving your time-management skills.

Your goal should be to make work more motivating and less energy-draining. (6) It should also allow you to reflect upon how you manage your workload, why you feel overworked, and how you can set things straight. (7)

Get Organized

Disorganization can make you feel overwhelmed by your job. Plan and stay organized. Having a plan helps reduce stress and anxiety, and gives you a feeling of being in control.

The key is to have a calendar, and outline your weekly schedule. Plan each day in advance. Check tasks and goals of the coming day in advance.

List priorities. Define what is important and what is urgent (if you face an immediate deadline and it needs immediate attention, it is Urgent, if it is essential to complete something to be able to reach the final goal, that something is important).

Setting realistic goals for your work; attaining your daily goals or striving to do so has been shown to promote psychological well-being.

Don't procrastinate, delaying a task is bad for your mental health as shown by a study involving over 3,500 Swedish students (5) that reported that "procrastination was associated with worse subsequent mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress symptom levels), having disabling pain in the upper extremities, unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (poor sleep quality and physical inactivity), and worse levels of psychosocial health factors (higher loneliness and more economic difficulties)."

Face each task and get it over with.

If a task requires concentration, book a slot, and don't let anyone interrupt you.

If you are overworked, learn to say "no" firmly and politely. Taking on additional tasks may lead to failure in both your current and new tasks. Frame your decision in a positive way "I will work on a new task after I finish this more important one."

7. Home (Life) - Job balance

Your personal life and work are two separate yet equally important aspects of your life. They coexist but shouldn't overlap.

Just like your employer doesn't expect you to bring your problems to work, you shouldn't bring your job and its problems back with you to your home.

You aren't on call 24/7, you have a life outside of your job.

You should set clear boundaries between your home, family, and your personal private life, and work. Make sure colleagues, bosses, and business contacts are aware of this.

You should establish your boundaries and respect them. Don't answer work calls or check your e-mail after work or from home. It will only bring the job and its stress right into your home.

8. Steer clear of office gossip

Stirring up negative thoughts at work can be distressing. Office gossip, rumors, hearsay, and office politics can be worrying and alter your peace of mind. Avoid those who engage in gossip.

If talking is inevitable, try to change the subject to less sensitive matters. Focus on the positive side of things. Don't share your personal opinions about religion, politics, or company matters. Try to reduce conflict with colleagues.

9. Reframe negative thoughts

Chronic stress provokes pessimism, leading to a negative point of view, and the expectation that bad things are going to happen (get fired, laid off, etc.)

Step away from pessimism. Don't imagine bad things. Focus on doing your job correctly, and place your energy in positive activities. Focus on things that are within your control.

If something negative or stressful has happened at work, try to reframe it positively. This helps you see that things aren't as bad as they seem, that they could have been worse, that something good can come from something bad.

You can learn something from the nasty experience. Take a step back, don't get upset or mad, gain perspective.

Positive reappraisal helps build resilience. (9)

10. You aren't perfect

Imposing high levels of self-demand, and the constant need for perfection can be frustrating. By setting unattainable standards and being critical of yourself, your failures will become stressful.

We all make mistakes, don't take it personally when you make a mistake. The inability to tolerate failure will lead to a constant feeling of dissatisfaction.

Work to high standards, but don't waste your time and mental energy in making something that is already good enough into something perfect. Strike a balance between mental health and perfection, and set realistic and attainable goals.

Self-compassion is far better than excessive self-demand.

11. Learn how to relax

Relaxing can help reduce stress. Studies have shown that "practicing mindfulness ... helps to improve the feeling of well-being and to relieve stress." (4)

Learn a relaxation technique like meditation, deep breathing exercises, or mindfulness. Use an app to guide you. A short 10-minute break for breathing exercises to lower stress levels.

A randomized trial showed that 10 minutes of mindful walking "reduced psychological stress symptoms and improved quality of life" compared with a control group. (10)

Mindful Walking

Walk and focus on how your body feels, mindfully observe these sensations, and feel the moment-to-moment experiences. Block out negative or distressing thoughts. Be aware of how you inhale and exhale.

12. Talk to your Manager

If you feel overwhelmed, overworked, and on-call 24/7, start by having an objective conversation with your boss. Your supervisor may not be aware of your on-the-job stress.

This isn't about complaining, you should focus on trying to solve the stress-causing situations that you identified in your journal so that you can perform better at work.

Some bosses can be difficult and have different communication styles. Avoid using "you" statements that could be perceived as critical or placing the blame on them. You don't want your boss to be on the defensive. Be empathic, anticipate objections, take responsibility when necessary,

The outcome of your conversation could involve some physical changes in your workspace, modifying your tasks for more rewarding and less boring ones, rearranging workloads, assigning more resources or support from idle colleagues, training in time management, utilizing your employer's wellness resources (a gym, counseling, etc.)

Studies have shown that "training and career development opportunities in the workplace were effective for managing work-related stress, as they made [workers] feel adequately informed and valued." (1)

If your manager isn't receptive try HR. They can give you suggestions on how to handle the situation.

13. Therapy

Get professional support. Friends and family can only do so much. Seek stress management support. Counseling through a mental health professional, and groups can help you cope better.

Your employer may have stress management resources. Otherwise, you can use online information to find support.

14. Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle

Overeating, eating unhealthy food, consuming drugs or alcohol will not help you fight stress.

Make healthy choices to combat stress. Exercise is better than medication or therapy to treat depression, anxiety, and stress, it is a good treatment for depression and

stress.

Eat a healthy, balanced diet, with nutrients, dietary fiber, and plant-based dishes. Shun processed foods.

Indulging in a relaxing activity, like reading, a hobby, or going to a concert, will improve your mental well-being. A 2022 study showed that active social, creative, or physical activities were far better than passive ones like slouching on a couch to watch TV. Being active "improved well-being and motivational benefits during the [following work] day." (6)

Try to Sleep Better so that you can recharge for the next day.

A healthy lifestyle helps defeat stress.

Move On

If you have tried in earnest to cope with stress, but the stressors are still there, affecting your mental and physical health it may be a sign that your current job isn't best suited to you.

Sometimes the workplace is toxic and you can't do anything about it.
A study by Rasool, Wang, Tang, Saeed, and Iqbal, (2021) reported a "direct relationship between a toxic workplace environment and employee engagement... if employees are working in a toxic environment, they will spread negative feelings among other co-workers. The feelings that come with a toxic workplace environment, i.e., harassment, bullying, and ostracism, can be detrimental and lead to unnecessary stress, burnout, depression, and anxiety among the workers."(11)

Perhaps it is your department, your supervisor, or your division. Consider looking for internal promotions in other parts of your organization, or new job opportunities with other companies.