From burnout to balance, how to master work stress

From burnout to balance, how to master work stress

Stress comes in many forms, but workplace stress has become a major problem in the United States.

Mental healthcare company Headspace’s 2024 Workforce State of Mind Report found 86 percent of workers (that’s 4 out of 5) have experienced moderate, high or extreme stress in the past year – primarily coming from work. The research aligns with previous reports, including the American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work in America Survey, where 77 percent of workers said they experienced negative impacts due to work-related stress, including emotional exhaustion, irritability and anger.

While stress has a purpose in the workplace – it can help you stay alert and motivated – prolonged stress can take a toll on your health. In fact, chronic stress is the main contributing factor to disease development. It can lead to burnout, anxiety and other mental health issues. Burnout reduces job productivity and boosts absenteeism and job turnover, which can cause conflicts and misunderstandings between coworkers, spreading stress across the workplace.

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Here are eight strategies to help master workplace stress:

¦ Journal: A good way to deal with stress at work is to identify stressors or “signs of stress” immediately instead of letting situations escalate. Keep a journal for one week about situations that create the most stress and how you respond to them. Write down your thoughts, the circumstances involved and how you reacted. Did you raise your voice? Get a snack? Go for a walk? Review notes to help find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.

¦ Unplug: Establish work-life boundaries for yourself and avoid the pressure to be available 24 hours a day. Stop checking email from home at night or answering the phone on the weekends. Make time for family and friends to ensure you have time to recharge.

Taking regular breaks throughout the workday will also help prevent burnout .

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Move: Exercise is both a great stress buster and relaxation technique. Practicing yoga is another excellent choice, but any form of physical activity can improve both physical and mental health. Take a quick walk during lunch, attend a yoga class or a gym workout to help you manage stress and stay energized.

¦ Breathe: Meditation, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness can also significantly reduce stress levels. Mindfulness is about learning, bit by bit, how to train your attention to stay in the present instead of ruminating over the past or racing into the future. The skill to focus purposefully on a single activity without distraction will get stronger with practice and can help manage anxiety and improve concentration.

¦ Affirm: Develop a positive mindset through repeated practice, a concept called neuroplasticity. Practice gratitude with positive affirmations and visualizations to help rewire your brain with new neural pathways. These new pathways can transform how you handle stress in more skillful ways than automatically reacting out of habit.

¦ Relax: Don’t let your vacation days go to waste. When possible, take time off to relax and unwind, so you return to work feeling reinvigorated and ready to perform at your best. When you are not able to take time off, get a quick lift by turning off your smartphone and focusing attention on nonwork activities.

¦ Balance: Looming deadlines and excessive workloads can be improved by time management. Prioritize tasks by importance and deadlines and break large projects into smaller, more manageable parts. Choose chunking over multitasking, that is, allocate blocks of time that allow you to focus on one project at a time so you can complete it. Delegate tasks to lighten your load and foster teamwork.

¦ Communicate: Start an open and honest conversation with your supervisor about creating a comfortable workspace that promotes mental health well-being and includes employer-sponsored wellness resources you can use. Always accept support from your employer through an employee assistance program and referral to mental health counseling when needed.

Managing work stress is an ongoing process that requires regular attention. It’s not only good for you but will also contribute to a more positive and productive work environment for everyone. ¦

Mindful Minute by Barbie Lopez, LMHC with Counseling Associates of America is dedicated to addressing mental health care and support for both individuals, couples and families. americascounselors.com/

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