Coping with Work Stress: Mind, Body and Soul

Our life is mainly focused on having a job so we can be a productive member of society. There are many sources of work stress that impact our growth as a person. Factors include unemployment rate, job mismatch, low salary grade, family issues, excessive workloads, few opportunities for growth, lack of social support, unclear performance expectations, etc. The duress that society brings is a reminder that we need to learn to love whatever job we have. as long as we are earning money.

We are taught this from a young age, even if it means losing ourselves in the process. That’s why keeping a healthy work environment is very essential when keeping ourselves healthy, even when you feel under pressure. If you are healthy at work, you tend to get more work done. By doing so, there’s an improvement in productivity and quality of work. A happy employee means a happy employer. However, what will you do if your work becomes your stressor?

The Effects of Stress

Anyone who has held a job eventually experienced the pressure of work stress. This type of stress can be short-term or long-term. The former is when you feel the pressure of having a deadline or a quota to achieve. The latter is when the pressure and anxiety become chronic and persistent to the point of losing yourself, the job, or both. Stress is a difficult enemy to fight and it doesn’t just disappear once you leave work. Aside from the fact that you cannot see it, stress is frightening because you can feel and think about it.

Not only will stress drain your mental energy, but your physical energy as well. You may not notice but you will slowly lose track of yourself and eventually feel unmotivated. Be mindful about some of the signs and symptoms of work-related stress: headache, stomach pains, sleep disturbance, short-temper, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, insomnia, depression, etc. Some people deal with it in unhealthy ways by eating excessively, smoking cigarettes, alcohol and drug abuse. 

Managing Your Stress

There are many ways to healthily manage stress, such as:

• Build a Social Support System- Find a co-worker that you feel comfortable talking to about work and someone who is relatable. It is helpful to talk to someone who specifically handles the same job as you do. No one can listen better than someone who feel as much stress as you feel.

• Take Time to Relax-  This part is tricky because relaxing is unique to every person. Small details such as treating yourself to a nice rest, buying your favorite drink and food, exploring different cuisine and taste, reading a book, meditating, strolling at the beach while listening to music, pampering yourself, doing your hobby, discovering new adventures, etc., are some of the ways that how you can relax.

• Sweat It Out- What better way to combat stress than releasing all the negative toxins out of your system? Exercising is a proven method in combatting work-related stress. Jogging, biking, swimming, yoga, sauna, sun-exposure, etc., are good ways to cleanse you from all different kinds of stress.

• Take Time Off- Taking time off from work means a work and life balanced environment. Studies show that this is the type of environment that millennials and the new generation prefer. If they cannot find this, then there’s a bigger tendency that they leave the company. You need to set up boundaries of your life and work. If it’s time for work, then you should be giving your full 100%. However, if it’s your day off or you’re on leave, then use it to do whatever makes you happy. Don’t let your vacation go to waste.

            Coping up with stress is very unique to each individual. These are just some ways to help, but you are still the only person who can decide how you handle the stress that comes your way. Track down what stresses you and take measures to combat it. Find what relieves you from stress and do it often. Discover yourself, what you like and what you don’t, and make a move from there.

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