Work Prompt #1: How does work stress impact your daily life?
Hello everyone and I hope you are all having a bit easier week. How are you all feeling?
I am starting the Prompt Series with the goal that we all can share, discuss our thoughts, experiences, emotions & challenges related to work and career, and support each other by responding to the comments and thoughts in this and upcoming prompt threads.
Today's prompt is: How does work stress impact your daily life? Provide examples of specific situations that have caused you stress at work.
Work stress is a common and significant issue that can have a profound impact on our well-being. Take a moment to share your thoughts and discuss with or support others as well.
How do you manage work stress on a daily basis?
Obs, loving your prompts throughout the communities.
Work stress and daily life, mine tend to collide when I'm working the early morning shifts. As it means that I'll be waking up early and not being able to get any good night's sleep for the duration that I'm working that shift. So, the stress during my shift will be more on the surface, as I'll be more physically tired. Also another time where work stress affect my daily life, is when I'm working overtime hours or when I'm working 2 person's job because we're short-staffed. I'll be more easily exhausted, especially when time is tight, and it makes me feel like there's no time to rest and take all my breaks. It also doesn't help that I'm more of a workaholic and perfectionist, so things have to be done before I go on the next task, or, things have be completed before I can take a break. I can't just drop everything and go for a break when it's "time" for a break. When I'm in the middle of something, it has to be finished first. A lot of the times though, there is so much to do, that one task follows another, making it impossible to have a finished task, and allow me to take that break.
@ASilentObserver
@Jaeteuk Thank you Jae. I love your thoughts and responses. It opens the floor for discussion and encourages all of us to share. So thank you for your huge help and encouragement to me as well.
To unwind during my free time, I usually end up just catching up on watching dramas and listening to music, or reading ebooks (as long as I'm not feeling sleepy, otherwise, reading just makes me even more tired). I'm usually off on weekends, so when I work those early morning shifts, I tend to take naps over the weekend to recharge.
As of yesterday though, I'll be on a 9-day working streak. Working from Tuesday, through the weekend, to next Wednesday. Then, I've got a morning doctor's appointment on Thursday, so not much rest in stress levels.
At least my brother's dog will be with us for 3 weeks, coming tomorrow night. So, I can spend time with him to help with my stresses. Sometimes giving the dog a hug helps too, even if he doesn't like it or doesn't respond to it.
@Jaeteuk Jae, it sounds like you havve been keeping busy with work and enjoying unwinding through dramas, music, and reading in your free time. Having a long working stretch ahead can increase stress levels. Spending time with your brother's dog who arrives soon sounds like it will be a nice break and source of comfort during your time off.
How does work stress impact your daily life?
My profession(correctional officer) is stressful by nature due to the type of population I deal with on a daily basis. Every day, I go to work I am in a constant state of stress, worry, and wonder about what can go wrong, when it will go wrong, and how I will react to any situations that may arise. I'm in a constant state of hyper vigilance regarding my surroundings. My mind never shuts off when I'm in the facility....in a constant state of "go". It is very draining. When I get off work, it takes a long time for me to "come down". If I've had a day where I've to react to a situation, I go over and over it in my head, sometimes for days, to be sure I made the right decision, what I could have done differently, etc.....especially if I feel like I could have handled it better. I am always second guessing myself despite my training and experience. I am the assistant supervisor of the section of the facility I work in. Add to this the stress of making sure my staff are doing what they are supposed to, not cutting corners, following policy and procedures, making sure there is ample staff for the day, etc etc....you get the picture.
Provide examples of specific situations that have caused you stress at work.
I won't go into specifics but I will say multiple types of traumas, physical, mental and emotional, on a regular basis.
How do you manage work stress on a daily basis? When at work, I try not to look ahead in my shift. I try to break down the day in blocks. One minute at a time if need be. I try to deal with one problem at a time, though it doesn't always work that way. Once my shift is over, I usually go to the gym or start to exercise within an hour of getting home. I spend anywhere from 1 to 2 hours in my workout depending on what I'm doing that day. It is helpful.
@CyclingThroughLife Thank you for sharing about your work and the stresses you face each day, Cycling. It's clear this takes a big toll on you. The constant vigilance and worry about what may happen next would weigh on anyone. Breaking the day into blocks and focusing on one problem at a time are wise ways to manage at the moment. I imagine with such responsibilities it can be hard not to second guess, but your experience and care for others' safety come through. Taking time for yourself after work through exercise shows self-compassion. How do you make time to recharge when not at work?
I have to force myself to make to time for me to get in my workouts and to recharge. A lot of my off time is running my 15 year old son to soccer games amd practices...he plays 3 seasons out of the year....high-school and travel with games as far as an hour and 45 min away....sometimes the car drive is my relaxation...music on and just decompressing....
@CyclingThroughLife It sounds like you have a busy schedule with your son's many soccer commitments, which leaves little time for yourself. You mentioned finding the car drives relaxing as it gives you a chance to decompress through music. Creating some time for yourself, even if just in the car, is important for recharging.
One thing I forgot to mention....I wake up at 3am for work, I try to maintain that same schedule for my days off so when I sleep in, I'm up by 4 or 4:30am anyway...I also use this time as me time to actually sit amd enjoy my cups of coffee before everyone else house gets up...on work days i take mybcoffee to go...on the run.. ....I'm in a place now where I feel I need this time and I have grown used to my morning alone coffee time on my days off and get quite annoyed if for some reason I I don't get that....
