Working can be extremely stressful, whether you are stuck in a cubicle or managing a team. That stress can manifest itself in sickness, clashes with co-workers, and even damage to personal relationships. Many office workers turn to drugs or alcohol for solace. But there are some alternatives that will help you deal with job stress.
Make Time To Exercise
Exercising has a myriad of benefits, and is one of the most effective stress relievers. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. These hormones interact with your brain receptors to trigger a positive feeling in our body, similar to morphine. Endorphins also help lower blood pressure and heart rate, reducing feelings of anxiety and depression.
Research shows that people who exercise regularly enjoy better sleep quality than those who don’t. In particular, researchers found that exercising for at least 150 minutes per week can improve sleep quality by up to 65%.
Exercise helps improve mood by helping the brain release serotonin, which is known as the “feel-good” hormone because it improves mood and promotes relaxation.
Exercise also can help you focus better at work by improving your concentration levels so that you can complete tasks quickly and efficiently — even when you’re not at your best due to high-stress levels or other issues
Eat Healthy
Do not skip meals
Eat breakfast
Eat a balanced diet
Do not overeat or eat too much junk food and sugar
Limit your consumption of caffeine and alcohol
Get A Good Amount Of Sleep
In addition to being bad for your health, sleep deprivation is a surefire way to make you more susceptible to stress. According to the American Psychological Association, depriving yourself of sleep can cause increased anxiety and problems with emotional regulation.
But how do you make sure you're getting enough rest when work stress is keeping you up at night? You have to learn how to deal with it earlier in the day so that it doesn't affect your sleep.
Make Time For Friends
There's a lot of research showing that social support is important for stress management. Social support is the time we spend with friends, family and other people in our social network—both in person and online. There are several reasons why spending time with friends can help you manage stress:
Socializing gives you an opportunity to escape from the demands of work, which provides some much-needed relief.
Having a strong social network helps you cope with the problems that cause job stress. Friends provide emotional support, encouragement, advice and perspective when you're working through difficult situations at work.
Spending time with friends boosts your mood. If you feel down or stressed out about work, it can be tough to get back on track again on your own. Spending time with people who bring out your positive emotions makes it easier to get back into a better frame of mind.
Set Limits At Work
No matter how much you might like your job, it’s still a good idea to establish limits around what you're willing and able to do.
Avoid over-committing yourself. If you can't get all of your projects done in the time allotted, you will start feeling like a failure. It's OK to say "no" to additional responsibilities if it looks like there won't be enough time for everything.
Step away from the job regularly. Make sure that you take regular breaks for lunch instead of working through the day at your desk eating a sandwich or nibbling on snacks. Take short breaks throughout the day to stretch and move around and get some fresh air outside if possible.
Make a clear distinction between your personal life and work-life by setting boundaries with coworkers and management. Don't answer personal calls during working hours or respond to personal emails during business hours unless it's an emergency situation when someone in your family needs immediate assistance.
Final thoughts
There is no way to completely avoid stress, but we can make a concerted effort to live a more healthy lifestyle in general. Making time for healthy habits—from exercise and diet to socializing with friends and having good sleep—can help reduce the negative effects of job stress, which in turn will allow you to cope better.