productivity

8 Strategies for Managing Work-Related Stress

April is Stress Awareness Month, making it the perfect time to recognize the impact that work-related stress can have on our overall physical and mental health. While managing stress in the workplace can be challenging at times, implementing the right mindset and strategies can help to reduce its impact and maximize job satisfaction. In this blog post, we will share eight practical strategies for effectively dealing with work-related stress. Implement these to help you strike the right balance between your personal and professional life.

1. Prioritize Your Tasks

One of the most significant sources of work-related stress is feeling overwhelmed by a never-ending to-do list. One way to combat this is to make a list and prioritize your tasks based on their importance and urgency. This approach allows you to focus on the most critical tasks, complete them first, and gain a sense of accomplishment. By prioritizing your tasks, you’ll feel more in control and productive, leading to a more positive work experience. Some great Microsoft tools that you can leverage for managing your tasks include Microsoft Planner, To Do, and OneNote. Watch our latest video by Adam Atwell, Cloud Solutions Architect at KiteTech to learn how you can use Microsoft Planner and To Do to streamline your daily tasks.

2. Manage your Time Effectively

Research has shown that avoiding multitasking and taking regular breaks can be helpful time-management strategies. However, there are numerous time-management techniques available, and it’s important to explore different options to find the ones that work best for you. Additionally, incorporating technology tools such as time-tracking or productivity apps can further help you manage your time more effectively and reduce your stress.

3. Set Realistic Goals

Set achievable goals for yourself that are challenging but not impossible. This can help you feel more confident in your abilities and less stressed about meeting expectations. Also, breaking down bigger tasks into smaller, more measurable steps can help you feel a sense of accomplishment and keep you energized.

4. Practice Positive Self-Talk

Negative self-talk can be a significant source of stress and anxiety. Practice positive self-talk and focus on your strengths and accomplishments instead of dwelling on your mistakes or shortcomings. We talk to ourselves more than anyone else, so Be Nice! Make sure to talk to yourself the same way you would talk to your best friend.

5. Communicate

Talk to family, friends, or colleagues about how you’re feeling. Sometimes just having someone to listen and offer support can be incredibly helpful in reducing stress. There are times that work-related stress can stem from having too much on your plate. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t keep it to yourself. Communicate with your manager about what you are feeling so they can help you come up with a plan of action.

6. Disconnect After Work

It’s essential to disconnect from work after you leave the office. For those working from home, this has become even more challenging as work is so accessible. Set boundaries for yourself and try to avoid continuously checking emails or taking work calls after hours. This can help you recharge and approach work with a fresh perspective the next day. Creating an end-of-day ritual such as shutting the office door and cleaning up your desk can be helpful. Another useful tip is to wrap up your day by reviewing your to-do list and prioritizing the next day’s tasks. This can provide a good sense of closure for the day and help you feel less stressed because you’ll have a clear plan in place to start the next day.

7. Exercise Regularly

Exercise is a proven stress-reliever, so make sure to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine. Exercise helps to reduce stress by increasing endorphins, boosting confidence, and improving your overall sense of well-being. Even just a few minutes of exercise each day can make a big difference, so make sure to schedule exercise into your day to make sure it happens consistently.

8. Take Care of Yourself

Along the same line as exercise, practicing self-care is essential for managing stress. This can include getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, and making time for activities that bring you joy and relaxation. Rest allows your mind and body to recover which in turn reduces tension and improves your mental clarity. It is vital to prioritize rest and make time for activities that you enjoy and help you recharge. This can include making time for hobbies you may enjoy like reading or spending time with family and friends.

Conclusion

When left unchecked, work-related stress can have a significant impact on your overall well-being and job satisfaction. However, by implementing these strategies, you can reduce stress, increase productivity, and approach your work with a more positive mindset. Start incorporating these strategies into your workweek and start reaping the benefits. By doing so, you’ll be on your way to a happier, healthier, and more fulfilling work life.

Eleni Leppo

Eleni Leppo

Director of Marketing
Kite Technology Group

Digital Hygiene Series: Email Decluttering Tips for Greater Productivity

Email is an invaluable tool for both personal and professional communication. Still, an excessive volume of emails can accumulate in your inbox, making it difficult to manage. In the most recent article in our Digital Hygiene Series, you can learn 5 strategies for managing your email inbox like a pro. As much as we all use email today, it is well worth taking some measures to declutter your email inbox which will help you stay on top of things and have a more productive day. Here are five principles of email management to improve your digital hygiene.

