How to Deal With Stress at Work
We all feel stressed about work from time to time, but it can be tricky to figure out how to manage it while you’re at work. We have an idea of what a professional person is supposed to do, and sometimes showing emotion and being vulnerable isn’t part of that mental image.
However, as humans we’re going to be dealing with emotions whether we like it or not, so it’s beneficial for us to figure out how to deal with stress at work.
The American Psychological Association released a report in October 2022 that shows that Americans are more stressed than ever. 27% of adults reported that they are so stressed that they cannot function on most days. In addition, the United States Department of Labor website states that “83% of US workers suffer from work-related stress and 54% of workers report that work stress affects their home life.”
Stress isn’t just distressing to experience in the moment: it also has serious consequences for our physical and mental health.
Some of the effects of stress on health are:
Burnout
Sleep problems
Digestive problems
Anxiety
Getting sick more frequently
Coping with drugs or alcohol
Depression
Heart disease
Problems focusing
Irritability
Why is work so stressful?
There are a lot of reasons why work is stressful to people. Especially in a post-pandemic world, our relationship to work has changed. Where we used to allow work to take over, now we expect more of a balance between work and life. We have different expectations of what makes a good job, and adjusting to that both for workers and employers has been difficult.
Some other common sources of work stress are:
Not being compensated fairly
Unclear expectations for the job
Heavy workloads
Lack of support for the work
Inability to make decisions at work
Interpersonal issues with coworkers
Concerns about job security
Work that isn’t engaging
So, how can you cope with stress at work? Here are 4 things to try:
Take time away from work
This isn’t always feasible for financial reasons, but it’s important to take breaks from work. No one can be productive at all times, and it’s actually damaging to productivity to expect someone to produce constantly. If you have sick time or vacation time that goes unused, make sure to use it even if you don’t have anywhere to go on your time off.
If you don’t have any time off to use, see if you can talk with a coworker or a manager about switching shifts or adjusting your hours to allow you some time away when you’re overwhelmed. At the very least, see if you’re able to leave the building and take a walk on your break to give you some time to yourself.
We all deserve time away from work where we can rest and recharge. The point of rest and relaxation is not to become a better worker, of course, it’s because you deserve those just for being human.
Remember that work doesn’t have to be your whole identity
See what you can do to explore some new hobbies or interests outside of your work life. While there’s nothing wrong with really liking your job, it can be a lot of pressure to feel like your work is your whole life.
Even if you’re passionate about what you do and enjoy doing it, having interests outside of work can help you meet new people, find ways to express yourself, and release stress. There’s more to life than work and your professional identity, even when that aspect of things takes up most of your time and energy.
Trying new things outside of work can help you find other things you’re passionate about and give you new perspectives. It can be stimulating to use your brain in a different way than you usually use it for work, and you might feel more creative or inspired when you’re done.
Explore new coping skills
Sometimes dealing with stress at work means finding a way to cope with the distressing feelings in the moment.
At times like this, using coping skills can help you get through the uncomfortable moments like deep breathing exercises, grounding techniques, and mindfulness exercises. It may be helpful to look up Distress Tolerance skills, which are used in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, because they are designed to help you deal with distressing events in a healthy way.
Other coping skills that might be helpful to you while dealing with work stress are journaling, exercise, listening to music, stretching, walking up and down the stairs, looking out the window, and meditating.
Ask for support
It’s hard to experience overwhelming distressing emotions alone. While it’s definitely important to have people you can vent to outside of work, it can also be really beneficial to find someone like-minded at work to help you feel less alone. Making a work buddy can give you someone to commiserate with about your situation, can help you explore solutions since you work together, and can be a great source of support in a difficult time.
If it feels safe to do so, try speaking to your supervisor or boss about what you’re experiencing. Ideally, your employer should want their employees to be satisfied and able to do their jobs effectively, and overwhelming work stress can get in the way of that. If you’re overwhelmed by your workload, maybe you can come up with solutions together that will lower your work stress level.
In addition to asking for support from the people in your life, therapy can be helpful when dealing with work stress. Working with a therapist can help give you new ideas for coping skills and practice advocating for yourself so you feel confident asking for what you need at work.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by work stress, working with a therapist can help. Our therapists at Anchor Counseling New York can provide you with a safe and stable environment where you can explore the root causes of your work stress and find coping skills that work for you. Our therapists are accepting new clients - schedule an appointment today to get started.
Blog authors all hold positions at Anchor Counseling. For more information about our therapists and services please contact us.
