3 Simple Ways To Eliminate Stress In The Workplace

The latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive who oversee health and safety in the UK reveal that workplace stress is a huge problem in the UK. Their latest statistics show that in 2015/16:

• There were 488,000 cases of work related stress, depression or anxiety. This works out at 1510 cases per 100,000 workers.
• The total number of working days lost was 11.7 million days, working out at an average of 23.9 days lost per case.
• Stress accounts for 37% of all work related ill health cases

Thankfully, despite stress being a widespread problem there are strategies to help you banish it from your daily work. Check out our 3 ways to eliminate stress at work.

1. Take Proper Breaks And Take Care of Your Health

It goes without saying that eating healthily and taking regular exercise are two of the most important things you can do to beat stress at work. But you need to look after yourself in other ways too and one major factor is taking proper breaks.

With more and more of us working longer hours it can be tempting to skip means and work through breaks. Ultimately however this has a detrimental effect on your mental wellbeing as well as your work too.

Take regular breaks away from your computer and at lunchtime go for a short walk if you can. Getting out of the office into the fresh air can help you put workplace worries into perspective and reduce stress.

2. Talk More and Email Less

There’s no doubt that email has revolutionized the way we work. It’s a fantastic method of communication that has many benefits. But sometimes it can be a hindrance and can add to your stress levels.

If you’re feeling stressed at work, consider where you can have a face to face conversation instead. Often we email people in the same office or building but having face to face conversations with these people can often solve issues quicker and help you establish social networks at work as well as more personal rapport with colleagues. Less email and more face to face interaction can help melt your stress away.

3. Switch Off

Thanks to smartphones and tablets, we are now as a society finding it harder to switch off at the end of a working day.

If you find yourself checking and answering emails out of work then it could seriously be damaging your mental health as you are not giving yourself time out and the chance to unwind. Set a cap on your working hours and force yourself to turn off your work mobile after a certain time at night.

This will give you a chance to relax and distance yourself from work and will give you a better work-life balance which is essential to a stress free career.

Follow these tips and you’ll not just find yourself a lot less stressed, but you’ll almost certainly be more productive too.