Tips for minimizing office stress

Stress in the workplace can cause all sorts of problems. No one enjoys working at an office that is full of stress, but sometimes it just happens. Now just imagine how nice it would be to work in a stress-free environment. You would be happy, your employees would be content and much more work would be completed! So here are twelve tips to help you minimize office stress.

1. Improve your time management and organization skills. One of the many things you can do to reduce office stress includes getting a to do list that works, learning to say "no", asking for help when you need it, and stop setting unrealistic goals for yourself. You'll find that just saying "no" and making a list of tasks will greatly minimize your level of stress.

2. Relax and breathe deeply. Maybe you're feeling overwhelmed by the amount or work you have to do or if someone who is really getting on your nerves. Maybe you're starting to feel that panic or irritation that goes along with stress. Next time you start to feel this, try breathing through your nose. You won't get nearly as worked up if you force yourself to breathe through your nose.
3. Take more breaks from your work. Any little break will help. Try getting away from your desk for at least 5 minutes every hour. Go for a walk- outside is better, but up two flights of stairs and back down is good too. Or just take a lap around the cubicles.
4. Get more exercise. Getting more exercise in general will help you reduce your overall stress levels and that will make it easier to reduce your stress level at work.
5. Lighten up. Smile more. Laugh more. Don't be so uptight! We all know that laughter reduces stress. You will be amazed at how much more pleasant the people around you are when you make an effort to be pleasant yourself.
6. Promote social interaction. You and your employees will feel much less stress in the workplace if they have the opportunity to get to know each other. This may mean that you need to plan activities for workers to interact, or it may mean that you should encourage lunch activities. The atmosphere at your work will become more relaxed and you'll also gain better access to other people for help finishing a project or covering a shift.
7. Find ways to reduce your workload. Whether it is by sharing it with others, delegating difficult tasks, or asking for more time off or agreeing to cut down on work hours, this should be your first step. Overworked employees are one of the number one causes of stress in the workplace. If you can't afford to cut down on work hours, consider a different arrangement, or find ways to become more productive by using different equipment or organizational system.
8. Learn to listen better. Don't get so upset when others disagree with you. Try to listen what the others are saying and find areas where you do agree. Be assertive and stand up for yourself, but don't be rigid.
9. Don't sweat the small stuff. Realize that there are some things that just aren't worth worrying about and there are some things you just can't change. Don't waste time stressing over the things in either category.
10. Get more sleep. This is something that everyone can do to reduce overall stress. It will have benefits in all aspects of your life, including at home and at the office. It will also increase your energy level and your ability to concentrate.

Rating: 0/5 (0 votes cast)

---

Categories: Stress,

Help others find this article:
Socializer, Digg, del.icio.us, reddit, StumbleUpon

Favorites: Add to favorites
Tags: business business_management stress office_stress minimizing_office_stress