7 Ways To Reduce Stress At Work Before Christmas

Christmas time meant to be cheerful. But for those who have excessive workloads and demands in their place of employment, this time of year can become quite stressful, leading to anxiety. Here are 7 ways to help minimise the effects of stress and anxiety.

Ways to Reduce Stress & Anxiety

What are some things can you do to avoid stress at work that may lead to a Bar Humbug Christmas?

1. Don’t allow unrealistic expectations to cloud your judgement – Be assertive, say no to the extra work that you’re sure that won’t or can’t possibly be accomplished on time before the holiday break. Be prepared to ask for help where needed and ask questions if there is any uncertainty about the work you are doing.
2. Don’t take your work home with you – Put in the extra hours, but leave your work at work wherever possible in order to recharge your battery for the next day ahead.  Take on some relaxing activity like swimming or sports if that helps you unwind.
3. Get Help – If you are in a leadership or managerial type role at your place of work, consider hiring the help of others who are qualified to do the job during the busy period as workloads increase leading up to the holiday break. This will not only help to ease the stress at work but has been proven to increase productivity and can lift the morale of the team.
4. Avoid getting into verbal jousts at work – This time of year can create a supercharged work zone with stress levels building.  Avoid conflict and arguments.  Everyone is trying to meet deadlines so it’ best to remain focused on the big picture.
5. Take your lunch breaks – Have your breaks to clear your head.  The plus side of having breaks is coming back energised. The rest can help to clear the mind and to come back with fresh ideas. Sitting in the sunshine or in a totally different environment can be beneficial as the change of scenery helps in stress reduction and management.
6. Spiritual Preparation – Prepare for the day ahead by spending time reading your bible and in prayer and meditate on the words in the bible.
7. Decide on your attitude – Even if you start off your day with a great attitude, things can go wrong. The trick to keeping your attitude is to make a decision in the morning to not allow others to steal your joy and then function within that frame of mind for the rest of the day.

The key is looking after ourselves on a holistic level meaning that we take care of our mind, body and spirit.

What? Some of the symptoms of stress

• Trembling.
• Shortness of breath.
• Dizziness.
• Pounding chest, fast heart rate.
• Feeling hot and sweaty.
• Feeling faint.
• Legs turning to jelly.
• Dry mouth.
• Butterflies in the stomach

HOW COUNSELLING CAN HELP If you’re finding this time of year difficult to cope with stress or anxiety, you may want to consider talking to a counsellor early on, before the Christmas Holiday break or contact 24-hour free counselling crisis helplines.   They are trained listeners with your best interest at heart.

Sandra Ciminelli
Cred. Dip.Couns. (Christian)

Study the aifc CHC51015 Diploma of Counselling. Our courses are contextualised and don’t contradict the bible.