To be or not to be : Stressed at Office

To be or not to be : Stressed at Office

When it comes to things which are inevitable at the workplace, the first name comes up is of “The Stress”. Whether it be over - competitive colleague, micromanaging boss or too much work, stress is there. And let's face it, it's up to you how you handle it coz most of the time there are more external stressors which play a crucial role than the internal ones.  

To keep pace with office politics and work with maximum efficiency, you need a calm & composed mind and a healthy body. Stress has its series of side effects like anxiety, insomnia, irregular eating habits, hormonal disturbance and many more which put bad effects on your body and also hamper work life balance.

Here, 6 simple ways with which you can manage stress in the office and be more efficient:

Prioritize: Yes, try to make a list of 5 top important things in your life, whether its work-related, relationship, family or health. Once you make it, try to focus on those areas one at a time. Take baby steps and do not overburden yourself with lots of tasks. This one particular step will help you to reduce almost 50% of your stress, coz now you have some focused areas which you need to take care.

Get Organized: Getting organized and planning is not everyone's cup of tea, coz let’s face it it's not something you inherit. But the good news is you can include it in your routine and make it a habit. Being organized means lesser rush in the morning, reaching office on time, attending meetings on time and this will help you in clearing the negative effects of clutter and being more efficient in work.

Have healthy work relationships: Read somewhere that "there are no friends at work, just colleagues" And to some extent, I found it true. Getting over-friendly or attached with your colleagues may at times prove harmful leading to emotional exploitation and distrust which may affect your work. Keeping a healthy distance with your colleagues and separate personal and professional life can help you if you have nosy or over competitive colleagues.  \

Keep moving: In the above 3 points, we have spoken about external stressors and how to handle them. But there are few ways to manage stress internally which can help you in the longer run. Include some physical activities in your routine. These physical activities could be anything from a simple walk/jog to yoga or hitting the gym regularly. Also, in the office, you can try to get up and move on regular intervals or have a standing desk or do some stretching exercises. Endorphins released from these physical activities will not only keep you happy but also help you to manage stress in a much better way.

Eat well: You all must have heard this saying: " You are what you eat" and this proves itself when you are sitting all day long in the office and eating junk. Sugar or fat-laden foods like pizza, burgers, and ice cream make us feel lethargic, and less likely to tackle the problems that lay before us, which in turn only increases our stress. That’s why it’s so important to eat healthy foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates that fuel our brains and support concentration and focus. This will give you the power to learn how to handle work pressure & how to overcome stress at work. 

Sleep Well: Stress has been linked with insomnia and its true in case of corporate employees as well. work and deadline pressure can lead you to sleepless nights and may increase stress many folds. To help yourself and smartly manage stress, try to have 7-8 hours of sleep daily and have a strict schedule when it’s comes to resting your body.

So, these are few simple ways with which you can keep stress at bay and make achieve work life balance despite of those deadlines, long meetings and annoying boss. 

Dr. Snehal Samvatsar,

Ergogene