How To Effectively Manage Work Stress As A Millennial

Twenty to thirty-year-olds, life can feel pretty challenging when we are experiencing work stress.  Feeling constant stress and tension at work could hurt your productivity. What’s more, the way we convey ourselves to others could come off too stern or unfriendly if you’re preoccupied with stress.

A Study from the Mental Health Foundation, reported on theladders.com, shows that Millennials were the group most likely to have stress interfere with their work.

About a third of millennials said that they felt stress made them less productive. Workplace stressors monopolize our mind due to the fact that our job is our livelihood. If we have issues with a coworker or our superiors, we experience high anxiety because the stakes are so high.  This can not only add stress to your life professionally, but it could affect your personal life. It may become more difficult to enjoy time by yourself or with loved ones.

Many issues can occur at work that cause stress. Here’s how you can effectively manage work stress as a millennial by learning how to tackle any problem that comes your way.

1. Recognize Emotions

Recognizing feelings is a critical component to working well with others. Having the capacity to express how you feel, and perceive how others are feeling, is one of the primary ways we build our compassion in the work place and become known as a team player. This also makes it easier for others to approach you with more patience and understanding.

Cooperating and collaborating with your coworkers, to the best of your ability, will create a relaxing work environment for all of you.

2. Set Objectives

Typically, when speaking of objectives, they relate to tasks such as meeting deadlines, optimally performing within your job scope and the quality your work. It should be perfectly clear to you as the employee what you need to accomplish within your role and how to go about achieving this. Equally important, is being aware of your work expectations.

Employees and Managers should work together to determine objectives. Managers may request that the employee proposes objectives first and then the Manager can revise them. Managers may also lay out the employees expectations and expect that you ask questions should they arise.  If employees know what they need to accomplish, they can look at their results as they go and identify barriers to achieving those objectives should they arise.

By defining objectives and having due dates, we leave ourselves more accountable and therefore better set up for success. For example, “I will develop stronger analytical and presentation skills so that I can present solid outcomes data and better demonstrate the impact of my efforts by June, 2020.”

 If you’re struggling to understand your work objectives, ask your manager for further guidance. This will show you care about the task at hand. Asking for clarification is much more respected than putting off your work due to fear of judgement.

3. Work on Compromising

Ever feel that you think something should be handled one way at work and someone else disagrees? This may mean a compromise should be considered. The art of compromising can mean, at times, you can expect to bargain with a coworker. This will be for the greater good of gaining something ideally more important to you.  In compromises, it’s better if you’re completely transparent with your intentions. Let them know you are aware you haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye, but that you’re willing to meet them in the middle. This helps to put a person’s guard down and demonstrates that you’re sincere in your intentions.

Lets say, you are collaborating on a project at work with a fellow coworker. You have a presentation to give and you do not find data analyses to be your strongpoint. You’re coworker, however, does enjoy analyzing data, but hates the research involved to accumulate the materials you need to provide a solid presentation. You may decide to agree to take on this task so you can avoid data analysis. This way, you both win by getting to contribute to your presentation, by doing things you find easier and even enjoy.

4. Avoid Stressful Coworkers

Avoid or minimize contact with people or situations that trigger stress. For instance, If there is a coworker that has a different work ethic then you, try to politely split up your work and try to work on your end of the project alone. Be sure to claim credit for your work, especially if you do not feel your coworkers produces quality work like you do.

Lets say, there is a coworker who seems to “have it out for you” or tries to provoke you. Do not sit with them at lunch or near them at the conference room table. If it feels stressful and hostile to be around them, tell your manager or HR representative so you can figure out how to improve the situation. However…

5. Try to Handle The Matter Yourself First

Some people are unwilling to compromise, and sometimes, there really isn’t a middle ground for two strong personalities working together. When dealing with a boss or a peer with whom you have a problematic relationship, sit down with the person and have an open conversation. When you tell them how you feel, try to be as calm, matter of fact, and as least judgmental as possible. Be sure to express how you could both benefit from getting along better or simply avoiding each other so that your job is never at risk due to your negative relationship.

Don’t Interrupt

Say your piece, and then allow your coworker to have their turn, without interrupting. State explicitly that you’d like to hear your coworkers feedback and value their opinion, even if you don’t!

The most important thing is maintaining your self respect at work and keeping your job. This is why approaching your coworker to look for a solution is so important and worth the stressful mental preparation.

Trying to handle coworker issues yourself also shows you’re not looking to create a hostile work environment and you tried your best to fix the situation yourself. If this person is unwilling to see eye to eye or continues to engage with you in a hostile manner, then you have every right to go to HR.

6. Work on Acceptance or Change Within Your Job Scope

If you really like the role you fill at work, do your best to get along with your boss and peers. Also do whatever you can to stand out and make your efforts known. You can accomplish this by maintaining an overall pleasant attitude and contributing as much as you can to the team. If you feel you have plateaued in this role, or this is just not the work environment for you, there’s always another group, or role, or company that may suit your abilities better. Never settle.

7. Practice Self Awareness

Self awareness might be one of the most important aspects for reducing stress at work. Knowing when you need to change your task or take a break is key to avoiding burnout. Also, being aware of your strengths and weaknesses will help you from taking on tasks that will lead to failure.

Being self aware also allows you to know what kind of interactions and behaviors cause you to react negatively. Knowing your triggers for negative behavior can help you avoid bad situations at work. Avoiding these extra stressors will aid in your productivity and keep you on track.

Our lives are stressful enough as it is, finding ways to feel skillful and to make work less stressful are vital to living a balanced life.