5 Tips to Manage Stress When You Start a New Job
Starting a new job is very exciting, but it can also be very stressful. Changing your daily routine, meeting new people and learning how to work in a new environment all pose new stressors, but it can easily become manageable using the right techniques that fit your lifestyle. Here are some of my favorite tips and tricks:
- Prioritize Self- Care: It’s important to spend time engaging in activities unrelated to work. Take time to disconnect, whether it’s going for a walk, watching a movie with friends or cooking dinner. Do not feel guilty about using your weekends and vacation days to unwind and decompress.
- Ask for Help: An abundant amount of information is thrown at you early on when getting a new job; a new schedule, new coworkers, new job responsibilities, etc. Although you may feel overwhelmed, your co-workers and bosses are there to help you succeed in this role. Asking for help can further promote a collaborative work environment through expression of shared skills.
- Stay Organized: Many workdays come with impending deadlines, endless phone calls and several emails. While you can’t control all your interruptions, having a plan can help you avoid unnecessary stress. Take time to organize your workspace and plan your day by making lists, time blocking, and scheduling breaks.
- Build Your Self Confidence: When you’re constantly seeking approval from others and wondering how people perceive you, it can harm your self-confidence and cause self-imposed stress. Instead of focusing on how others perceive you, focus on your job and the various tasks you must do. Not only can this increase your productivity at work, but you’re also more apt to impress them.
- Get Enough Sleep: Sleep deprivation directly impairs employees’ ability to maintain attention and focus and further impairs employees’ ability to make decisions. When you combine these factors, procrastination and inhibit efficiency in the workplace can happen. Being well-rested makes it easier to stay focused on the job at hand and make sound decisions that improve productivity.