How To Minimize Stress at Work

With May’s Mental Health Awareness Month in full swing, there’s no better time to talk about the realities of managing stress in the workplace. According to the Anxiety and Depression Society of America, stress and anxiety most strongly impacts work performance, relationships with coworkers, and the quality of work. Furthermore, over 70% of survey respondents noted that work-related stress also impacts their personal lives. 

Given these staggering statistics, it’s important to take a proactive approach to stress management. It may be easier than you think! Here are five simple ways employers and job-seekers alike can minimize workplace stress: 

1. Set and maintain confident professional boundaries. Creating limits for yourself can stop your job from quickly becoming your life. Consider defining when your colleagues can and cannot contact you, setting firm working hours, and limiting the personal time you spend with your work connections. Remember: you are a person outside of your job!
   
   
2. Make time throughout the workday for intermittent self-care breaks. Ever have those days where you sit down to work and get so caught up in your projects that you work through lunch? In addition to your lunch break, allow yourself short breaks throughout the day to stretch, drink water, or even go for a walk. Taking time away from your workspace can allow you to come back refreshed and ready to tackle your deadlines. 
   
   
3. Think before committing to new projects. Before you jump to join that new committee, task force, or group initiative, ask yourself: Will I realistically have the capacity to take on this new responsibility? Consider your needs and available resources, and whether it will lead to overextending yourself. Spreading yourself too thin can quickly lead to feeling overwhelmed. 
   
   
4. Delegate responsibilities. Think of delegation as an opportunity to acknowledge the strengths of your team members and further develop their skills. Make it clear that your organization values employees who understand where their time is best spent by modeling delegation in your own work.
   
   
5. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Although you may be feeling self-conscious, it’s okay to admit when you’re struggling. Many employers prefer their employees to be open communicators. Your manager can be better equipped to provide you with support or adjustments to your workload if you’re honest with them– and yourself. If talking directly with your manager feels too intimidating, try talking with your Human Resources department. They can provide you with workplace accommodations to minimize your stress, especially if it is tied to an experience of disability. 

Now in its 73rd year, Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity for everyone – those within and beyond the disability community – to take a closer look at the importance of prioritizing the needs of our minds, even if it takes precedence over workplace deadlines. How are you prioritizing your mental health? 

Getting Hired is committed to building and promoting inclusive workforces and connecting that diverse talent to employers who are cultivating accommodating environments.