Is work stress an epidemic? Psychologist shares ways to combat

Work stress is of the most pressing concerns of the world currently. While many workplaces are making the effort to ensure that their employees have a healthy work-life balance, sometimes deadlines, extra work pressure and over-responsibility can cause anxiety and stress – this can further make an employee’s mental health bad. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Debasmita Sinha, Chief Psychologist and senior director-clinical excellence, Manah Wellness, said, “Stress has always been a part of our life. Stress at work is not new. Calling work stress an epidemic would be making a villain of something that is useful to have in good measure, has always been there and cannot be eliminated. Stress is a natural response to a situation so that we are able to react appropriately for our physical and emotional safety. If there’s an epidemic, it’s our inability to deal with or address stress at work. Let’s focus on eliminating this inability.” Here are a few tips to manage stress at work:

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Destigmatise stress:

To begin with, let’s change our perspective and unlearn the common notion around stress and its impact.

Acknowledge the existence of stress:

The next step requires one to acknowledge the existence of stress in our life. Don’t be in denial of its presence or resign to it. Resolve to address the impact of stress. Most of us fail at this stage.

Learn skills to eliminate stress:

Pick up skills to become self-aware of the presence of stress. Know when you are stressed. Pick up skills to eliminate stress. From breathing practices to relaxation techniques and meditation, there are several ways to do it.

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Learn the triggers:

Know what causes stress. It could be environment, situations or people. Avoid these triggers. If they are unavoidable, prevent or manage stress through adopting best practices.

Know when to ask for help:

Know when the stress due to a particular situation lingers for a long period of time, say more than a week or two. It’s a sign that you need external assistance in addressing that stress.

Beware of unhealthy coping mechanisms:

Be aware of how stress manifests in your life as an unhealthy coping mechanism. Unhealthy eating habits, smoking or driving rashly? Work on your stress to avoid it.

Learn de-stressing hacks:

Pick up de-stressing activities as a daily discipline. These can be physical activities, eating healthily, relaxation techniques and/or healthy socialising. Finally, reach out for professional help when the need arises.

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