She Leads Africa

4 ways to Deal with Stress as at work

Our work lives can bring along a certain level of stress upon us. The stress could come from dealing with expectations from bosses or supervisors. There might be nerve-wracking deadlines that you have to meet up with. Or you could find yourself in a co-working space that makes it difficult to get work done. All of this could lead to stress. Stress is not something that should be taken lightly, as it takes a negative toll on your body and mind. It can cause you to either gain or lose weight, or result in physical symptoms such as having backaches or pounding headaches. Stress also leads to a negative mindset. You can feel moody, or disturbed about your life. Needless to say, stress does no good. Do not get overwhelmed by your To-Do list. It is necessary to find ways to reduce and relieve yourself from it. I have some tips from my experience on how to find ways to deal with stress from work. 1. Prioritize and Delegate As ladies, we often love to pride ourselves on multitasking. Multitasking is alright, but always trying to do too much all at once can lead you to severe stress or worse, a breakdown. That’s why I’m all about prioritizing. You can still be productive by focusing on the most important things first, then, set aside time later or another day for other tasks. Also, if you feel that too much is on your plate, don’t be afraid to speak up. Don’t get caught up in wanting to be the “superwoman” but feeling completely exhausted. In a workplace, there are often others around that you can lean on to carry some load off you. If there are members of your team that you can shift some responsibilities to, then pass on the information. If you are a one-woman team but feel that there is too much going on, have a conversation with your boss. You might need to get an assistant or intern to help you accomplish all the duties. 2. Take that lunch break with Your co-workers When the work seems to be pilling up and overwhelming you, having a fun conversation with your co-worker might feel like the last thing you want to do but it could help. Having amicable connections with your co-workers could ease the tension and stress you feel from work. Socializing with co-workers serves as an avenue for you to take a little break from work while still at work. Your co-workers could even provide solutions to the stress you feel by offering their input or strategies to help you tackle a difficulty you might be facing. So do not spend your entire workday glued to your desk and laptop. Look around at the people you work with, take a lunch break with someone. 3. Use Music to ease the tension Music can bring some inner calm when work makes you want to pull your hair out. If you have a favorite artist and songs that will get you going, then have that playlist on your phone. You can get your earpiece and tune into your favorite songs to help you get motivated or simply in a better mood. If you’re not the type of person that can work with music on, then consider a short break from your desk. Often times, if we become too glued to a screen, it can cause headaches. Get up from your desk and maybe stretch for a few minutes. Or get up from your desk and take a short walk outside the office building. After some time away from the desk, you could find yourself in a better mood. You could figure out a solution to tackle the task at hand. 4. Get your body moving to chase the worries away Taking up a physical activity can be what you need to take your mind off the duties in the workplace. It can help you to feel better because of the endorphin that the body produces while working out. Exercise can have numerous benefits. It not only keeps the body fit and healthy but it helps in the mindset. When I graduated, left school life and started my first job, I had some level of stress. I had to get used to working structures, responsibilities and finding a work/life balance. What helped me deal with the stress was keeping up with my exercise routine from university days. Exercising was my outlet to not get so worried about whether I was doing things right. Exercise is was what boosted my mood to feel confident that I was capable of handling new responsibilities. If you are not already taking up a physical activity, yet you have stress from work, then making time to workout matters. You could workout before or after your work or during the weekend would be helpful.