Balancing Work and Life with the Best Methods to Reduce Everyday Stress

It’s easy to be stressed in today’s world. You might have a high-pressure job, a child (or several), a news feed designed to stimulate those anxious corners of your brain, or even a health concern that’s slowly gnawing away at the back of your head.

But it doesn’t help when the boundary between our jobs and our personal lives has become so blurred. It might seem like, no matter how hard you try, there are simply never enough hours in the day – especially now that we’re more connected than ever before. You might find yourself responding to that email late at night, feeling guilty when you’re taking a break, or spending some much-needed family time worrying about an upcoming deadline.

Work should be fulfilling and help give our lives purpose, but when pushed to extremes, this imbalance can lead to chronic stress that can affect both our mental and physical health. For those who fall into this category, you’ve come to the right place.

As someone who’s been in your shoes, I’d be delighted to share some of the practical strategies that you can adopt, in the hopes that you can dial down your stress levels and live a more sustainable, satisfying life.

How Does Everyday Stress Impact Our Lives?

I’m a firm believer in something called ‘good pressure’ – not exactly a technical term, I know. But in all walks of life, there exists a Goldilocks zone where the levels of stress are dialed to perfection, and can be the exact motivator that you need. Whether it’s a personal goal, like losing weight or becoming stronger, or a professional goal, like a car salesman who’s expected to sell X amount of cars per month.

But stress can begin to snowball when we lose control of manageable sources, like tight schedules, unrealistic expectations, murky boundaries, and insufficient time to relax or pursue personal interests. Recognizing how stress presents for you is the first step towards effectively managing it. It can show physically, in the form of headaches, rashes, or exhaustion, and mentally, where stressed individuals can become more irritable, withdrawn, or even depressed.

If left unchecked, stress can eat away at your productivity in the workplace and your personal sense of self, so finding a balance is crucial.

Setting Clear Boundaries

Establishing clear boundaries is one of the best ways to reduce stress. If work is continuously spilling into your personal time, then you’ll never have time to relax. Get started by clearly defining your working hours, then making sure that your colleagues are made aware. Furthermore, modern smartphones actually have a ‘personal’ setting, which will restrict your email notifications, along with other apps you use regularly during a workday. Alternatively, if you really want to unplug yourself from the infinite noise of the digital world, you can always switch off notifications altogether.

If you’re at work – whether it’s at an office or at home – and the busy workday itself is taking its toll on you, and the multitasking is becoming excessive and overwhelming, do yourself a favor and take a 5-10 minute break. Make yourself a drink, grab a snack, take a stretch or even go for a short walk to clear your head and help prevent burnout.

Embrace Rest and Recovery

In the workplace, particularly in those that embrace more of a ‘hustle’ culture, the importance of rest is underestimated all too often. Unfortunately, it’s perceived by some as overindulgent or unproductive when in reality, it’s vital for anyone who wants to perform optimally. That’s why having a consistent sleep schedule is paramount not only for maintaining low stress levels but also for improving your health.

Your internal body clock, also known as circadian rhythm, boosts physical performance, recovery, metabolism, and immune system function when aligned with a regular sleep schedule. Importantly, a consistent sleep schedule also helps to regulate mental health by stabilizing your mood, improving focus, and significantly lowering risks of anxiety and depression.

Maintaining Physical Health to Support Your Mental Health

It’s hard to deny the relationship between our mental and physical health. If you exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet, you’re already giving yourself a head start when it comes to lowering stress levels.

Exercise doesn’t need to be intense or time-consuming; sure, going to the gym would be great, but if you’d prefer something a bit more lowkey, then going for a walk, run, or even a bike ride would give you all of the benefits you need.

If you skip meals or are over reliant on processed foods, you’re much more likely to experience crashes. Eating a healthy, balanced diet that’s packed with protein, carbohydrates, fibre, and vitamins and minerals will help you to regulate your emotions – including stress levels. Gut-healthy foods, like kimchi, kefir yoghurts, and bananas are all affordable options that’ll give you a boost.

Excessive smoking and drinking are also massive contributors to stress, despite the common myth that both habits relieve stress. As a former smoker myself, I can attest to the fact that I feel much better for quitting. Quitting can be a stressful hurdle in and of itself, with withdrawal symptoms adding to the burden of tension that you might otherwise be feeling.

Find Comfort in Relationships and Social Support

Connecting with others has been touted as a proven stress reliever time and time again, so don’t carry the burden yourself. Instead, embrace your humanity and strengthen your connection with others. I know how it feels to bubble over when both work and home are dialled to eleven, and chances are, I’m not the only one. You’ll have people in your life who would jump at the opportunity to either be a pair of ears and listen to you get it off your chest, or be a welcome, necessary distraction one weekend afternoon.

This can also apply to the workplace. If you’re struggling to juggle all of the tasks on your plate, then either delegate the work that needs doing or have a transparent conversation with your line manager. In situations like these, reaching out isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength.

Closing Thoughts

Balancing your work life and personal life isn’t just a one-and-done tick-box exercise. It’s an ongoing aspect of life that everyone struggles with from time to time – especially when starting in a new workplace or receiving a promotion. It can be hard to say no to work because, maybe in our heart of hearts, there’s a part of us that burns with a desire to prove that we’re better than others, that we’re the ones who go above and beyond.

That’s all well and good, but for most, it just isn’t a sustainable way to live. The headaches, sleepless nights, irritability, and anxiety aren’t worth it. It might be easier said than done, but hopefully, here I’ve been able to give you some strategies that’ll help you to leave work at work.

This post was contributed by Damien Woods.

Guest Contributor

With a degree in Journalism, Damien Woods creates compelling, insightful content inspired by his own journey through physical and mental health challenges, aiming to inform, inspire, and motivate others.