Don’t let stress get the best of you
A little stress is no big deal. It’s even good for you to feel a little stressed and helps you perform better. The art lies in managing stress and not letting it increase. You can implement all sorts of things.
To deal with a high workload you need to be able to manage stress. Not everyone can do that as effectively. One might convert stress into being alert and switches between tasks easily, the other might go into panic mode.
What’s workload?
A high workload exists when you have not enough time to get your tasks done. Or when you feel that you need to perform more and better to catch up with what’s expected from you. That causes stress. When it’s a low-stress situation, it can lead to being more creative. You might actually learn better, develop yourself better. When it’s a high-stress situation, it will kill fun at work, your creative abilities, being effective at work, and influence work-life balance. If you stay stressed for a long time you will get exhausted and demotivated. You might feel restless, experience trouble concentrating, feel like crying, mood swings, sleep problems, headaches, and more. Controlling stress is not always easy. That’s why we have a few tips for you.
Tip 1: Know what causes your stress
Do you want to manage stress? You’ll have to know first what’s causing it. Which people, situations, tasks or uncertainties are causing your stress? Once you establish that, you can tackle it. For instance, if it’s a situation that’s causing you stress and you’ve established that it’s just a temporary situation, you can use tools to manage stress that you might already use in your daily life. Imagine how you will tackle the situation and complete it successfully.
Tip 2: Avoid chaos
A messy house, a chaotic workplace and having no overview of your tasks can create stress. Where are the tools you need? Which tasks have priority? Avoid chaos and work smarter! Establish priorities and be realistic. Create daily to-do lists with the things you really need to do! Don’t procrastinate annoying and/or difficult tasks, instead do them in the morning when you’re still fresh and full of energy. Don’t skip breaks, your body and mind need to rest every now and then to gain energy.
Tip 3: Know what you want
Don’t lead your life based on decisions of others, but take charge. That will empower you and make you feel more confident. In addition, knowing what you want will decrease your stress because you’re living your life like you want to. And it’s okay to say no every now and then. Let go of perfectionism, be realistic and do what’s achievable. Did it not go as you expected? Seems like you can’t do it in the end anyway? Just remember that you did your best and move on!
Tip 4: Learn to think positively
Viewing your life from the bright side will give you a positive feeling and will help you handle stress. Get up every day and be thankful for what you have: good health, a family, food, safety, and more. Don’t get up already thinking about what you need to do today. Relax! And do you have a difficult task on your to-do list today? Believe in yourself. You can do it! If you don’t believe in yourself, that will only increase your stress.
Tip 5: Accept and let go
Accept things as they are and don’t try to steer things in the direction you want them to be. It will only cause more frustration and stress. What has happened, has happened. It’s in the past and you can’t do anything about it. Don’t think “what if…” That won’t solve anything. Let go of the past and focus on the here and now. Think in solutions and take decisions based on what you know now. You will feel more relaxed this way.
Tip 6: Improve physical and mental health
Your physical and mental health contribute to the way you deal with stress. Get moving, preferably half an hour every day. Think of biking, running, cleaning, jogging, or gardening. Exercise decreasaes stress and increases the happy hormones in your body. Consuming a healthy diet, drinking sufficient water, and consumer less caffeine and alcohol will make you feel fitter which will make you handle stress better. And don’t forget about sleep. Try to get an average of 7 hours sleep every day. It will help you feel good as well.
Tip 7: Laugh a lot and cherish friendships
Laughing a lot and cherishing dear friends will help you tackle stress. Make sure you have fun at work with colleagues. Spend more time with family and friends. They’re the ones who’ll be there for you when you’re feeling down. Their presence, a hug, and spending time together decreases stress.
Did you try already everything but you still feel like you have a very high workload and are experiencing stress? Talk to your supervisor and see if you can solve it together!
