How to keep work stress from taking over your life
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Do you ever feel stressed about feeling stressed?, asks Sabrina Ooi , founder and CEO at Calm Collective Asia Singapore.?
Perhaps it feels like overthinking or catastrophising? Accompanied by stomach aches or headaches? “Whether we like it or not, stress is a part of life. But it does not have to take over our lives,” she adds.?
While one in four employees worldwide is experiencing symptoms of stress and burnout, this?figure nears one in three for Asia, according to McKinsey research on workplace mental health.?
In a recent poll on Get Hired by LinkedIn News Asia , we asked professionals their preferred way of dealing with stress at work. While 56 per cent said taking short breaks works for them, 28 per cent find solace in working on a hobby.?
Whatever your comfort spot, it’s critical for everyone to recognise what stress and anxiety look like, talk about it and know how to seek help, according to experts.??
What do you do to manage stress at work? Join the conversation in the comments below and/or in a post using #GetHiredAsia
Use your ‘free’ moments to practice self-awareness
Are you aware that constantly filling up your free moments can be a fear response?, says Cindy Tien, EQ Maven, CSP executive coach and speaker from Singapore.
?“These are common coping mechanisms that people use when they feel overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed – in order to distract themselves from facing their thoughts, emotions, and even their own selves. It's a way to avoid being present at the moment and possibly facing uncomfortable feelings or thoughts that we may not want to confront,” she adds.?
Instead of succumbing to this fear response, what if we can make a conscious effort to use our ‘free’ moments to cultivate stillness and self-awareness?
She suggests a few things to do during our next ‘free’ moment:
“These moments of pauses are not only opportunities for self-connection but also for fostering deeper connections with others. And with enough practice, we can develop ourselves to be emotionally intelligent leaders with presence.”?
Jonathan Kuek , mental health researcher from Singapore, gives a quick stress relief lesson. He says, “Be a dough. When you let the dough sit, it can rise to its maximum potential and size… when you stress dough too quickly, it falls apart or becomes impossible to work with. Give yourself time and space.”
Be courageous and take a pause
“With a fast-paced economy and a high-pressure work culture, it's easy to become overwhelmed and stressed out… Pause can be a turning point, a path to transformation,” says Kevin Cottam PCC, BSc, Top Voice , mental health coach from Singapore.?
He shares his own transformation journey after getting fired from a job and deciding to halt most things in his life.?
“My ‘deal with the devil’ appeared in a very different form; by spending my money, and successfully achieving some of the most precious gifts of life like:
“Taking small, intentional breaks throughout the day can help mitigate the negative thoughts and promote better mental health,” recommends Dr Jane Lim, a mental health expert on a recent study.?
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Talk through your problems
“I've been seeing a therapist for my mental problems and stress too,” acknowledges Benjamin Loh, CSP executive coach from Singapore.?
“As a dad to a 2+ year-old toddler, son, husband, leader of an eight-staff company and accountability coach to dozens of clients I'm working with, here's what I've realised:
Reach out for support when needed
“Do you have a ‘I can do it all by myself’ attitude?,” asks Sha-En Yeo (MAPP, CSP) , TEDx speaker and positive psychology expert.??
While you may feel like a winner by taking on more work, it might lead to more stress than you can anticipate. “Recognise that no one works alone and reach out to get support. Support is not weakness, it's knowing how to tap into resources to move things along, she suggests.?
How do you cope with work stress and avoid burnout? Share your tips and suggestions in the comments below and/or in a post using #GetHiredAsia
Want to learn more about how you can prepare yourself to thrive in the workplace of the future? Keep an eye out for the next edition of the Get Hired Asia newsletter in two weeks’ time. Make sure you never miss an issue by subscribing here.
Reported By: Neha Jain Kale – LinkedIn News Editor covering jobs and career development in Asia.
Creator Manager: Alita Utari Dewi
Editor’s Note: Some quotes were edited for length and clarity.
Master Coach & Family Life Consultant
4 个月You can't eliminate stress totally from your life. Acknowledge it, work with it. Learn to manage it. Weigh your options though. Is it worth it? Every time I have to do a presentation with a new audience, there's surely a measured amount of stress. I get prepared the best way I can ... However, there are some projects - because of their inherent factors - will pile on stress and not likely to lead to a good outcome - I choose to drop them altogether
Founder @ ONhance & CORE Value Selling | Change Management | Sales Training & Consulting | Japan & New Zealand
1 年I've seen a huge increase in the number of overwhelmed employees over the past couple of years. Here are a couple of my thoughts on the cause and how to deal with the challenge.
Guiding leaders to be role models and an inspiration for their teams to improve their communication, relationships and performance.
1 年Having experienced burnout more than once, I now have a rubber band on my desk to remind me to manage my stress levels. If it’s serving merely as a visual reminder, it’s not fulfilling its purpose. That’s under-stressed. Not good. If it’s stretched to breaking point, it’s overstressed. Not good as well. We look for that middle ground, where our purpose is fulfilled and we feel adequately challenged. Here are five ‘rubber band’ tips on how to manage stress: ·???????They need rest. ·???????They often come together in a bag – don’t stretch alone, speak to someone for help. ·???????They are often in shape – a circle. Don’t forget to exercise. ·???????They come in different sizes. Pause to make sure you have the best one. ·???????They come in different colours. Have a few different activities that help you recharge yourself. I share a lot on the practice of ‘focused rest’. It takes time and discipline to really pull away from the pressures of work and just focus on recuperating, recovering, realigning, etc. You can’t see it but it takes time for a rubber band to return to its original shape. Take rest as seriously as your work and you will get closer to work-life balance. Be like a rubber band. Thanks for reading! #GetHiredAsia
Partner at Al Baraka Enterprises
1 年Work stress can be overcome with simple steps. 1: Balancing your work with time, do as much as you have time for that. Do jot over burden yourself. 2 : Cooperative working environment helps employees form being stressed. 3: Help and motivation is important for reducing stress. 4: Money is not more important than happiness and health, earn for yourself but not on a cost of your health or happiness. There are even more things but I think its enough.. Stay happy and enjoy your work
Science and Physics Teacher | CAIE Assessment Specialist | High School Year Level Head
1 年One tip I always do to manage stress at work: If it's too much handle, pause and have a break. Stop when you feel like stopping. There will always be tasks day after day, but there is only one YOU.. Our well-being is more important. How can we be efficient and effective if we ourselves are defective? Caring for ourselves should be our top priority. We are working to live, not living to work. Always maintain a positive atittude everywhere. We can only do that if we will love ourselves first.