Stress is just a fact of life, including with most jobs. In this fast-paced world, workplaces are often asking employees to take on multiple roles and responsibilities. The stress that this can produce can damage not only your health but also your career prospects. You can't perform at your best, especially when it comes to managing others, when you’re overwhelmed with stress or even missing work because of illness.
The American Psychological Association offers seven tips for managing your stress at work:1
- Track your stressors: Write down what causes you stress at work and how you respond. Look for patterns of what raises your stress level and the best ways to bring it back under control.
- Develop healthy responses: Sleep, exercise, and relaxing activities will help more in the long run than junk food, alcohol, or just bottling it up.
- Establish boundaries: Sometimes you have to turn off your cellphone and walk away from your email. You can't be available 24 hours a day.
- Take time to recharge: Use your vacation time if you can, because your body needs a chance to replenish and return to pre-stress levels. If you can't take a vacation, find some time to relax, unwind, or focus on a non-work activity.
- Learn how to relax: It's not enough to just not be at work. Learn how to focus on an activity and be fully engaged in that moment.
- Talk to your supervisor: It is in the company's best interest to have you operating at full capacity, rather than being too stressed out to fully focus. Work out a plan to manage your stress level while still performing your job functions. This can include improving your time-management skills or tapping into company wellness benefits.
- Get some support: You're not in this alone. Friends, family, and even counseling professionals can help you manage your stress before it overwhelms you.
Gain the Management Training You Need to Excel in Your Career at Walden University
One of the greatest reducers of stress in the workplace is being adequately prepared to perform your required job functions. Managing others, in particular, can be a tedious and stressful task. It requires proper management training to become an effective leader.
With employment in management occupations projected to grow 9% from 2020 to 2030—creating roughly 906,800 new jobs2—it’s important to gain the in-demand skills that are vital to advancing in the field. As new organizations develop and existing organizations expand, qualified professionals capable of managing these operations will be needed. A master’s in management can help position you for these future employment opportunities.
Walden—an accredited university—offers an online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program that provides the tools and support you need to develop in-demand skills. Walden’s online master’s can help prepare you to effectively manage projects, teams, and organizations across sectors and environments.
And earning your degree online allows you to continue to work full time and maintain a better work-life balance. With online education, there’s no need to completely rearrange your schedule or commute to campus—you can take classes at whatever time of day is best for you as you work to earn your master’s degree.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program online. Expand your career options and earn your degree using a convenient, flexible learning platform that fits your busy life.
1Source: www.apa.org/helpcenter/work-stress.aspx
2Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/management/home.htm
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.