7 Ways to Become More Stress Resilient at Workplace

The workplace is a breeding ground for stress, but you can learn how to become more resilient. Here are seven ways that will help you deal with the pressures of work and life.

By Roksana Fraczek | Dream-Career

Photo: designer491 via Canva

Stress is a part of our lives whether we like it or not. It's how we react to stressors that makes all the difference. Some people let stress take over their lives and end up getting sick, while others seem to thrive on stress and use it as a motivator.

So, what's the secret to becoming more stress resilient? Below are seven strategies that can help you develop more resilience and overcome the negative effects of stress.

Defining stress and its symptoms

Before we talk about how to become more resilient to stress, it's important to understand what stress is and what its symptoms are. Stress is our body's response to any demand placed on it. It can be physical, like when we have to lift a heavy object, or emotional, like when we're worried about an upcoming deadline.

Symptoms of stress can vary from person to person, but some common ones include feeling anxious, irritable, or overwhelmed; having trouble sleeping; and experiencing muscle tension or headaches. If you're experiencing any of these symptoms, it's important to take steps to reduce your stress levels.

The importance of being stress resilient

While some stress in our lives is inevitable, it's important to learn how to become more resilient to its harmful effects. This is because chronic or long-term stress can lead to serious health problems, such as heart disease, gastric problems, anxiety, and depression. It can also negatively impact our relationships, work performance, and overall quality of life.

Fortunately, there are things we can do to become more resilient to stress. By learning how to manage our stress levels, we can protect our health and well-being, both in the short and long term.

Ways to become more stress resilient

There are many different ways to become more stress resilient. Some of the most effective ways include:

1. Practicing self-awareness

It is difficult to manage something that you are not aware of. And let's face it, as we try our best to go through the day, we often space out and are not really aware of how we feel until it is too late. This is when the stressors have already taken a toll on us and we start suffering from the negative consequences of too much stress.

That is why it is important to be mindful and present in the moment. If you're not sure how, you can start by setting an alarm on your phone to regularly check in with yourself and take note of how you are feeling both physically and emotionally. This will help you to identify your stress levels and warning signs so that you can take steps to address them well in time.

2. Identifying your stressors

Another important step in managing stress is to identify your personal stressors. This can be anything from work demands and deadlines to family obligations and personal relationships. The key here is to explore what is causing you stress so that you can develop a plan to deal with it.

3. Creating healthy coping mechanisms

When we're feeling stressed, it's important to have healthy coping mechanisms in place so that we can deal with our emotions in a constructive way. This could include things like deep breathing, exercise, journaling, or spending time in nature. Whatever it is, find an activity that helps you relieve tension and relax.

It's important to find what works for you and to have a few different coping mechanisms in your toolkit so that you can choose the one that is most appropriate for the situation.

4. Learning how to say 'no'

One of the main reasons why people end up feeling stressed is because they try to do too much. They say 'yes' to every request, no matter how big or small, and then find themselves overwhelmed trying to accomplish everything.

If this sounds familiar, it's important to learn how to say 'no'. This doesn't mean that you should say 'no' to everything, but rather that you should only commit to what you know you can handle.

If you're not sure where to start, try creating a list of everything you are dealing with at work. Then assign a value of how much time each task takes you. Once you have a good idea of what's the size of your workload and how much time you realistically have in a day, you can initiate a conversation with your manager on what your priorities should be.

5. Learning to delegate

In order to manage stress effectively, it's important to learn how to delegate. This means giving others responsibility for tasks or projects, rather than trying to do everything yourself.

If you're struggling with delegation, try breaking tasks down into smaller parts and then assigning each part to a different person. Alternatively, you could ask for help with a particular task or project. This could involve asking a colleague to take on some of the work or outsourcing to a professional service.

6. Developing a support system

Having a supportive network of family and friends is important, but it's also crucial to have a support system in place at work. This could include talking to your direct manager, colleagues, or even a professional coach. Whoever you turn to it's important to make alliances with people you can rely on when you're feeling overwhelmed or need someone to talk to. Your support system should comprise various people who can provide different levels of support, depending on what you are currently dealing with.

7. Prioritizing your health

Last but not least, it's important to make sure that you are taking care of yourself both physically and mentally. When we're stressed, it's easy to let our health fall by the wayside. We might skip meals, neglect our exercise routines, and forget to get enough sleep. But if we want to be resilient to stress, it's important to prioritize our health and make constant deposits to our energy banks. This means making time for healthy eating, exercise, and sleep, even when (and especially when!) we're busy.

By taking steps to become more stress resilient, you can protect your health, relationships, and work performance.

Conclusion

While stress is an inevitable part of life, there are things we can do to become more resilient to it. By exploring what causes us stress, developing healthy coping mechanisms, learning how to say 'no', delegating, building a supportive network, and prioritizing our health, we can start to take control of our stress levels and protect ourselves from its negative effects.

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