HomeEmployee ExperienceCultureStress coping mechanisms

Stress coping mechanisms

  • 3 Min Read

It’s often all too easy to feel stressed at work, whether it’s a pressing deadline, mounting workload or unexpected change in the team or business. Stress is a natural response to new, challenging situations that feel beyond our control. When stressed, our body thinks it’s under attack, so switches to ‘fight or flight’ mode. The hormones produced when we trigger a fight/flight response can either spur us into action or unnerve us, adversely affecting our mood and productivity.

Featured Image

If you’re experiencing stress in the workplace, there are steps you can take to help address it:

  1. Basic wellness checks– should you be doing more exercise, improving your diet, or getting more sleep? Fairly simple changes in these three areas can improve your outlook and ability to cope with stressful situations at work
  2. Challenge your thinking – if you find yourself taking a negative perspective on work issues could there be a more balanced or alternative way of looking at things? Write down what’s troubling you and challenge it. Take some time to focus on the positive– what are your strengths and what have you achieved?
  3. Make lists and plan workloads – by ticking off  jobs on your list you’ll start to recognise your accomplishments and feel more in control
  4. Find time to relax – reset your mind, listen to your favourite music or take a walk for air. Whether it’s at home or on your lunch break, make time for you. Switching off will also improve your sleep health, allowing you to tackle tasks with a fresh head
  5. Be fair on yourself – think about what you have the power to change your current circumstances and prioritise these things, rather than worrying about areas you can’t control. Keep things in perspective. Ask yourself ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ It’s probably not as bad as you imagine
  6. Try not to avoid – whether it’s faking a sick day or putting something off, ignoring the source of your stress won’t make it disappear and may only add to your to-do list
  7. Identify the real problem are you afraid of failing? Sometimes we’re our own worst critics.  Think about what you’d say to a friend or a colleague in the same situation. Would you be as hard on them as you are on yourself?
  8. Protect your work-life balance – don’t abandon social plans for the sake of working late. Overtime can lead to diminishing returns on productivity. Making time to catch up with friends and family will boost your mood and take your mind off work pressures
  9. Avoid unhealthy habits – excessive food or drink consumption may offer temporary relief but it won’t help in the long run. Explore good habits that can boost your mood and energy levels. Exercise releases a chemical in the brain called dopamine which gives you a healthy high
  10. Don’t bottle it up – it’s helpful to share your concerns, so speak to your manager or a supportive colleague.  A problem shared is a problem halved

About the author

Dr Mark Winwood, director of psychological services at AXA PPP healthcare

Subscribe to get your daily business insights

Was this article helpful?

Related Articles

The vital link between self-care and mental health

In our fast-paced lives, many of us will often tend to neglect self-care, which can unwittingly compromise our physical and mental wellbeing. In the...

  • HRD Connect
  • May 16, 2023

How line managers can help identify mental health issues in the workplace

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of mental health in the workplace. Improving mental wellbeing has become the...

  • Elif Oflaz
  • Apr 24, 2023

Mental health awareness training in the digital age

Mental health issues cost the UK economy over £117 billion a year, the equivalent to approximately 5% of GDP. And while we know organisations must...

  • Sarah Haselwood
  • Sep 22, 2022

Data driven mental health training leads to better conversations

As the corporate world takes tentative steps further away from the pandemic, the conversations around the workplace and employee mental health are...

  • Helen Dugdale
  • May 17, 2022

Four HR visionaries on the importance of mental health support teams

In February 2020, four seasoned HR executives found themselves at a unique place in their careers: unemployed. In little time, job opportunities at...

  • Chuck Heaton
  • Nov 2, 2021

Employers encouraged to “destigmatise” domestic abuse, says Paul Scully MP

HR professionals have a “huge and vital” role to play in providing workplace support for victims of domestic abuse but “should not feel the...

  • Aoife Morgan
  • Feb 26, 2021

HRD Thought Leaders on mental health and wellbeing in 2020

In this special end-of-year series, our panel of renowned HR experts and influencers dissect some of the most pressing issues brought to light by the...

  • HRD Connect
  • Dec 17, 2020

Mental health in the modern workplace with David Hanrahan, CHRO, Eventbrite

The mental health discourse is one that has undoubtedly seen an uptick in recent years, with the world at large becoming more conscious of the...

  • HRD Connect
  • Nov 5, 2020

Events

HRD Roundtable: Combating 'Quiet Quitting'…

08 June 2023
  • E-Book
  • May 12, 2023

HRD Network Roundtable: The Retention…

15 June 2023
  • E-Book
  • May 12, 2023

Manage change and drive value…

01 June 2023
  • E-Book
  • May 12, 2023