Everyone can go through a stressful time with their job at some point in their life, knowing how to manage it can help you to remain focused. Whilst some stress from your job/career is normal, too much can interfere with the performance you give, whilst also having an impact on your physical and emotional wellbeing.
Stress isn’t always negative, a small amount of stress can help you stay energetic and focused, leading you to be able to meet new challenges in your workplace. When working with, operating machinery it is vital that you remained focused on your job as too much stress/worry may lead to an accident or costly mistake. In today’s hectic world, the workplace often seems like an emotional rollercoaster. Long working hours, tight deadlines, and ever-increasing demands can cause worry, more stress and leave you feeling drained. The minute stresses exceed your abilities to contend with, it can cause issues to not only your mind and body but to your job satisfaction.
Some signs of excessive stress in the workplace are
- Feeling anxious and/or irritable
- Issues sleeping
- Loss of interest in work
- Trouble concentrating
One way to overcome stress is to reach out to those close to you. A problem shared is a problem halved. Talk it out and accept offers of support and advice.
Working nights, early mornings, or rotating shifts which can impact your sleep quality, in turn this can affect overall productivity and performance. Limit the number of irregular shifts you work in a row to prevent sleep deprivation. Operating machinery is a huge responsibility and can be physically demanding so ensure you take regular breaks to help you relax and recharge.
It will also help to reduce job stress if you manage your workload and prioritise tasks especially while operating machinery. Tackle high priority tasks first, if you plan your day, things will run smoothly. Delegate responsibility, don’t take on too much, it won’t help your stress levels. Stress can lead to you feeling drained of energy and lack motivation, flip your negative thinking, rather than focusing on the downside of every situation be positive. Positivity will boost your confidence and you will start thinking positively about work and your accomplishments, even the small ones.
If work stress is taking its toll on you and your personal life, talk to your employer. Healthy and happy employers are more productive. Clarify your job description with your line manager to ensure you aren’t taking on any extra responsibilities which are restricting you from completing your own roles. If you feel it’s time for a change, maybe speak with your manager/s about new responsibilities, maybe you’ve been working the same machine for a while and you fancy learning how to operate something different.
Ensure to take time away from work. Enjoy some you time, maybe book a holiday or just have a few days annual leave to recharge your batteries and take perspective. You will return to work feeling refreshed and be ready to focus on your positive attitude.
David Chivers
