10 ways to manage stress in the workplace
Andrew Huberman, Neurobiologist and Professor at Stanford University says, “Stress is a generalized response to mobilize other systems in the brain and body.”
When something stresses you out, the chain of neurons in the middle of our nervous system gets activated instantly, all at once. These neurons release a lot of hormones, including adrenaline. Usually, well-meaning people tell themselves and others to ‘simply calm down’, only to exacerbate stress. However, if you want to understand how you can simply destress yourself, this blog will help you.
Common causes of stress in the workplace
Jesse Coles, a renowned leadership coach says, “As an individual, it’s your responsibility to take care of stress you feel, and those who report to you.”
Often, workplace stress arises from either or all of the following:
- Overworking
- Having poor relationships with managers and teammates
- Not getting the right help and support
Overworking
When it feels overwhelming to accommodate something to your schedule, and it’s not a resounding “YES” when someone poses a request to you, it has to go. Learning when and how to say NO is important. If you’re a manager, say NO on behalf of your team. Overwork is one of the biggest causes of stress at workplace.
Having poor relationships with managers and teammates
Focus on your relationships with your boss first. There are a lot of actions you can proactively take to improve this relationship professionally and personally.
Not getting the right help and support
Trying to deliver and help at the right time is very stressful. Learning takes time, which you are not likely to have enough of. Get the best help you can from inside or outside of work.
Tips to manage stress
1. Deliberate cold exposure to increase stress threshold
If you’re going through an immensely stressful period, say, the performance reviews, or mass recruitment happening, and need to endure stress for days together, this technique will help you. You can self-induce levels of adrenaline, and then anchor your mind to stay calm despite these spikes. Take a cold shower for a minute, and try staying calm when the initial wave of cold hits you. This practice improves your ability to think under pressure and make good decisions.
2. Practice physiological sigh
Discovered in the 1930s, and is still effective. Psychological sigh is a breathing technique in which you take a deep breath, followed by a sharp second inhalation, and exhale thoroughly. It regulates anger and reactivity levels. It's also proven to reduce stress and improve confidence.
3. Contribute to charitable causes
You serve people in your company but don’t often get to know the positive impact you made in their lives. Over time, this can leave you emotionally drained, and gradually start affecting how you interact with your employees. One good way to replenish your emotional health is by contributing to a charitable cause, and knowing exactly how the end recipients are going to benefit from it.
4. Separate your workstation from the rest of your house
If you’re working from home, the common temptation is to work from the living room, so you can keep a tab on the children, people who knock on your door, and what’s happening in the rest of the house. In the evenings, after you log out, and you’re making dinner, you glance at your laptop staring at you from the living room, and you’re tempted to check out your emails. It takes away the point of having boundaries. Create a dedicated workspace for yourself in a place that you can’t see unless you’re in it.
5. Create an end-of-day switch-off routine
You need a ritual to perform at the end of the day, so you’re not tempted to resume working again. It can be setting a timer on your phone to start playing soothing music at the end of the day having a coworker remind you to walk to the bus or train station with them, or an alarm going off on your phone.
One of the best ways to decompress after a stressful day is to exercise. Your sympathetic drive has been working overtime throughout the day, give it a closure by exercising, so you can rest peacefully at night. If you don’t have time to work out, take a leisurely walk through your nearby park, or at least walk home from the bus stop when you return home.
6. Have lunch away from your workstation
This is applicable, whether you work from home or the office. Grabbing a bite as you attend meetings, respond to emails, or read documents isn’t as healthy or productive as it looks. Lunch break is your time to get a brain break, a few minutes without technology, or tasks looming over you. Use it wisely. Mingle with your coworkers away from your workstation, and then spend a few minutes in the rooftop garden, or terrace. Permanently block off your calendar during lunch hours, and don’t entertain any meeting invites, or catchups at the time.
7. Identify your mentors – yes, more than one
Apart from taking regular therapy, find mentors who can help you gain a new perspective, anchor you, cheer you when you’re down, make your work feel a lot better, and let you know when it’s time to level up. They can be senior leaders in your organization who are rooting for your wellbeing and are willing to share their two cents in pushing you to reach your full potential. Have at least three to five mentors you can count on.
8. Dedicate your hours to work, family, and partner
Identify when your hours of high alertness are – those are great for strategy implementation. Time your work accordingly. Avoid doubling down on coffee towards the evening, or you’ll be working actively even after hours. Work in 90-minute bouts, followed by a 20-minute break. Rinse and repeat the cycle.
When your system tires down in the evening after work, turn on DnD mode, and get off your desk. If you’re working from home, go hug your children, or partner and engage in family time. Turn off any notifications that can pull you astray from your sacred family time.
9. Set standard operating procedures in place
Regardless of whether you’re the only person taking care of your department, or you have a huge team, your employees need to know what they should approach you for. Prepare proper documentation, an SOP that details what you can do for them, how to approach you, what details should they have in hand, what to expect and how long will it take, and share it with your employees.
You’re here to help them, and they should have only reasonable expectations from you. If you don’t do this, and enforce your boundaries, you’ll wake up every day to a deluge of emails, and messages about everything under the sun that you have no idea about. This will save you a lot of back and forth.
10. Take regular water and movement breaks
If you have recurring meetings every morning, keep an alarm on your phone to remind you to drink water after every meeting, before hopping onto the next one. If you feel your energy slumps midday after a hearty lunch, set an alarm to remind you to move, or walk at least a few paces up and down your workstation for a few minutes.