Stress At Work And How To Deal With It

According to The Heath and Safety Executive, 12.5 million work days were lost in the UK due to stress at work, anxiety, de

pression and other mental health issues.

Between 2009 and 2012, 44% of days lost were caused due to workload levels while 14% were due to a lack of support.

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2014 and 2017 – health and social workers suffered the most number of lost days due to this issue per 100,000 workers.

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If you are dealing with stress at work or anxiety at work, it’s important that you get the support you need so that you can avoid days off work. So, if you need help with anxiety at work or you have issues with stress and anxiety, here are some useful tips.

Let It Out

First, if you are having an issue that is impacting you emotionally, then you need to make sure that you find a way to release what you are feeling. This is one of the first lessons courses for dealing with depression teach.

Obviously, the best option is to speak to a manager or someone in the structure of command who can help you deal with an issue and find a solution.

Should you feel unable to do this, you might want to consider a visit to your GP who will be able to refer you to your local wellbeing service for talking therapy which could be an effective outlet for dealing with the issues that are causing you stress at work.

Don’t Go Past Your Limits

When you need help with stress at work, it is likely due to the fact that you are taking on too much, or you are struggling with pressures and stresses at home too, which might affect you capability at work. It’s a competitive world these days, and everyone is constantly being pushed to go the extra mile.

However, if you constantly do this, then you run the risk of burn out and ultimately, that is going to lead to high levels of stress and anxiety, which could affect your physical wellbeing. Make sure that you are not putting your work over everything else. It’s crucial that you still have time to relax and enjoy life and ultimately, enjoy your job whilst keeping a good work/life balance.

Exercise and Downtime At Work

Various studies have shown that exercise can help with stress and anxiety at work.

Exercising and making time for YOU will allow you to regulate your breathing which can relax and rejuvenate the body as well as the mind. There are various forms of exercise that you can do in the office such as desk yoga. With desk yoga, you can spend as little ten or fifteen minutes between projects, tasks and jobs by completing simple movements, even in a confined space.

Mindfulness At Work

Being mindful doesn’t have to take up lots of time at work, neither is it about stopping what you are doing. We can practice mindful activities and behaviour wherever we are and reap the benefits of lowering our heart rate, calming our minds and feeling less stressed.

The art of being mindful means being fully present in the moment and being aware of all of your senses within that moment. It certainly does not mean multitasking! In fact, mindfulness is quite the opposite and encourages the mind to be at one with one task.

For example, sitting at your desk, in a meeting or walking to and from work; practice tuning in to your senses. Identify what you can see, hear, smell and feel. Be present in what you are doing and practice gently pulling your thoughts back to the ‘here and now’ instead of worrying about what you need to do in the next minute, hour or day. The more we practice this the more we build our energy, complete tasks and learn to live in a more fulfilling and present way.

Get The Breaks You Need

Finally, make sure that you are taking the breaks you need.

Sometimes when you need help with anxiety at work, taking your designated time for lunch is the right move. Getting lunch and spending half an hour or an hour away from the office gives you time to reboot and recover from the morning. Perhaps you have already had a couple of hours filled with stress and anxiety. Get some good, nutritious food rather than skipping meals and free time and you can get the boost to continue, and remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

We hope you find this advice helpful and use it to deal with any stress and anxiety you may feel at work. Remember, Impact provide regular courses for dealing with depression caused by work, so don’t suffer in silence. Make sure you get the support you need for dealing with stress at work.