While some stress is always normal, too much stress interferes with productivity and reduces physical and emotional health. It’s important to find ways to keep this tension under control because the sources of stress are never going away. Building self-control is central to this idea as a growing sense of self-control is the strength that will lead to better stress management at work.
Management’s Role with Workplace Stress
Management has a role in this because stress makes people stupid. Since people behave very differently under stress than when they feel secure, one of the roles of management is to provide an environment with as much of the artificial stresses removed from it as possible. An artificial stress would be emphasizing appearances instead of results for example.
When the stress is reduced and people are feeling secure about themselves, they operate on a higher plane and the spirit of the group rises additionally. The results are there also. An organization can have a “personality” that can be described by how it operates most of the time. It also has a mood that appears when it is under stress with those characteristics, and one that appears when it is in a secure situation.
The Individual’s Role with Workplace Stress
Just like a physically fit person can bear more weight, an emotionally fit person can handle more stress. This is an important idea because the stress associated with any job is likely to be there all the time. Notice how some people can handle a position easily where it overwhelms others. The job is the same, only the people are different. What distinguishes the successful people here is their degree of fitness to handle stress.
Getting fit to handle stress requires that individuals develop the physical, mental, and spiritual strengths to handle the tensions they are faced with.
Five Tips to be Able to Handle More Stress
- Watch the intakes. People should carefully watch what they are taking in. Eating small, frequent meals throughout the day maintains blood sugar. Anxiety and irritability can be symptoms of low blood sugar. Eating too much can make you lethargic. Drink alcohol in moderation and avoid nicotine altogether.
- Take care of the body. Exercise with an elevated pulse for 40 minutes five days a week. Get enough sleep as a lack of sleep also leaves one vulnerable to stress and the ability to handle stress is compromised.
- Nourish the brain. Read books, do crosswords, play chess, and play video games that require thought. Keep the brain active so it’s responsive when called upon.
- Feed the soul. For some this is through their religion. For others it may come though nature, music, art, a hobby, or meditation.
- Manage time. All work and no play equals burnout. Avoid over commitment, take breaks, and step away from the job from time to time. Stepping away from work to briefly relax and recharge will help one be more, not less, productive. Be on time. Don’t add to stress levels by running late.
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