Whilst some level of stress is normal, excessive stress could interfere with our productivity and performance. It could even impact our physical and emotional health which may affect our relationships.
Although we are unable to control everything in our work environment or personal life, there are steps that we could take to help protect ourselves from the effects of stress and improve our wellbeing.
Take control
For every problem, there’s a solution. If we remain passive, our stress may only get worse - the feeling of losing control is one of the main causes of stress and lack of wellbeing. By learning to recognise the physical effects of stress and doing something about it, we could take back control before our work stress spreads to other parts of our life.
Better time management could help us regain control of our days. Learning how to manage our time effectively may help us feel more relaxed, focused and in control.
Connect with others
Building stronger, wider social connections with others could help us feel happier, more secure and give us a larger sense of purpose. A good support network of colleagues, friends and family could help ease our work troubles and help us see things differently. Connections with others allow us to share our experiences and emotionally support each other. If we verbally express our troubles, we could blow off some steam and regain a sense of calm.
Prioritise the workload
Work smarter, not harder. Prioritising our workload and concentrating on the most important tasks could help make a difference. It could ease the pressure of the rest of the day and prevent us from feeling overwhelmed. Breaking down projects into smaller steps could also be a good way to reduce pressure and allow us to remain focused on one thing at a time.
Make time for regular exercise
When we are overly focused on work, it is easy to forget to be active. However, regular physical activity could improve our general mood, self-confidence and sleep quality. Exercising won’t make our stress disappear, but it could help to reduce the emotional intensity that we may be feeling by giving us something else to focus on and by relaxing our minds.
Don’t skimp on sleep
Stress may often make it difficult to sleep and could lead to sleep problems. When we find ourselves in chronic sleep debt, we may be at risk of developing long-term mood disorders such as depression and anxiety. Missing out on sleep could also be interfering with our daytime productivity, creativity, problem-solving skills and our ability to focus.
Setting a bedtime routine may be a good way to regulate our sleeping hours as it programmes the brain and our internal body clock to adjust to the pattern. Adults need between 6 to 9 hours every night. By working out what time we need to wake up, we can set ourselves a time to be in bed by. Turning off our screens and avoiding stimulating activity or stressful situations before bed could also help us sleep.
Remember there’s always a solution to a problem and not taking control of the situation could make matters worse. The keys to good stress management are building emotional strength, regaining control, having a support system and adopting a positive outlook.
In this modern hectic world, mental health is becoming an essential part of our wellbeing and looking after it is becoming more important than ever. Private medical insurance can cover a range of mental health issues and can help you see a specialist at a time that’s convenient to you, avoiding the NHS waiting lists.
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