Whether you’ve been in the workforce for years or if you’re still in college and just trying to prepare yourself, there are a few things you can do to improve your work week. Your mood, health and your job performance can easily suffer if you don’t make these things a priority. Here are a few tips:
Establish a Routine
One of the simplest ways to reduce work-related stress is to develop a routine for your day-to-day tasks. A routine will eliminate the need to make decisions first thing every day. Knowing what tasks you need to complete and having a system for completing them will help you manage your time efficiently, reducing stress.
“Is it time to look for a position with a different company?”. Career Expo 20110928 009 by City of Marietta, GA, on Flickr. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Look at the Small Picture
If you ever sit down at your desk and feel overwhelmed by the work in front of you, don’t give in! Try and mentally divide the work into several smaller tasks. For example, if you’re writing a report, start with a simple outline and work from there. Looking at a big job as a series of smaller tasks will help you focus on getting each step done, rather than feeling overwhelmed or panicked.
Take Breaks
At the office and at home, it’s important to take time to focus on something else once in a while. If you’re having a hard time at work, taking a short break to think about something else can leave you refreshed and better able to tackle the task. Rather than staring at a computer screen until you feel frustrated, decompress for a few minutes, and return to your work with fresh eyes!
Look After Your Body
It might seem like even more work, but it’s important to make sure that you are eating well and getting some exercise. Both of these things are important to your overall health, and can help you manage and reduce stress. Exercise releases feel-good endorphins, and will boost your mood and your confidence. Whether you go for a run or practice yoga in your living room, every little bit counts.
Focus on the Positive
It’s easy to get sucked into a negative way of thinking. If all you think about are the things you don’t like about your job, that’s all you’ll see! Remind yourself of what you like about your job. If you really like your coworkers, enjoy the challenge of your job, love the flexibility or even just enjoy the pay, remind yourself of that.
No matter what field you work in or where you are at in your career, there are steps you can take to reduce stress and prevent your work week from feeling like a jail sentence. If you truly find that you can’t be happy in your current workplace, though, don’t be afraid to explore that feeling. Determine if it’s really your job making you unhappy, or something else. If it’s your job, try and figure out what specifically isn’t working for you. From there, you can decide if it’s time to look for a position with a different company, or if it might even be time to do something different. Your happiness and success are up to you, so don’t be afraid to pursue the changes you need.
