Top 10 tips for managing stress in the workplace (for when you go back into the office on Tuesday!)

It’s Friday…and it’s a long weekend! Hoorah for bank holidays! Here are 10 tips to help you avoid workplace stress when you return after a long weekend of fun, may fairs and three days off work. 

Susan Scott is business psychologist, nutritionist and author of new book – How To Have An Outstanding Career (8^th May 2017, Filament Publishing, £12.99)

2. Increase your personal stress awareness. Recognise the symptoms. These can be physical, emotional, behavioural or psychological. Consider what might be causing you to feel the way you do and what action might be required to address the causes. If you’re finding it hard to identify the causes, keep a stress diary recording the events that caused you to feel bad and how they made you feel.
3. Review your diet and lifestyle with honesty. What are you drinking, smoking and eating? Has this changed recently? If yes, and you’re drinking or smoking more or relying more on sugary carbohydrate foods to get you through the energy slumps then you need to make changes as this self-medicating isn’t helping.
4. Balance your energy. Stress increases our demand for certain nutrients such as vitamins C, B, zinc and protein. It’s important to eat unprocessed foods to optimise your nutrient intake. Always have something to eat by 10am to balance blood sugar and drive up energy. Having some protein along with carbs at each meal, such as chicken, salmon, cheese, really helps to balance blood sugar and give you more sustainable energy.

5. Have a health MOT. The stress response raises blood pressure and cholesterol, leads to imbalances in your blood sugar response and strain on the function of the liver and kidneys. Get these checked out with your GP to ensure stress doesn’t lead to ill-health.
6. Take some time to switch off the on-button. Take time out during the chaos of the day to be on your own and practice a relaxation technique. Choose a quiet place away from people, where you can sit or stand quietly. Taking three deep breaths is a useful technique to reduce elevated stress hormones and lower a racing heart rate.
7. Take regular exercise. Book an appointment in your diary for some physical exercise such as a brisk walk at the local park, a cycle ride or a swim at a local pool at least three times a week. This is one of the best ways to use up excess stress hormones but it will only happen if you schedule it into your busy working life.

7. Make a resolution to manage your time more effectively. If you’re disorganised, make a to-do list. If you’re a perfectionist, identify a cut off point or time allocation. Prioritise your workload and say ‘no’ if you’re in danger of over committing yourself. If you do this calmly but firmly stating the reasons why, you will not feel so guilty about it.

10. Deal with problems when they arise. The worst thing you can do is to let them fester. Burying your head in the sand will not make the problem go away, in fact it’s likely to become worse and the longer it goes on the more it plays on your mind, stressing you.
11. Switch off in the evening. But not with alcohol. Alcohol is a stimulant which upsets the sleep pattern. Digital technology is also a stimulant so have a digital sundown and switch everything off at least two hours before bed.
12. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Speak in confidence to your manager or HR director. If you feel the processes are not in place for this then contact a specialist stress coach to help you identify what is really happening in your life and guide you to creating stress proofing strategies. The sooner you can overcome the stress-inducing pressures and build your resilience, the sooner you will be back working at full speed and optimising your performance.

ESSENTIAL DETAILS

Title: How To Have An Outstanding Career

Author: Susan Scott

Genre: Careers, Business, Professional Development, Health, Psychology

Publisher: Filament Publishing

Publication date: 25/04/17

Availability: Paperback, International distribution

ISBN: 978-1-911425-71-7

Price: £12.99

Website: https://youngprofs.net/

Press folder: http://bit.ly/2nBxqJ6

Online profile: http://www.literallypr.com/public_relations/file/Susan-Scott.php

For more information, editorial opportunities, interview requests or review copies please get in touch with HelenLewis@LiterallyPR.com or BethMcDonald@LiterallyPR.com

+44 (0) 7904801669

Susan Scott lives in Surrey and travels the world on business. She is a business psychologist, nutritional therapist, trainer, consultant and coach, as well as a public speaker and an author. Susan believes that everyone – Young Professionals in particular – deserve to work in ways that foster their resilience, performance and careers. She is a Fellow and Member of many professional organisations, runs two successful companies and has years of experience developing and running consulting and training programmes for private and public sector companies in the UK, across Europe, in the USA and Australasia on change, leadership and wellbeing as well as providing personal coaching support for individuals. Susan is also privileged to have been Chair of the International Stress Management Association. However, what seems like an accomplished career has had more than its fair share of blips along the way, including a complete derailment only five years in. Despite these blips, Susan has managed to accomplish a lot because behind everything she does, Susan is brimming over with a passion to constantly learn with a strong desire to create work places that allow people to thrive and succeed – she believes everyone in the workplace should be allowed that opportunity. Inside every one of us is potential but this crazy, highly pressured world can often make it hard to achieve success – Susan’s role is to inspire and energise people to do just that. Susan brings a highly energised, knowledgeable and blended mind-body approach to her work. She’s practical and realistic but also, and very importantly, business focused.