How To Cope with Work-Related Stress

It’s an unfortunate reality, but most working Americans experience stress from work from a weekly to a daily basis. Humans were not designed to work in corporate America for 40+ hours a week. Most of us sit at a desk and stare at our computers for most of our adult lives. There is not much we can do about this reality, but the issue lies with work-related stress.

Not only is it bad for our physical and mental health, but stress can create all sorts of danger within the mind and body, our relationship with others, and the relationship we have with ourselves. Although we cannot control the structured work week and work-related triggers, we can change how we react to work-related stressors. 

The reality of stressed Americans

In a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn, featuring 4,958 members, they found that “74% of women say they are very or somewhat stressed for work-related reasons, compared with just 61% of employed male respondents.” Although women are more stressed than men, women are more likely to find coping mechanisms for their stress. 

Women, for the most part, experience more stress than men because of workplace inequalities. They are also more stressed about taking maternity leave, the economy, and schools. 40% of women said they do not have enough time in the day to get everything done. There 

Coping with stress

Stress is inevitable, but it is all about how we react to stress. If you are experiencing work-related stress, it is up to you to work through these stressors and find a solution that works for you. The top four ways to cope with stress found from this study are: to set work and personal life boundaries, taking paid time off, taking breaks during the day, and ending work at a reasonable hour. 

It is necessary you put your mental health and self-care before work. We work in a society where work comes first, and we are seen as replaceable if we do not comply with the work requirements, but we need to take control of our narrative. Work will always be there, stress will come and go, but your mental health should always come first. 

We recommend that you do everything in your power to put yourself first. Obviously, it is necessary to get your work done and meet what is required of you, but take advantage of your work benefits. Log off when your workday is done and use all of your PTO. 

Overall, we know how stressful work can be, and we want you to know that you’re not alone. We hope this helped you recognize the ability to take care of yourself and cope with stress because it is so important that you do!