How do you get work stress under control?  

Are you burnt out? Stressed out?

We can all experience work stress from time to time, but if your work is affecting your health it is time to stop, think and make a change.

If you find yourself exhausted in the office, surviving off regular doses of coffee, collapsing when you reach the weekend and snapping at those around you because you're in a constant bad mood - you are not only experiencing work stress but also well on the way to burning out.

If you do not get this under control you can get seriously ill if you are not careful.

It is a challenge getting the right balance between hard work and good health.

Here are some steps to help you reduce your levels of stress and keep feeling burnt out under control.

Think hard about whether you are in the right role. Ask yourself some hard questions:

·        Do you enjoy what you are doing?

·        Is it interesting, fun, stimulating?

·        Do the hours work for you?

·        Is the working environment good for you?

·        Is there a good progression path?

·        Does the role suit your values, passions and strengths?

·        Are you burnt out all the time? Is it worth it?

If it is becoming obvious that maybe this isn't the most suitable role or place for you to be in then you have the option to change it! It is better to be in the right role and position for you than not. You will be much happier and healthier all around if you live the lifestyle that you want.

1. Improve your time management

Cut down on inefficient uses of your time and activities that are draining you. Cut down on late nights out, especially when you have to get up early the next day. Prepare everything you can for the next day the evening before e.g. clothes, documents, meeting preparation and so on. This will save panic and stress in the morning or during the day. Create to do lists to help you stay on top of things. Use it as a checklist you can tick off tasks from. It will keep you focused and also make you feel good when you have achieved each task.

2. Watch your diet

What you eat can affect your energy levels and therefore how you cope with the amount of pressure and stress you are under. Cut down on ready meals, take-outs and fast food. Eat more fresh vegetables, fruit and manage your diet. The healthier you are the less burnt out you will be. It is easy to let your diet suffer when time is limited but by taking short cuts you will make things worse. You need to maintain your health if you are to carry on with your work focused lifestyle.

3. Exercise

If you do not have time to exercise, make time! Early in the morning, after work, on the weekends or during your lunchtime perhaps. Maybe even flex your working hours to fit it in if you can. It is important. Keeping fit will make you feel better, give you more energy, make your brain work more efficiently and effectively and overall help your performance at work. You will be in a much better position to handle the stress and strain you may be under.

4. Flex your working hours

See if there is some flexibility around your work. Talk to your boss. Explore whether working from home is an option. Having just one day at home every now and again can really help with your energy levels by cutting out travel and giving you more control over when and how you work. You might want to get into work slightly earlier and leave earlier, or get in later and stay later in order to avoid rush hour and traffic. You can reduce the time needed to travel and hence save a lot of energy. See if you can manage your timetable to help avoid longer travel journeys. If you are stressed and burning out then anything you can do to help with your energy levels is crucial.

5. Manage your workload

If your workload is overwhelming and too much to handle, see if you can delegate it or get your colleagues and team mates to help out with different elements to spread the load. If you cannot do that, be smart in how you spend your time and what you prioritise. It is also important that you communicate what you are doing with those you are working with. Making others aware of your priorities, tasks and workload will help them in identifying how much more to give you or perhaps how to work more effectively with you to help achieve your goals.

Work pressures may lead to:

 

Accidents at Work and Occupational Health

  

For those who enter the work place today expecting a safe work environment is commonplace. Yes, we even have laws in the U.S. that make it an obligation of every employer to create safe work environment for all employees. Yet even in America, it was not always so.

Risk Assessment

Accidents in the work place and other occupational health issues have the potential to devastate a business as well as the lives of those injured. To identify every single hazard in a work environment could be virtually impossible however. But even if it is impossible to eliminate every risk, an employer is duty bound to to eliminate them as is "reasonably practicable" by law. This is done through "risk assessment".

Possible Risk Weighed Against Means Necessary

The term "physically possible" is a much broader term than "reasonably practicable". In legal terms the difference is vast. The law in the U.S. states that an employer must make a "computation" of a possible risk weighed against the means necessary for eliminating that risk. If the difference is vast (gross disproportion) between the two then the employer is in error. In other words the risk should be insignificant compared to the "sacrifice" needed to eliminate it if the danger is not addressed. So if the inverse is true- the employer is obligated to eliminate the potential risks to the employee   You always have to reconcile work and your personal life, so there are some methods that may make it easier for you to balance them .

Mastering the Work-Life Balance

  

I've been trying to get past this hurdle for some time now, so I can tell you without any hesitation that you will always need to pay close attention to the work/life balance. A lot of marketers I run into think that because they work at home and make their own schedules it will actually be a little easier to walk that line. Unfortunately, that is almost never the case. For at least a short while, I actually found it a bit harder. But, with time, I've gained a bit of insight into how this whole balancing act ought to work. So, here are a few tips I've managed to gather over the years.

1. Slow Down - Easiest one on the list. Just slow down and consider what you're doing. Is your workload too big? Are you reaching your goals any faster, or just burning out? It's really hard to slow down and back off, but sometimes it's your only option.

2. Change Your Work Schedule - If all else fails, just change your work schedule. It's not too hard to decide that 8 hours of work on a Saturday is probably a bad idea. This goes well with the slowing down part.

3. Don't Procrastinate - The number one enemy of the work at home entrepreneur is procrastination. If you don't get things done on time, of course you'll have a spillover into your personal time. Set specific times to get things done, buckle down, and get them done. The more quickly you finish your tasks, the more easily you can maintain your balance.

4. Don't Worry About Little Things - Relax a bit and stop killing yourself over things that are not that big of a deal. If you're working hard and not procrastinating, a missed deadline probably just means you gave yourself too much work to do.

5. Outsource and Share the Work - Have too much work? Start passing it off to other people. This works at home and online. Have your spouse help around the house, your kids help with chores, and contractors help with your online projects. You'd be surprised how much even a little outsourcing can save you in terms of time.

Working at home is probably the greatest experience you'll find when it comes to your career. It lets you spend time with your children, go to any events you like, and be there for your family when needed. But, you still have to pay the bills and that means finding a good balance between being there and getting work done. If you find you cannot maintain that balance, there are people you can talk to. You may even consider getting a small office space - either secluded in your home somewhere or a short distance away. You'll still have control of your hours, but that separation can help make getting things done a lot easier.

                                                                

                                                                                        

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