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IO Workshop

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28 views

IO Workshop

Uploaded by

khadija
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Work affecting personal relationships

Stress arising from work has many potentially damaging effects on our well-being. In
addition to its impact on our mental and physical health, prolonged stress can also affect
our relationships with close friends and family. If you don't learn how to handle work stress,
it can aggravate and turn into serious health conditions like coronary disease, diabetes,
depression, anxiety, etc.

Work-life imbalance can create tension in personal relationships. If you’re always working
or heavily stressed, you may not be able to give your spouse, children or friends the time
they need. In addition to failing mental and physical health, poor work-life balance can
lead to exhaustion and fatigue. During personal time, you may not be able to fully focus or
participate in family activities.

While we all would love to have little to no stress in our working lives, that’s not always
possible. It’s far easier to control how we perceive stress and the way we deal with it. Work
stress management may be extremely simple when looked at from a distance, but it
requires consistency and dedication to follow through with it. Here are some tips that could
help.

Mark a specific time and location for work

Research states that stress levels are much higher in workers who bring work home than
those who don’t. If you work from home, household chores and family responsibilities are
more likely to get mixed with work. However, this can cause stress and distraction. Work
only in your home office, or from your work table, and mark that space as a “no access
zone” so that children do not disturb you when you’re in the middle of work. A distinction
marked by location and time allows your brain to process the distinction between work and
fun fairly easily.

Put a digital distance between work and personal gadgets

Separate the gadgets or tools you use for work and personal use. For instance, you can use
separate phone numbers or mobile devices for business and family. Make your working
hours/ availability known in advance to your colleagues, and keep the other device or
number turned off during all other times. Make this a habit and see the results.

Take this a step further and use separate computers, or at least different browsers, for your
home and work-related browsing in order to create that physical separation.

Follow a routine

For better work stress management, set clear and strict hours for everything. This is
essential to prevent any overlaps between work and leisure.

When logging in to work, make sure all personal/leisure activities are kept at bay, and vice
versa when spending time with family and loved ones. Clear expectations and boundaries
help you manage both aspects of your life better and also allow you to enjoy some time to
yourself. Set aside some hours for self-development, relaxation, growth and hobbies. Doing
so will enable you to devote full attention and time to your family, work and self.

Have a daily work-ending ritual

Having an end-of-day ritual or routine has also proven helpful for many. This could be
anything from a short exercise session, a walk, or even your journey back home from the
office. Listening to music, reading a book or going grocery shopping (if you enjoy that) are
some of the ways you can build a work-ending ritual.

This activity gives your brain the time to relax and drains away from the fatigue from work
so that you’re prepared for a relaxing time at home with family.

Build a stress relief system at work

Whether it is a support group at work, a therapist, or a work friend, having someone to


share work-related issues with can reduce a great deal of stress. It is when we bring this
stress back home and to our partners that it creates tension and adds burden on our loved
ones (which isn’t theirs to carry in the first place).
Having healthy boundaries and establishing strong relationships with those who support you
in times of distress can really improve your mental health, and eventually personal
relationships. This is one of the most effective methods of work stress prevention.

Try yoga/exercise at work

Yoga and certain exercises are common stress-busters. Check this link for some workplace-
friendly poses that can give you the break you need, without having to get up from your
chair.

Such simple yoga poses and exercises are great for work stress management. Don’t be
misled by the fact that they are only 5-minute routines. When done regularly, they are as
effective as any other forms of workout. Not only do they relieve stress and tension, but
they also boost your mood, and improve productivity and efficiency.

Recharge

Working long hours can get stressful. Taking frequent breaks during your workdays, or
occasional mini-vacations always helps. While 15-minute breaks after two or three hours of
work can help bring focus to your day-to-day work, taking longer vacations away from work
can help you recharge and refresh your mind and body.

Build a hobby

Practising relaxing hobbies are great for work stress reduction, higher creativity and better
mood. Hobbies allow you to explore your areas of interest, give you time away from work
and household responsibilities and allow you to spend some time doing the things you love.
These are essential to build yourself and contribute meaningfully to your personal
relationships.

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