Do you find yourself dreading work as soon as you get up in the morning? Does work anxiety interfere with other aspects of your life? You are not alone. According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association, 62% of Americans report that work has a significant impact on their stress levels. If you're one of those workers who suffer from stress at work, consider these 5 tips to lower stress:
Breathe Through Tension at Work
Sounds simple but research has shown that deep breathing and meditation techniques can reduce stress significantly. The University of Massachusetts Medical School found that subjects were calmer after only 8 weeks of adding a short amount of meditation to their lives.
Visit Mindtools.com for basic instructions for deep breathing meditation. Start with just 5 minutes a day before work. You can also use breathing techniques throughout your workday. When you begin feeling anxiety and stress set in, close your eyes and take 5 deep breaths-breathing in for 10 seconds and then breathing out for 10 seconds.
Beat the Mean Boss Blues
Most everyone has had the unpleasant experience of a demanding or downright mean boss. There are several ways you can combat the stress that comes with a difficult supervisor. MSNBC's career website's article, "Tips for Dealing with a Mean Boss," details some helpful suggestions including:
- Make your boss look good -- If your boss knows that you can help her (deserved or not) she is more apt to go easy on you.
- Show confidence -- If your boss smells fear he might use that against you. Dress professionally, stand up straight, and speak up and you're more likely to be viewed as an equal rather than someone who can be pushed around.
- Circumnavigate your boss -- Make sure that others in higher positions know what a good job you are doing. This will make it easier to advance professionally without relying solely on the word of your boss.
Combat Work Anxiety with Some Sleep
According to the National Sleep Foundation, lack of sleep effects our jobs, relationships, and productivity. Getting a good night sleep can make all of the difference in our attitude at work. Going into an already stressful situation on little sleep does nothing to help the experience, and may lead to more work anxiety.
Experts vary on their estimates of the ideal amount of sleep but the general consensus is 7-9 hours per night (National Sleep Foundation). Make an effort to get a full night's sleep so that you can go into work with your game face on.
Leave Job Stress at Work
Having activities and passions outside of work will make it easier to leave stress at work and not dwell on work woes "off the clock." Carve out time for yourself to help you enjoy your time outside of the office and make going back more tolerable. Some beneficial work-life balance suggestions from Mayoclinic.com include:
- Nurture yourself -- take time, even if only for 15 minutes, a day to be good to yourself. Take a hot bath, listen to music, stretch, or participate in other enjoyable or relaxing activities.
- Make downtime really downtime -- Everyone has to take work home from time to time, but try your best to have non-working weekends, nights and vacations.
- Play -- Make a serious commitment to playtime. Dedicate one night every week to pure fun: have dinner with friends, enjoy family movie night, or take a yoga class. Whatever your "play" of choice is, stick to it like a real appointment.
Take Action
If try as you might, you can't seem to shake or at least minimize your tension at work, get moving. Stress at work won't only effect your work life, but can also seep into your personal life, affecting your emotional and physical health. Start searching the job boards and updating that resume. The mere action of taking steps to change your current situation will help make your job more bearable.
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