Managing Workplace Stress

When not at home, most find themselves at work.

While it’s normal for many to experience a little bit of stress at work, excessive or prolonged stress can be detrimental to your mental health.

COVID-19 has added increased responsibilities and stress to the workplace. It’s important to maintain a healthy environment at your workplace. Managing workplace stress should be a priority if you feel consistent stress from your job.

Workplace stress can lower productivity and morale, as well as lead to mistakes and misunderstandings. Causes of workplace stress can include:

●       Pressure to perform or meet certain productivity standards

●       Working overtime or long shifts without breaks

●       Fear of being laid off or losing your job

●       Dissatisfaction with wages

It’s necessary to recognize what causes stress for you at work to be able to address it. The effects of the stress can show through anxiety, depression, lack of appetite and inability to concentrate and perform. To manage or decrease your workplace stress, ITM recommends a few methods:

●       Make sure you’re receiving enough sleep each night

●       See a mental health specialist to work through a strategy to address the situation

●       Adjust your work routine to include more breaks and a balanced schedule

●       Prioritize task management efforts in group projects

●       Speak with your manager about workplace responsibilities to create clarity and fix workplace stressors

●       Try to avoid bringing your work home with you, or try to avoid combining work from home with relaxation

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have rippled into everyone’s life. It’s necessary to acknowledge external stressors that are having an impact on your workplace. Don’t expect perfectionism and maintained productivity when your environment isn’t conducive. Regardless of what your job is, there are a variety of methods to decrease stress and improve your workplace environment.