How To Effectively Manage Workplace Stress.

In these days of multitasking, scarcity of jobs and also finding the best way to relate and cope with the oddities and idiosyncrasies of different classes of temperaments, it’s not impossible for our body to be stressed beyond the normal limit, and consequently affect our attitude to our jobs. Stress is no doubt common to all human beings, and everyone must at some point in their lives experience very stressful moment that could make them feel depressed. It’s a condition where the body’s center of activity, the mind and brain, has been stretched beyond its elastic limit, and which consequently results in depression. In moments like this, in order for us to feel some sort of relief, our reactions and responses to issues changes, and sometimes, we are likely to become easily agitated and antagonistic.

In today’s post, we want to consider workplace stress, and how we can better manage it, in order for it not to impact negatively on our job.

First off, let’s consider some of the causes of workplace stress:

Major Causes of workplace stress:

1. Work Overload:

Sometimes, when we’ve got our table packed full with a lot of jobs that has been unattended to, as humans, it will induce some form of fear and feeling of not being able to meet deadlines. It could even be worsened when we’ve got a typical choleric boss, who’s extremely tasking and time conscious. Having so much task on our table to accomplish at the workplace can be a major cause of stress, which could also leave us depressed.

2. Meeting Deadlines:

When we’re given deadlines to carry out a task at the workplace and bring results, and we’ve got some conditions clearly spelt-out if we are unable to meet up the deadline. This no doubt induces some kind of anxiety to get the job done quickly, especially when we feel we’ve got less time to meet up the deadline. In trying to accomplish this, we could overstretched the brain and do other things that could affect the normal functioning of our body system just to avoid being queried. Meeting deadlines for accomplishing a task at the workplace is also another major cause of workplace stress.

3. Pressures from your boss:

Sometimes, our boss could be a major source of stress. Especially bosses who are very inconsiderate, domineering and high-handed. This kind of bosses sure knows how to put their staff and subordinates under pressure, in a bit to not only achieve their work goals, but to also achieve some personal goal that are sometimes inordinate. When you work under this kind of bosses, you’re sure going to feel stressed.

4. Uncomplimentary boss:

Another thing that triggers workplace stress, is working with a boss who’s very uncomplimentary. For this kind of boss, he or she sees nothing to be happy about, and compliment you for, despite how diligent and hardworking you are. In fact, more often than not, all you get is his or her backlash and very uncomplimentary remarks. You will frequently get stressed working under this kind of boss, and staying too long under him or her could lead to manic- depression.

5. Uncooperative Colleagues:

At our workplace, it’s very common that we’ll meet and work with various persons with different traits, courtesy of their temperament. Sometimes, we may be lucky to meet those who their traits and lifestyles ranks even with ours, and they could cooperate with us in doing our job. However, it’s not also unlikely that we could also be very unlucky to come in contact with colleagues whose behaviors are very inimical to ours, and we find it very difficult working and relating with them. Uncooperative colleagues at the workplace could also be another main cause of workplace stress, especially when we’re totally averse to their temperament weaknesses. This will no doubt affect our productivity, and perhaps our job. It’s for this reason that temperament compatibility at the workplace is very important, in order to know the temperaments that we’re capable of working seamlessly with.

These are some of the major causes of stress at the workplace that we need to be aware of, so we’ll know how to deal with them. Let’s look at how different temperaments reacts to stress, and also which temperament yields more under stress.

Which Temperament Yields More When Under Stress?

Every temperament category faces some stressful moments, regardless of whether they are introverts or extroverts. However, some particular temperaments especially those of the introvert category are more prone to it, and often yields more under stress than their extrovert counterparts. Nevertheless, each temperament has different ways they react to pressures, which consequently leads to stress.

Sanguines and cholerics are easily the temperaments categories with the least susceptibility to stress, since they are extroverts, who are very outgoing. However, they do face stress at times, eventhough not frequently. For a typical sanguine, denying him the opportunity or privilege to meet and interact with different people, and also when his emotion is undermined, it often results in stress for him. He’ll often lashout in short, quick and very explosive anger in reaction to it. For a typical choleric, failure to achieve his goals, target or desires or denying him his right to be in charge, so to say, could cause him stressful moments. Especially, when he realizes that there is nothing he could do about it.

