Workplace stress is huge. According to the American Institute of Stress, workplace stress causes approximately one million U.S. employees to miss work each day. According to the British Medical Journal, work-related stress can double one’s risk of dying from heart disease.
These stats are not meant to frighten you…just to get your attention. The goal of this blog is to instill some awareness of how you can have an influence in creating a work environment that feels good…and enhances wellness.
First off, just to get a perspective, according to a poll taken by Paul Bernston of Cornell University, “office politics” was cited as the leading cause of stress at work. It’s important to be mindful of this as it can creep up in subtle ways. My policy has been to keep my focus on the tasks at hand (ie. doing a good job) and to steer clear of toxic people and conditions.
One way this might show up is when a co-worker makes a habit of coming to you with a problem and expects you to take responsibility for it. Avoid letting other people’s problems become yours. A great read, Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff at Work, offers this advice: “If someone throws you the ball, you don’t have to catch it.” You can limit your contribution instead of taking on the task itself.
Also, ever hear the old adage, “kill ‘em with kindness”? The best way to quickly interrupt a gossipy comment is to offer a kind word. ‘Civility in the Workplace’ is a hot topic right now…and rightly so. When folks are kind and considerate of each other, there’s an atmosphere of trust. And, working in an atmosphere of trust goes a long way towards feeling good about coming to work everyday!
Here’s some more tips for creating a positive work environment for yourself.
• Set daily goals. When scheduling your day, assume that something unexpected will come up. Build in a cushion of time to deal with it.
• Try your best to eliminate interruptions. Select a time of day when you will return phone calls and e-mails. Otherwise, let your voicemail take messages. You can also create an e-mail auto-reply to let folks know their message has been received so they don’t try to contact you repeatedly.
• Delegate routine tasks.
• Work in a well-lit and comfortable area.
• Take a work break every 2 hours away from your work area, if possible.
• If you feel overwhelmed with a project, put it aside for awhile and shift to less demanding work.
• Put something in your work environment or office to remind you of pleasant things and take you out of your frantic mindset; read or listen to something that will either inspire you or bring you peace.
• Use the everyday cues in your environment as reminders to “center” yourself (eg. the telephone ringing, turning on the computer, etc.)
• Let go of control issues. How much of the pressure you are feeling really comes from outside, and how much is actually from you?
• Last but not least…when you leave work, leave your work behind! Allow your time off to replenish you.
So, here’s to a happy work environment…and a happier person!
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