Job Stress, Beat It!

There are many critical aspects associated with job satisfaction. That you enjoy doing it is the most important of them all. Sometimes, people are in jobs that they enjoy doing and yet they feel stressed out. The reasons could be plenty such as over-work, office politics, not getting enough recognition or rewards, or any other personal reason. This can lead to job stress that not just affects your performance but also your health. You no longer feel satisfied by your work, you feel de-motivated and you even start questioning if you are in the right job at all. These are all symptoms of job stress and as soon as you identify the problem, you must look at ways to rectify it. If it lingers on for long, it can do some irreparable damage to your career.

Stress cannot be completely done away with. It is part and parcel of the workplace culture. Stress can be both negative and positive. Positive stress is when you are working against time to meet a particular deadline and when you achieve it, you receive due recognition and acknowledgement. Negative stress could be when you put in your extra to accomplish a task and yet nobody acknowledges your effort. This can lead to mental stress. Now, you can’t do much about the external factors causing stress to you but you can alter your perspective and attitude to manages stress in a manner that it is least damaging to you.

If your job bogs you down or you are going through a particularly bad phase at workplace, think about the good times. Remember the times when your professional achievement was applauded and appreciated. Try to remember the reasons that led to that success. How did you approach your work then and what did you different? Thinking about good times will give you a ray of hope and you will realize that all is not lost. Also, you will regain confidence in your own capabilities. If you achieved it then, you can surely achieve it now too.

Keep negative thoughts at an arm’s length. Always remember that negativity begets negativity. If you think that you are not capable of doing something or reaching somewhere, you probably will never achieve that. Instead, think positive and remain positive. Even if a particular assignment at work did not go the way you wanted it to, it does not mean that you are bad at your job. Use positive language; remain in company of positive people. A stressed out person is quite vulnerable and there are elements at the workplace that are ready to take advantage of that. So, stay away from colleagues who do loose talk, are negative or involve in back-biting. They will only add to your stress levels. If there are high targets to achieve, break them down in smaller, more achievable targets in a time-bound manner. This way, you will be able to achieve more in a less stressed manner.

Also, take out time for yourself. While working in a job, it is quite likely that you will lose focus of your individuality or your personal life. Take short breaks after a few days. Even in a day’s time, take small breaks at least twice to relax your mind. Go out for lunch or coffee or just take time out. Don’t just keep sitting on your desk in front of your computer. When you are taking your little break, don’t even entertain a phone call. Just relax your mind and return to work feeling refreshed and more productive.

Monotony is a primary reason of stress. If you keep doing the same work day in and day out, your job will definitely get monotonous and lead to stress. Try to avoid this situation. Identify new work for yourself and ask your boss if you can do it or pro-actively ask your reporting manager to give you new work. If you are able to break the monotony of work, fatigue will not set in so soon. You can even look at learning something new and upgrading your skills. Also, it will make you eligible for new responsibilities at the workplace. Following these simple tips, you can beat the job stress and be more satisfied with your regular job.