Mental Health at Work: How to Relieve Workplace Stress

Sometimes, mounting responsibilities or a hostile office culture can lead to considerable stress. As a society, we’ve become more aware of how burnout and difficulties with co-workers can take a toll on our mental health at work. This unneeded stress can cause anxiety or possibly depression symptoms if the conditions worsen. Not sure if it’s affecting you? Here are some of the signs of workplace stress as well as effective ways to relieve stress so it doesn’t get the better of you.

Signs of Workplace Stress

If stress is impacting your mental health in the workplace, it’s only a matter of time before its telltale signs begin to manifest. Some potential signs of workplace stress include:

• Fatigue
• Job apathy
• Sleep problems
• Difficulty concentrating
• Low sex drive
• Headaches and muscle tension
• Irritability, anxiety, and/or depression
• Stomach problems
• Withdrawing from friends and family

Effective Ways To Managing Stress at Work

While some stressful situations at work may be beyond your control, you can control how you handle them. This difference might sound difficult when workplace situations are tense, but it’s essential to long-term success. Here are some ways to relieve stress at work and improve your mental health at work:

Manage Your Time Effectively

Set a realistic schedule that allows for a healthy work-life balance. Learn to say “no” to some things so you don’t spread yourself too thin. Take breaks regularly, prioritize tasks, and delegate responsibilities so you don’t end up with more than you can handle.

Take Care of Your Mental Health

When you’re tired and run-down, your ability to cope with difficult situations is severely compromised. Getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly can go a long way toward helping you stay on top of on-the-job stress.

Relieve Stress by Removing Bad Habits

One of the most effective ways to relieve stress at work is to identify and break bad habits. Pessimism, perfectionism and micromanaging can destroy workplace morale. Replace those practices with helpful coping strategies, such as taking time away to regroup, forming friendships with coworkers, and seeking support. Co-workers should be able to understand your situation, and some may offer guidance as well, it’s important to be open-minded to individuals and work towards healthy habits.

Tune Up Your Emotional Intelligence

Learn to recognize what elevates your stress levels and consider how you can incorporate constructive ways to manage stress into your daily routine. Respond to conflict as positively as possible. Finding humor in stressful situations can help you feel less overwhelmed, too. As previously said, certain stressors at work are simply out of your control and that’s fine, but you can control how you react.

Quality Mental Health Treatment

If job-related stress is interfering with your work and personal life, maybe it’s time to seek mental health treatment at Chicago Behavioral Hospital. Our highly-trained clinicians can guide you in learning ways to relieve stress before it takes a toll on your mental and physical health. Now is the time to take back control of your mental health, and develop healthy behaviors that can be used in the workplace, and possibly in your personal life as well.