We all know the feeling of trying to get up early to go to the office, trying to meet up with a deadline, trying to arrive early for an appointment, fear of being late to the office, losing a contract, losing a job, or even worrying about finances. No matter your situation, work stress is a feeling that we all experience in our day to day activities. Most of the time, the happenings around us also contribute to the stress we go through every day, for example the traffic we encounter daily before and after close of work has a huge impact on how we feel at the close of the day, your boss giving you an impromptu assignment which you weren’t informed about, working single handedly on a project that normally involves three to four persons, not getting a positive acknowledgement or encouragement from your boss at the office on the completion of a particular project, not getting a promotion you think you deserve and so on.

No matter your situation, work stress is a feeling that we all experience in our day to day activities

Most times when we are stressed, all we need is someone to empathize with us and understand what we are going through at that moment. Empathy goes a long way in helping us relieve ourselves of whatever thoughts we have that is getting us all worked up. For example a worker who got home very late the previous night, woke up very early the next morning so as to get to the office early and still encountered some obstacles like traffic or a bad engine would be all stressed up when he eventually gets to the office. On getting to the office he then tries to explain the incidence to his boss and colleagues. If after narrating the whole ordeal he has been through no sign of empathy was shown from both sides, these would definitely affect his emotional and mental well-being at that moment because they have given him the impression that they do not care. Empathy from your boss, colleagues, wife, husband, family, friends plays a huge role in reducing work stress because its gives us a sort of assurance that no matter what we go through each day somebody still cares about us.

With so many sources of stress such as work, money, health, relationship worries and so on, it is difficult to find time to relax and disengage. This is why stress is one of the biggest health problems facing people today. When someone is under chronic stress, it begins to negatively affect his or her physical, mental and emotional well-being. We must listen to our bodies and adjust whatever the factor may be that is causing stress otherwise, the immune system and also our emotional and mental well-being may be affected.

To some extent, we can reduce stress by:

• Simply taking good care of ourselves through getting proper sleep, exercise, and nutrition. Most workers after getting home late still spend more time with their phone on social media rather than getting enough rest so as to prepare for the next day.
• Also setting personal goals, guideline and rules as regards projects, seminars or appointments at the office would also help cause once you are prepared you wouldn’t have to rush and this also helps in reducing stress.

But, to really thrive in the face of stress, we should also work towards finding meaning or purpose in our work or other activities because this is really important and towards nurturing positive relationships with others using empathy.
Contact your dedicated EAP manager – Muyiwa or Bunmi on 09087580003, 09087580004. Email us: eap@greyinsights.org or request a call back. You can also download the Greyinsights app on Googleplay and Appstore. At Greyinsights your mental well-being is our topmost priority.