@CyclingThroughLife Thank you for adding more <3 It sounds like having your morning coffee time alone is important for your well-being. Creating space for oneself, especially in the mornings, can be grounding. You've found a rhythm that works for you, and that's wise of you to listen to your own needs.
I knew someone who once worked as a correctional officer too. Hearing her experience with the job, she's kept on edge through the entire shift. After a couple of decades, she finally had to quit because of personal mental health issues, that she realized got worse over the years working there. I believe she had also worked to a higher position in her department, which like yourself, just adds on with the stresses that the work itself already produces.
@CyclingThroughLife
I work at a coffee shop and a lot of the time its great. The stressful thing comes when it is a busy weekend and I am working night shift. We don't have a night time cashier. Instead it is up to the barista, one server and bus boy/dish washer (me) to man the register on top of all the other tasks we have.
For my position in particular I am in charge of bussing tables, doing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, taking out trash (which fills up extra quick on weekends), fill teas and bubbles for our bubble tea and restocking the bar.
It just becomes a bit overwhelming when on top of all that I have to man the register since both the barista and server are busy with drinks and tables.
Not having a night time cashier on the weekends is honestly the most stressful thing about my work tbh. Otherwise my job is great. Just that little work stress.
@DJHyde Thank you for opening up and sharing with us, Hyde. It sounds like you have a lot on your plate during those busy weekend shifts without a dedicated night cashier. Juggling so many tasks at once can certainly feel overwhelming. You are dedicated to ensuring customers have a positive experience despite the challenges. I appreciate you for your efforts and support to them. What helps you manage your stress in those moments?
I no longer work. As I retired, but when I did, I worked 4 different jobs evetyday, whilst going to college.
very stressful.
@starryCandy6123 It sounds like it was a very challenging schedule, working four jobs while also attending college. How did you manage to balance it all?
Work stress simply doesn't let me be rested and ready for other aspects of my life. It doesn't let me enjoy and have sufficient energy to take on other projects or change life direction. You just get into a loop where you get so burned out that you don't have the energy to find alternatives and rethink your life goals.
I just hope not many of us are in this situation. I need to shred things off to gain energy to switch direction.
My main sources of stress come with dealing with other co-workers that are competing with you and don't want you to succeed while also pretend to be your collegues because at the end of the day we need each other to push forward projects... It's very unpleasant.
@Aputik
"Work stress simply doesn't let me be rested and ready for other
aspects of my life. It doesn't let me enjoy and have sufficient energy
to take on other projects or change life direction. You just get into a
loop where you get so burned out that you don't have the energy to find
alternatives and rethink your life goals." I often feel like this. I go through bouts of burn out every couple of months, which leads to depression because I feel lost in the cycle, hopeless, like I can't do anything about it....this loop that you talk about is real. These bouts of burnout and depression last anywhere from days to weeks. Please know you are not alone.
"My
main sources of stress come with dealing with other co-workers that are
competing with you and don't want you to succeed while also pretend to
be your collegues because at the end of the day we need each other to
push forward projects... It's very unpleasant." I also feel this. I work in a cut throat environment, filled with alpha personalities. Add to that the fact I am a supervisor, it compounds the stress.....In all honesty, I would say that staff issues rank near the top......
@CyclingThroughLife thanks for sharing, I wish you weren't there too. I feel like I need a good time off to put things in perspective. Otherwise, life goes by and we're not who we trully are.
Big hughs from here!!
I have been there for a long time, dealing with these cycles...I'm thinking at least 3 or 4 years. I'm not quite sure what happened to trigger the stress and burnout cycles because I used to be able to handle the job well...actually, maybe the promotion started it....that could be one factor of many.....now I think I just hate it and am settling into this cycle routine and tolerating the job until I'm able to retire. I'm too far in to leave now. And taking long stretches of time off, which I try to do regularly doesn't help. I'm fine up until the day or night before I have to go back...I don't sleep that night, I think about the job all evening...its not good.. I've found some coping mechanisms through discussion amd ideas in the forums here that help me some....I hope you also find some things here to help you cope...
@Aputik It sounds like the work stress is really taking a toll on your energy and ability to enjoy other parts of your life. That feeling of being burned out and not having the strength to make changes must be difficult. You seem frustrated yet also aware of the importance of teamwork. Maintaining your well-being is so important. We are all here with you to listen to and to support. you are not alone in this.
I think my insecurity in work is that I feel that I don’t know what I’m doing. I have little confidence in my abilities and I’m constantly seeking validation. Currently I work in an afternoon school program and I love it but there are some days where I have paralyzing anxiety. I’m terrified of looking like and idiot, disappointing my team, and giving the kids a reason to think less of me. I’m always afraid I’m going to do something wrong and never be able to recover from it. Usually to cope I watch comfort shows and movies to distract myself but sometimes it does sneak on me.
@Shyness98 Thank you for sharing about your experiences, Shyness. It sounds like seeking validation at work and feeling a lack of confidence in your abilities is causing you significant anxiety. What is it like for you in those moments when the anxiety feels paralyzing?
We are all here with you to listen to and to support
It can be difficult sometimes. I will freeze up and be unable to process anything. I feel alone sometimes because I feel people are judging me. Thank you for your support! I appreciate it so it makes me feel like I’m not alone.
@Shyness98 I hear your experience of feeling alone and judged at times. It takes courage to open up about difficult feelings. I can understand how freezing up and feeling people are judging you makes the situation feel isolating. What helps you feel more connected to others during those times?
