Raise your hand if you’re stressed out by work! We all know stress can sometimes infiltrate our jobs and it’s not necessarily always from the work itself. It could be related to a host of factors like working for a toxic boss, an unethical employer, co-workers who steal your ideas and more.
In fact, according to a new poll by Monster, 25 percent of poll respondents say the most stressful part of their job entails navigating office politics, which can include relationships with managers, colleagues and direct reports, as well as competition. Another 25 percent of respondents feel job security contributes most to their stress levels. Twenty percent of respondents say stress results from the workload and simply being overworked. Other stress factors include getting work done with existing budgets (4 percent) and meeting deadlines (4 percent).
Here’s how you can handle the top three stressors and hopefully reduce some of that built-up tension so you can focus on enjoying work again — stress-free.
[See: 10 Things They Don’t Tell You About Your First Job.]
Office politics. The key to understanding office politics is figuring out the dynamics in your own workplace and sometimes, as you probably already know, it may not be so clear. When taking a look at the dynamics that surround you every day, you’ll want to look at leadership at your workplace, your colleagues, direct reports and more. Examine whether you stay silent at times while picking your battles, or if you speak up every single time. Figuring out which buttons to push and which to refrain from could be key to your survival.
While it’s probably safe to say every office has some level of politics, the question is to which extent does your office thrive on them to succeed? If you’re navigating politics on a regular basis and constantly feel defeated by them, that’s not healthy at all. These are key indicators that it’s time to figure out healthy stress relievers like going for a walk to diffuse the situation, taking up yoga after work, jogging or kick boxing or relying on social support.
Sometimes, however, office politics can become overbearing and feel like no matter what you do, regardless of how hard you work, if you’re not “playing the game,” you’ll never get ahead. In cases like this, acceptance of situations is also important, so you can proactively do something about it. When stress supersedes everything else, leaving you depleted, exhausted and frustrated, your best option is to look for another job. There are definitely workplaces which will be more aligned with your own values, where you can feel like hard work will be recognized and where you don’t have that pit-in-your-stomach feeling on a daily basis.
[See: 25 Best Business Jobs for 2017.]
Job security. When you’re stressed about things that are not in your control, it’s normal to feel helpless. As you evaluate your own situation, wondering if your job will be axed or combined with another one or offshored or replaced by robots, it’s definitely a cause for concern.
To manage your concerns, speak to your boss and ask about where the company is headed, and more specifically, your department. Your boss may not have all the answers and that’s OK — that in itself may be enough as you seek reassurance. Many times when answers aren’t what you’re looking for (like figuring out why you were passed over for a promotion, only to realize a promotion will probably not happen for a while for whatever reason), that’s an open door to find a new opportunity elsewhere where the environment is more secure.
The workload. Completing your day feeling like you haven’t even made a dent in your workload always seems like an uphill battle. Ask yourself if this is a short-term situation, like being immersed in a busy season or project, or is it a long-term, incessant situation?
Think of a solution and talk to your boss. Perhaps this means you need to hire an intern or part-time worker to help handle the back flow and allow you to properly delegate. Maybe it simply means your company is short-staffed and you’ve been doing two jobs since your co-worker who left six months ago hasn’t been replaced. Have an honest conversation with your boss to work together toward a solution. Having an understanding boss is key to the solution but the real proof is what happens after that conversation.
[See: 10 Ways to Perfect Your Personal Brand.]
If your boss is able to get approvals to hire someone quickly, that’s great! Unfortunately, although that’s the ideal situation, it doesn’t always happen. And when it does happen, it’s not always as quickly as you’d like, so you’re left holding on with baited breath and barely surviving the day to day. That’s when personal lives start suffering too, as you’re too tired or irritable to spend time with family and friends, you just want to sleep, you start feeling under the weather, run down and more, which isn’t good for anyone. Self-care is critical because if you’re feeling sick and morale is low, you aren’t of good service to yourself or ironically (to the root of the issue) your company.
When it’s clear your workload isn’t being alleviated and there’s no relief in sight (even when your boss promises a change will occur but it hasn’t happened yet), you deserve to find a healthier situation, one where your workload is manageable and humanly possible to accomplish in the course of a workday. This will allow you to work diligently and efficiently without feeling like you’re being held hostage by your job 24/7, and still have energy left for yourself at the end of the day.
More from U.S. News
The 25 Best Social Services Jobs of 2017
8 Ways Millennials Can Build Leadership Skills
How to Handle the Most Stressful Parts of Your Job originally appeared on usnews.com
