How do you deal with work stress?

[Cloud44]

When you are going through a stressful period at work, how do you deal with it and make sure it doesn’t take over your home life?

following for tips - I'd love to say I cope by sleeping well, mindfulness and exercise but the reality is binge watching real housewives and drinking wine

It depends what it is, but I break all my tasks down into manageable chunks and slowly get through them. It helps prevent me from waking up thinking about something in the middle of the night.

Talking about it to others at work helps me, too. Most of my work stress comes from "oh god, this task is taking me ages to complete".

Wine

Get some perspective, go for a walk, to the pictures, the theatre, do some exercise, talk to other people.

talk to your manager.

I find it hard to keep it in perspective during really busy times. I don’t know how people in super stressful jobs do it!

Following for tips - I've never been under as much pressure at work (volume of tasks to complete more than anything) and I don't know how to decompress. I did get home the other night, yell at the dog for jumping up at me and then take myself off for a very fast and furious walk. That seemed to help.

I try to get out into the woods every day and spend at least 10 minutes meditating. I also try to get any horrible tasks over and done with early so they're straight off the list. Hugging dd helps a lot too!

Drink alcohol, overeat, cry.

I’m guessing this isn’t what you’re looking for though?

Exercise; immediately after work if possible. Keep wktk talk at home minimal for me works best. a supportive manager and colleagues is a must to moan to in work and in my line of work we try to see the funny side at times. Also not working too far over my hours; only when absolutely essential.

I've stopped drinking on work nights after I used a booze calculator and realised it was adding up. My blood pressure also massively fell so win win but I really get the temptation!

I try to mentally 'shelve it' - so say to myself 'I will not think about (what I am stressed about) till 8am tomorrow' and I 'change the subject' in my head if I start thinking about work, or do something that will take my mind off it such as read or watch TV.

Also loud music on thr way home from work if I can’t exercise or a dance party with the kids at home. Anything to get the endorphins going.

Same 😂

Cannabis edibles.
Plus I book a lot of holiday, weekends away or shows etc every 2 months or so, to have things to look forward to and keep me going.

I also remind myself as much as possible that it's only a job, it's not the only job in the world and those people probably spend fuck all time thinking about me so I shouldn't be thinking about them (if you have any horrible colleagues)

I do try - this week has been a bit of a fail due to OFSTED & bereavement!

I have been to the gym twice though which does help

Remembering if I died tomorrow my job would be advertised within a week

sorry to be morbid but keeps it in perspective for me… it’s just a job
so once I log off I log off

I prioritise my work and if I have to much I ask what’s the most important and prioritise that. I keep a to do list and manage my calendar time to ensure I’ve got blocks of time to complete work

and I say this as someone who loves my job with the wisdom and experience to know no job worth stressing over outside of work

Perspective.

I used to live and breathe work. First thing I thought about in the morning, last thing I thought about at night. Worked morning, noon and night, always did at least some at weekends. Took my work phone on honeymoon - I felt anxious without it.

Then I realised that in 100 years, I’ll be dead, and absolutely none of this shit will matter.

I got better organised, started saying no to stuff, and found a job in the same profession, with more pay, where the culture and hours were much more “me”. In doing so, I got my life and myself back.

It’s really hard isn’t it! I can’t imagine having a job that’s super stressful all the time..

I need to prioritise sleep to get through things like that, so making sure I don’t stay up late scrolling on my phone is a big one. I feel much more capable when I’ve had a good rest.

I also set up my lunches and outfits for the week in advance, saves me washing/ironing or prepping food mid week when I’m exhausted.

Walks and hot shower with something luxurious (candle, nice body wash, nice oils). Staying off alcohol is a personal one but I know a glass of wine will help some wind down.

Can you organise something to look forward to for when the stressful period ends? A few days off, spa day, shopping trip? Or whatever you’re into.

I left my job and started working for myself.

Checks my diary before leaving, and Making a to do list at the end of each day, for the next day so I'm not worrying about what the next day holds.
Leave a bit of time at start and end of day with no meeting for catching up on admin.
Exercise before work - gives me energy.
A glass of wine after work.

Age and experience has taught me that, with most work problems, remaining polite, cooperative and responsive will help you to ''ride through' the times when perhaps you make a mistake at work, or there is some misunderstanding.

If your workload is too much, it is important to point this out to whoever is your line manager or equivalent. If you cannot manage to complete a task or get through a workload in a specific time, let people know.

If the environment is getting toxic, start looking for another job, and say to yourself that you are only there until you find something else.

Finally, remember that even if you lost your job tomorrow, although things would be tough, you would get through and pretty soon, you would have another job and be back on your feet.

This is fantastically good advice. I’ve also, over the years, built up a buffer so I know I can pay the bills and say ‘I’m off’ if needs be. You’ll get there.

Wine does work but it's incredibly temporary (and expensive) and makes the following day even harder, your problems are still there but ten times more difficult to deal with.

Yeah same. Sorry that doesn’t help OP. I can’t remember a time I wasn’t under tonnes of pressure at works, we no longer have peaks and troughs , only peaks and super peaks!

Compartmentalise. Know that you're replaceable. It's a job with a purpose to live and afford your life. Don't get involved in office politics. Don't gossip. You can only do what you can do. Accept being good enough.

That's what helps me anyway!