How to Deal with Stress at Workplaces

Many of us often closed from work with a lot of stress. This stress is sometimes extended to our loved ones at home, thus causing conflict or an unfavourable environment at home. According to a report presented by the American Institute of Stress, 80% of employees feel work-related stress.

In this article, Momodou S. Fatty, a young accountant, has identified five ways to deal with stress at work.

1. Pay attention to requirements:

Working for long hours can be very stressful, and having tasks to complete can even be more stressful. Regardless of what the case may be, always pay attention to your daily tasks. This focus will enhance your concentration ability, thus also leading to the timely completion of your tasks. Meeting deadlines on your job relieves you from stress.

2. Avoid unhealthy discussions

As companies around move for diversity and inclusions, you are most likely to meet people from different backgrounds in religion, tribe, race in your workplace. Therefore, always stay away from unhealthy discussions which may conflict with the socio-cultural values of other people. Abstaining from such discussions will create more work time for you, boost your efficiency and limits your chance of stress.

It is vital to note that many companies have zero tolerance for issues discriminations and have documented in their staff handbooks as a sackable offence.

3. Be rule enduring

The internal rules and national regulations often guide workplace activities. Therefore, it is necessary to be acquainted with workplace rules and regulations, which insulates you against sanctions related to breaching policies.

As much as you are rule-abiding, you must not also entertain instructions from anyone that will lead you to breach the rules or the law of the land. By doing this, you maintain a healthy and happy life at work.

4. Take breaks

It is always recommended to take breaks after working for some hours to free up your mind and allow stress and complex issues to meltdown. You can do this by taking a walk, making a phone call to loved ones, checking on your friends, etc.  I like to free myself from workplace stress by listening to Gambia’s famous Lalo Kebab songs, “Kedo”. You can also try something similar with your favourite cultural or traditional singer.

In addition to the daily break, you must plan and take some time off work. This will help you to keep a healthy work/life balance and avoid work-related stress and burnouts. Additionally, taking time off from work will enable you to be more productive at work and spend more time with loved ones, increasing happiness.

5. Take regular exercises and watch social media use

According to Harvard Medical School, many forms of exercise reduce stress directly. Exercise can also prevent sickness. Therefore, you do frequent exercise, even 15-20 minutes daily. You can take few walking steps in after closing for the day or register at the nearby gym.

Amidst the noise, social media users find themselves more stressed than ever from their time spent on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (Chester County Hospital). The misinformation about current news or “fear of missing out” (FOMO) on group gatherings are the potential causes of social media-induced stress. But do not go deleting all of your social media accounts just yet. There are ways to prevent some of these downfalls, and we will talk about it next time.

Nonetheless, work-related stress forms an integral part of your professional and family life. Therefore, you must pay attention to it. The five tips may greatly help manage workplace stress.

By Momodou S. FATTY
Accountant; Blogger
Secretary of FLF