However, cholerics are rarely under stress and pressure. For they’re highly courageous and self-sufficient persons who believes they can achieve their goals, regardless of any impediments. Infact, cholerics are the temperament that often gives pressure to others and will stress them beyond measure. Let us consider the introverts, which are the melancholies and phlegmatics.

Melancholies and phlegmatics are more susceptible to being under pressure, and often yields more to stress. However, in as much as typical melancholies do not like to be under pressure of work at the workplace, they rarely are, because they often plan their time. But they are more likely to capitulate and yield under pressure at the workplace. Which could also lead them to depression. When a melancholy fails to achieve one hundred percent of what he has taken time to plan or when something does not go the way he envisaged, feeling stressed and depressed is not uncommon for him. His perfectionist tendencies often makes him feel very unaccomplished and unsatisfied. Consequently, he becomes overly reactive, aggressive and antagonistic.

For a typical phlegmatic, they do work well under pressure, especially at the workplace, if the job is a routine and very consistent with what they know already. But if it has to do with going into unknown or unfamiliar areas the tendency towards capitulating will be there. But asides, working well under pressure, phlegmatics easily succumb to other external pressures, especially from those who they do not want to offend or be in conflict with. Stress at their workplace, is usually as a result of having to deal with uncooperative colleagues and uncomplimentary boss who rarely appreciates, compliments and commends them for their hard- work. During those moments, self-pity and rejection is not uncommon for them. Now, let’s consider five ways to manage workplace stress.

5 Ways To Manage Workplace Stress:

There are five basic ways I used to manage workplace stress back then when I was working under a choleric/melancholy boss, who combines the quick, pragmatism and hard to please nature of the choleric, plus the hard to satisfy, detailed and perfectionism of a typical melancholy. I also had colleagues of different temperament categories, who sometimes, their lifestyle and attitude are to say the least, debilitating. Thus, making my job so hectic and stressful. I manage to work for few months, until I find it thoughtful to tender my resignation letter to focus on my blogging career, while engaging in other consultancy services.

I want to share with you the 5 basic ways I used in managing workplace stress, and I hope they work for you also.

1. Don’t Go Ahead With The Task:

I don’t like working under pressure. So the first approach I always adopt when I’m under workplace stress or pressure is to pause for a while whatever task or job am given to accomplish. I don’t go ahead with the job under any kind of stress or pressure. I do this to avoid making a mistake in that job, which could also jeopardize my professionalism. I often abandon the task for a while, then later come back to proceed with it.

2. Calm Down And Relax:

After given myself a break from that job, the next thing I do, is calm down and relax my nerves. It could take me to find a quiet and solitary place where I don’t wish to see anyone. This period of loneliness and quietness triggers my subconscious to direct me on the next steps to take. Listening and paying attention to my subconscious, enables me to come back stronger to get the job perfectly done. You need to take a little break from your job, calm down and relax, then allow your subconscious mind speak to you.

3. Understand Your Boss’s Temperament:

Because I understood my boss’s temperament to be a blend of choleric and melancholy. I made sure I always give him what he wants. Having known his weaknesses and strengths, i cared less if he compliments me or not, but I just made sure I delivered the best results that he’ll be excited about. He may pressure me because of time, and wants me to deliver in time, but if the task required more time, I’d likely plead to be given more time to do a perfect job. And when he sees my final result, he becomes pleased, that he entrusts more task to me without much pressure. Different persons has got different temperaments with their respective strengths and weaknesses. Understanding the temperament of your boss, will enable you know how to better relate with them during some stressful moments at the workplace.

4. Relate With Your Colleagues According To Their Temperament:

Not everybody you work with at your workplace will behave exactly the same, courtesy of the temperament they’re born with. It’s for this reason that you need to understand the traits and behavioral pattern of different temperaments, and relate with them accordingly. Some temperaments are more compatible working together at the workplace than others. You need to know your own temperament, so you’ll be able to know the colleagues you’ll be able to work with, without any hitch or know how to relate with everyone of them.

5. Ensure You’re Happy With Your Job:

One of the things that aggravate workplace stress is to be unhappy with your job. Most persons have already made a career mistake by finding themselves in a career that does not describe their temperament. Finding yourself in the wrong career will not only make you feel bored, but will also leave you very unsatisfied and unfulfilled. Thus, combining this lack of satisfaction with pressures and stress from your boss or colleagues will no doubt lead to being manic depressive.

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