Having a job to pay the bills is a fact of life for the vast majority of people. The good news is that work doesn’t have to be a chore, especially if you can find a career that speaks to you and inspires you. Even if you’ve managed to find the ideal career path, there can be bumps in the road, and stress can start to build. Statistics show that an incredible 43% of people feel stressed at some point during their workday. If this sounds like something you can relate to, then it’s a good idea to hit the pause button and take a step back. Stress can eat away at you in all kinds of unhealthy ways and shouldn’t be swept under the rug.
Ready to create a more balanced and less stressful work life? We’ve put together some simple, actionable tips to get you started. While we recommend you embrace as many of these as you can for the best results, let’s dive right in and help you eliminate (or at least lessen) the current stress plaguing your work environment.
Make Sure Your Desk Isn’t Cluttered
Finding ways to make your work environment less stressful can seem pretty daunting. This is why it’s a good idea to start with something small but impactful. The simple steps of cleaning up your desk, decluttering, and organizing can do wonders. When you aren’t surrounded by mess, you instantly feel more in control of things and more at ease.
Every item should have a place, and if it doesn’t, you may need better or additional storage. Items should be organized purposefully so that they are easy to access when needed. You can find plenty of tips online about desk organization. It can be worthwhile to do a little research before you tackle this project.
Try Using a Daily Planner or Schedule
Even if you have a steel-trap for a memory, embracing a daily planner or schedule can do wonders in terms of reducing stress. If your job involves a lot of meetings, video conferences, and deadlines, then a schedule and planner become even more important. Making a note of each item means you don’t have to worry about forgetting things.
Using a digital planner is advised because it allows you to set up filters and reminders, create groups, tasks, and so forth.
Learn to Prioritize Tasks
Sometimes it’s not a matter of making sweeping changes in the workplace and instituting a new scheduling and organizational system; rather, it comes down to perfecting your skills. Learning how to prioritize tasks doesn’t just help you systematically work through things; it also helps you to learn what is worth stressing about and what isn’t. Not every item on your to-do list can be labeled as high priority. Learn how to differentiate between what is urgent and what can be put on the back burner, even if for just a day or two.
Prioritizing tasks isn’t about putting things off; it’s about making sure the truly important things get done and enhancing efficiency.
Reach Out and Ask for Help When Needed
There’s also the fact that you may not be able to do everything by yourself. If your boss or clients placed unrealistic expectations on you, you have two options. You either miss deadlines and leave things undone, or you ask for help. If you own a business, it may be time to hire staff. If you work for someone else, speaking to your manager or supervisor and asking for tools or additional help may be needed.
Only Check and Respond to Emails a Few Times a Day
Emails are one of the biggest time consumers during the day. If you’re constantly checking your inbox and responding to messages when they come in, this leaves you little time for anything else. Highly efficient people tend to have specific blocks in the day meant for emails, so it’s a good idea to be firm about this schedule and stick to it. If an urgent email comes in, that’s a different story, but it’s not likely this happens all day, every day.
Be Sure to Take Breaks in the Day and Step Away from Your Desk
Another important tip is to take your breaks and use that time to step away from your desk. It’s incredibly easy to work through your break and your lunch, but is that helping you? Sure, you may be able to get a lot done, but it also means you haven’t taken a single break from your stress. Taking a step back and turning your brain off, even for 10 to 15 minutes, can boost your mood, improve your concentration, and even help you stay creative.
Be Open to New Tips and Tricks
The final tip is to stay open to new ways of doing things. Just because these tips may help you create a less stressful work environment doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Circumstances change, your responsibilities at work can change, and before you know it the stress starts to build again. Accepting that reducing stress in the workplace is a work in progress rather than a one-time fix is a wise approach to take.
On that note, it’s always a good idea to research additional tips online. Never underestimate how helpful the internet can be! It just comes down to which tips speak to you and would apply to your type of work environment.
Make Time for Fun and Distractions
Similar to checking your email inbox just a few times per day, it can be a good idea to make time for distractions. Yes, you read that right—rather than allowing distractions to, well, distract you throughout the day, set aside a strict amount of time to do the things you’re itching to do.
Whether that is reading reviews of that new movie you’re itching to watch or trying out that new fish shooting game your buddy was telling you about (you can learn more by visiting this page), satisfy your curiosity and then get back to the task at hand.
Remember That You Are Not Alone
Good days and bad days are a given with any job, even if it’s your dream job. Just know you aren’t alone, as many others struggle with stress at work. With that said, it’s not entirely out of your control. Tips such as the ones mentioned here can help you lessen the stress you’re under and create a work environment that is more rewarding, balanced, and enjoyable.
