You spend all day in the office dealing with a plethora of different stresses and then are somehow expected to come home and be 100 percent present for your family. Some working parents don’t have any trouble in this department, but others find it impossible to balance the two. Though stress comes with any job, when it’s draining you physically and mentally, it makes it impossible to give your best to your children and family. Finding a way to reduce workplace stress is, therefore, your only resolve.
Signs There’s Too Much Stress
If work and stress are common, how do you know when your job is just too stressful? Here are a few signs to pay attention to:
- Various scenarios at work or the very thought of your job causes you to feel like you’re having a heart attack. Your heart starts racing, you break out in cold sweats, and anxiety reaches unhealthy levels.
- You’re not getting enough sleep at night, or are so overwhelmed that you’re starting to sleep too much.
- You have unexplained body aches
- You’re always irritable and moody
- You are unable to concentrate or perform your job duties
- You’re picking fights and getting into unnecessary trouble
- Your spouse has become your venting source for problems in the office
- You’ve started to neglect your responsibilities as a parent
- You “need” a bottle of wine or a cigarette at the end of each day
- You become depressed on Sundays
- You feel sick more often
What Should You Do?
If this is how you feel on a regular basis, you’re on the brink of a burnout. Resolving the matter(s) at work, is, therefore, vital to your health. If you’re dealing with extreme symptoms like anxiety, depression, or substance abuse, that can help mothers recover. If your problems are not that extreme yet, then a few daily practices can turn things around. Here are some ways to reduce the stress in your workplace.
- Change Morning Routines – The way you start your day off has a huge impact on how the rest of your day will go – or at least play a role in how you handle the stresses as they arise. If you’re always late, skipping breakfast, and drinking loads of caffeine to get your morning jolt, you need to change these behaviors. Set an alarm so that you have enough time each day to get yourself and your family ready, eat breakfast even if it’s a smoothie or a granola bar, leave the house with enough time to avoid traffic, and try fueling up on something that will do more than give you a quick sugar rush (like drinking decaffeinated tea, orange juice, or a breakfast smoothie).
- Get Organized – Organization can help to reduce a lot of stress at work. When you mismanage your time and have no order to your responsibilities it can leave your mind all over the place. Set up systems that can help to get rid of the stress you’re dealing with. Using a calendar or scheduling app, for example, gives you a means to list your tasks, set time limits, and even get reminders so you don’t forget important steps. You can also do things like clean your desk, set up a filing system in alphabetical order or purging and use cloud storage accounts, and use checklists to stay on task are all methods that can help you get better organized so you don’t feel so bogged down all the time.
- Take Breaks – Whether you’re standing at a register all day or sitting behind a computer screen, you need to take breaks from your job. Ask your employer if you can have a fifteen-minute break and take a walk outside. Sticking to your lunch break is another way to take a load off. Instead of working through, leave your job, eat your food, and then take a few moments to do something to benefit you (take a nap, go for a jog, socialize with coworkers, etc.) With regards to taking breaks, you should also try to take a few vacation days out of the year. You don’t have to actually plan a trip, but this should be a dedicated time that allows you to recharge.
- Speak Up – If you’ve done all you can do on your own to reduce the stress of working and there isn’t much change in how you’re feeling you need to speak up. All too often employees become scared to talk to their employers for fear that they’ll lose their jobs. However, if your job is especially draining and you’re a good employee, it would be in the best interest of the employer to try and help you out. They can help to resolve conflict, reduce your workload, and provide you with resources that can make doing your job easier.
Your job may very well be what keeps the lights on and food in your family’s stomach. Yet, if your source of income is quickly becoming your source of stress and trouble, there’s no dollar amount that’s worth your physical and emotional well-being. Try making the changes listed above and if you find no resolve, talk with your employer to find solutions to reduce your stress so you can continue to give the best parts of yourself to your loved ones.
Featured Image Source: Pixabay
