I think it is safe to say that all of us at some point in our career have felt overwhelmed while on the job. If this is the case for you and it feels like it happens more often than not, take a look at the tips below to try and help reduce your daily stress and ultimately reduce your feelings of being constantly overwhelmed.
First, you need to sit down and determine what one or two parts of your current role seem to be causing the most anxiety and stress. In other words, what tasks, if removed from your responsibilities, would help you feel less stressed out while at work. Once you have the main source of your anxiety pinpointed, determine if you can go at the project in a different way. If it is a large project, try and get it finished and off your plate. If the project has too many components and you are feeling overwhelmed in that regard, reach out your Supervisor or colleagues to see if they can lend a helping hand or ask if additional resources are feasible.
Try giving yourself a certain amount of time each day to work on specific tasks. By organizing your daily duties in a more efficient manner, this may allow you to focus on the more important and time sensitive projects first so you are not trying to do too much at once. In addition, if you feel like you are spending a large majority of your time putting out fires or helping to deal with small issues on your team, empower your team members to try and handle these issues on their own. Not all problems require escalation and the more you can limit these interruptions, the easier prioritizing your time will become.
Could part of your problem be that you are a perfectionist and that you feel your work is never up to your own standard? Surprisingly, this affects more people than you think, causing them to take longer on projects and sometimes even procrastinating just so they don’t have to handle the undue stress involved. For those of us that fall into this category, try asking yourself this question; “What is the true benefit of spending more time on this one specific project?” If the answer is not much or minimal, stop scrutinizing your own work and be done with it. Once you overcome the overwhelming need to perfect every project you are assigned, you can free yourself up to focus on more duties and tasks in a more timely manner.
Delegate, delegate, delegate. This tip cannot be stressed enough. If you have a team of colleagues that you are able to delegate tasks to, do not hesitate. Look at your currently assigned duties and determine what is truly the best use of your time. If you come across tasks that others on your team may have more time for and can handle, start assigning duties their way. It can sometimes be difficult to let go of certain tasks, especially if you have always been the one to do them, but by delegating these less than crucial duties, you will be surprised at how free you feel to focus on what is really important within your role. This can also empower your team and instill in them that they are truly an asset to you and your overall departmental goals.
A lot of the time, we can end up stressing ourselves out because we assume things regarding our role and assigned duties. For instance, you may have the assumption that if you can’t complete every single one of your task each day that you will be considered a failure and won’t be able to recover. Or if you turn down work, your colleagues may not see you as someone they can count on. While these concerns may be valid in some instances, in most cases, these type of worries just do not hold water. Try sitting down with your team and going over current workloads so everyone is aware of where they stand. By slowly debunking these assumptions overtime, you can reduce your stress and feeling of anxiety throughout the day.
Feeling overwhelmed while on the job is not a new concept but there are ways in which you can help to alleviate your own feelings of stress and anxiety while at work. By utilizing the tips above, you may be able to create a more well rounded workflow for not only yourself but your team as well.
The Trillium brand of companies is privately owned by René Poch and provides more than 30 years of industry leading recruitment and staffing services through its divisions including: Trillium Staffing, Trillium Construction Services, Trillium Driver Solutions, Trillium Technical, and Trillium Environmental. With approximately 100 offices nationwide and nearly 400 internal recruitment professionals, the Trillium brand is proud to be recognized by Staffing Industry Analysts as a Top 35th Largest Industrial Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Largest Staffing Firm in the U.S., a Top 100 Fastest Growing Staffing Firm in the U.S., and a 2018 winner of National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For. For more information please visit www.trilliumstaffing.com.