Stress management

By: Salihu Ibrahim
Most jobs or vocations are stress producing situations, if not the most stressful aspect of one's life. Now and then, employees are been pressurized by their superiors to maintain certain standard, or meet up with one deadline or the other. And this is sometimes done under strict supervision. The end result in most cases is frustration and excessive stress, notwithstanding the fact that some organisationS claim to be working out modalities to ease stress at workplace.

Sometimes, the success of an organisation to help employees reduce stress either by educating them or engaging them in stress reduction exercises and practice, will go a long way in determining the success of the organisation in achieving its predetermined goals. This is because an employee with less stress tends to be more productive than one with excessive stress. Therefore organizations can spend a lot on stress management which could take the form of consultation or education. And at the end, no matter what stress management cost, it proves worthwhile. Stress management should not be a managerial cadre affair alone because this has proved less effective according to studies.

So, when you felt stressed up due to the nature of your job, don't hesitate to discuss it with someone in the personnel department. They may help you find a way to reduce the stress, since they may be quite aware that stress could result in your inability to perform up to standard. They may find ways to help you improve the conditions of work thereby increasing your performance ability. But if increased effort to get help from the management of your organisation prove abortive, you may seek help or advice from somewhere else, say from friends or close relatives. You can apply different technique of easing stress at work. Try seeing work as a challenge instead of as burden. Do the ones you find pleasant first and try devising means of making task easier. Try assigning task to co-workers if possible.

However, if the stress is becoming overwhelming, then you can consider a switch of vocation. You may apply for a change of position within the organisation or send application to other companies. In fact, knowing that you are mapping out plans to abandon you present job could be a stress reliever for you and could help you carry out your present task with more ease than you thought possible.

On your own, try making your work fun. Devise means of catching fun while working. Go far away from your job when you are on break. Take a walk, or engage in some form of exercise that will ease tension for you. Try engaging in one form of humorous activity or the other. Anything that could make you laugh could ease stress for you. Maintain a high sense of humor and you will discover that coping with stress could be an easy task than you had initially imagined.