Managing Work-Related Stress and Career Direction
Covid-19 has obviously created a lot of added stress for everyone which can become overwhelming for some people. Often that stress can be derived from the workplace. If that is the case, it is important to dig further into that cause as perhaps that stress will not be temporary.
Do you still really enjoy both your industry and your job itself?
Are you confident that your work-life will return back to normal or even improve once covid-19 is over?
If the answer is yes to these questions, congratulations!
If not, it is important that you conduct some specific due diligence in order to help yourself find long term career happiness.
Perhaps you have come to the realization that you are at a crossroads with your work and that you must make some sort of change. Maybe all the furloughs at your company have left you overworked, under satisfied or unclear about your future. Maybe you have lost your interest, or never even had the passion for your current vocation.
Regardless of the situation, the subject needs to be addressed. Stress can affect our thinking, impair our ability to focus and remove our imagination. As stress increases, the chance that you will make mistakes also increases. Constant stress can affect emotions and behaviour and can make someone irritable, impatient, less excited about their life, and even depressed.
Sometimes just thinking about the process of change, or trying to return to happiness, can seem like an enormous task or a painful initiative. We also know that if something is built up in our mind to be difficult and onerous, there is a good chance that it will never get done.
If you have decided that you require a change in your career to reduce or alleviate this stress, I have outlined some steps that can make it much easier for you to once again find joy in your career.
Step 1. Block off 30 minutes for a happiness brainstorm
Close your eyes and think about where and what you would be doing if you really enjoyed your work. You might find that you are not as far off as you thought. Maybe there is something within your industry that still really excites you that you can further explore. Maybe there is something that you truly enjoy that may even see an increased demand moving forward. Perhaps you just want to stop working for someone else in your industry so that you can manage your work exactly as you see fit. I know that was the case for me.
**When people try this exercise, they are absolutely amazed at how much clarity and/or direction that they can develop in a short amount of time. People have told me that they have tried this at the end of a long workday, and that they became so excited after the 30 minutes, that they had trouble sleeping that night!
Step 2. Visualization
Once you realize what you want to be, your mind will go to work at driving towards that desired goal. I won’t get into the numerous self-help books that detail this phenomenon, but once there is clarity in your life, the mind has a tendency to attract people and things into your life that support that end goal. I have spoken to countless people who wanted to switch industries and who were told that it would not be possible BUT, they had clear ideas of where they wanted to go, and suddenly people entered into their lives that could help them achieve their goal or offer a vital introduction. The key is that the visualization has to be crystal clear. Someone who really likes hockey and wants to enter into the industry because of that interest, is NOT sufficient. They need to know specifically what type of position, where they know they can bring value, where they feel they can provide value, and they also need to effectively express their passion in making a difference in a certain area or achieving specific outcomes. Trust your instincts. Even if you don’t fully understand how you will get there, having a vision of the end goal or the desired state will guide you.
Step 3. Manage your stress and anxiety
Starting a “Happiness Project” like this will require time to strategize and outline at the end of your work day which can be taxing if you are still experiencing a lot of stress in your current job. Nothing is a quick fix so manage the hills in the road. Breathe slowly and deeply when necessary. Meditation and other relaxing exercises can really impact your psyche and your health in a positive way. Mental discomfort can be addressed much more quickly than we often realize.
Step 4. Organize your time
We have all been advised that, “when you plan your work, it becomes easy to work your plan.” A lot of stress is created from starting the initiative or taking that big initial step. When tasks are broken up into bite size portions and set into your schedule, there is no “psyching up” required and before you realize, you have already created momentum. It can be as easy as setting up 1 or 2 key activities on a Sunday night for the following week that you can arrange when you are planning the items of your regular work load.
Step 5. Manage your physical well-being
A healthy diet rich in whole foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein can reduce stress. Having lots of caffeine, sugar, and alcohol can increase it. Many studies have found exercise reduces stress. Aerobic exercise works best for most people. This includes running, swimming, or brisk walking. Yoga, Pilates, tai chi, or simple stretching can also help. They all help create a calmer, meditative state.
Step 6. Communicate
Talking with a family member or friend outside of work can be very therapeutic and productive. It will instil more conviction in your goals, and it can also help in expanding your network. This step can also be beneficial in helping you put things into perspective, explore solutions and determine better coping mechanisms.
Step 7. Remember that things will get better
The road is never straight. You may have some setbacks, but if you keep your happiness job vision in front of you, you are bound to go in that direction. Things may not move as fast as we would like, even for the first 6 months of 2021 could feel long, so small steps forward should still be considered a success.
Good luck.
Farewell,
Mike