Manage Inbox to Zero

It sounds like a dream, but it can be a reality, and quite a refreshing one when you can maintain it. The key here is to have a system where you immediately act upon emails as soon as you get them so you can quickly get them out of your inbox, either by moving them to subfolders or deleting them. Many emails just require a quick response, so once you respond you can get them out of your inbox. Other emails are more involved and require some action. For these, it is best to transfer the details to some other to-do system, like tasks in Outlook, Microsoft Planner, or your organization’s line-of-business application.

Unsubscribe From Unwanted Lists

Some sources report that as much as 85% of all emails are spam. Most of these emails are not harmful to your security, they are advertisements that just end up being highly annoying at best, and completely clutter your inbox at worst. Most of us just delete these emails, which certainly beats leaving them in your inbox. But the best thing to do with these is to unsubscribe from the mailing lists you don’t want. Legitimate businesses like retail and restaurants send marketing materials periodically, and they all have email preferences you can configure to send you only what you want, or send you nothing at all. Somewhere in all the marketing emails you receive, usually at the bottom, there is an “Unsubscribe” button you can use to adjust your preferences. You should do this immediately for lists you don’t want. Many of these services sign you up automatically for their mailing lists when you do things like set up an account and make a purchase, so be alert for “Opt Out” checkboxes to make sure you don’t end up on these lists in the first place.

Use Mailbox Rules

Mailbox rules can be used to automate repetitive tasks that you would otherwise do manually. One of the most common applications of mailbox rules is to automatically deliver messages from a particular sender or on a particular topic to one of your mailbox folders. It is important to make sure you don’t miss important messages, but implementing something like this can help reduce the noise in your inbox, save you the time of doing steps manually, and remove human error from your methods of organization. There are many triggers you can set up in your rules for things like categories, keywords, and attachments, and there are a wide range of actions they can perform on emails such as flagging, forwarding, and deleting. Experiment with mailbox rules to learn all they can do, and when you work on emails, always be on the lookout for new opportunities to use mailbox rules to your benefit.

Enable Email Archiving

In the second article of this series we discussed how an archiving method for your document and file storage can help separate your working data from long-term storage. The same concept applies with your email. If you have a process to archive emails once they reach a certain age or are no longer needed, the size of your working mailbox remains small, which means it is easier to search and you have less risk of hitting storage limits. You can archive emails with a manual process, but it is best to use an automated process based on age or some other criteria. If you are part of an organization, your administrator(s) should apply email archiving processes to everyone in the organization that are compliant with your company’s data compliance policies.

Master the Search Function

Even with the best of habits in organizing your mailbox, you should know how to effectively use the search function. The search function is most used for emails, but you can also search for other items like Calendar Items and Contacts. The most common search is a keyword search that just looks for the occurrence of a word or phrase, but there is also syntax you can use to find specific criteria, like email from a particular sender or in a particular thread. If you use Outlook, there are lots of resources online like to help you learn how to use the more advanced features of Search. (How to Use Outlook.com Search Operators (lifewire.com))

Conclusion

These are just a few of many strategies that you leverage to keep your email inbox organized. Taking the time to learn how to better manage your email inbox will go a long way in preventing it from becoming congested and overwhelming. When your email inbox is well organized, finding the messages you need can be done in a flash and with little effort. In addition to this, deleting, moving, or archiving the messages that you no longer need will help you be more productive and have time to get more done.

If you are not currently working with Kite Technology and would like to learn more about our  IT and Consulting Services, please get in touch with us to schedule a conversation. We would welcome the opportunity to learn more about your business and how we can help. 

 

Digital Hygiene Series:

Daniel Gilbert

Daniel Gilbert

Chief Operating Officer
Kite Technology Group

adam atwell

Adam Atwell

Cloud solutions architect

Adam is passionate about consulting with organizations across the country to help them develop and execute a cloud adoption strategy that meets their business needs and future objectives. Adam oversees and manages our company strategy for Microsoft 365 adoption and is responsible for future growth and development inside Microsoft 365 and other cloud technologies.