There is a lot you can do to reduce the pressure of your job, finds Aimme Stanton.
In 2014/2015, 440,000 people in the UK reported work-related stress at a level they believed was making them ill.
French workers have officially been given the ‘right to disconnect’. As of midnight on 01 January 2017 a new employment law was passed in France to give workers the right to ignore their emails outside of working hours.
Not logging off after work is effectively unpaid overtime and a factor that’s actually causing burnout and unneeded stress to millions of lives. But it’s not just the French that suffer, Brits do too. Over the years 2014/2015, 440,000 people in the UK reported work-related stress at a level they believed was making them ill according to the Health and Safety Executive. The number equates to 40 per cent of all work related illnesses. Employers are accountable for the health, safety and welfare of staff under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
“It may seem like a huge problem if you or people you work with are stressed however in reality there is a lot you can do to help reduce the problem,” says Neil Shah, Chief De-stressing Officer at The Stress Management Society. Here Neil gives his top five tips for minimising stress at work.
MAKE A LIST
Make a list of the things you need to do each day and prioritise them in order of urgency
and importance.
Do Now – these are both urgent and important
Plan To Do – these are important but not urgent
Reject Diplomatically – these might be urgent but are not important
Resist and Cease – these are both non-urgent and non-important
LEARN TO SAY ‘NO’
“You only have 24 hours in a day, so use them wisely. This is simple but effective. Turn down things that you don’t have the time for or can’t justify doing.”
GO STEP BY STEP
Break large projects into small stages and take it one simple step at a time. This is a great way to start those huge projects that you keep putting off.
COMMUNICATE
If you start to feel stressed on an existing job, tackle it early in a very matter of fact way. Say to the relevant person, “Given the work that’s needed, I need another week” rather than rush in with a frantic “I can’t cope!”
CREATE A GOOD WORK/LIFE BALANCE
All work and no play is a
recipe for stress. So make sure you have a mixture of work and home activities in every week. Start those huge projects that you keep putting off.
