How Human Connections at Work Can Help Stress
Updated 4 August 2020 (Published 1 February 2019) by Jessica in Business Tips
It’s well known that we spend a significant number of hours with our work colleagues than our family and friends. Sometimes, when work gets tough, making connections with your colleagues beyond, “What did you get up to on the weekend?”, can help make a high-stress work environment bearable or even enjoyable.
EPISODE 49
On this episode of the Bam Creative podcast, we focused on the recent ABC Life article: How human connections make high-stress work life bearable.
It’s well known that we spend a significant number of hours with our work colleagues than our family and friends. Sometimes, when work gets tough, making connections with your colleagues beyond, “What did you get up to on the weekend?”, can help make a high-stress work environment bearable or even enjoyable.
The article shared some key points on how to make those connections if you’re struggling:
- Find a best friend and ally, because work can be a battleground without one
- Initiate positive encounters with people that go beyond surface conversation. Learn more about the people you work with, not what they do.
- Choose your battles wisely. It’ll be a bit difficult to make genuine connections with colleagues if you find yourself involved in constant conflict. Observe and understand which battles are worth fighting.
The Bammers added their own tips on how to cope and what to do when workplace stress can be too much.
- Leave. If you find yourself consumed with anxiety and stress and you’ve taken steps to manage the situation, you can actually leave your job. There is absolutely nothing wrong with realising that you’re so unhappy that work is affecting your personal relationships and your health.
- Reach out to someone. If you notice that a colleague is acting differently or obviously stressed out, step in and see if there is anything you can do to help take the load off if you’re able, or, lend an ear.
- Ask for help. If you’re struggling to cope, find a colleague who will lend an ear or engage with therapy options at your job if they are available to you. Sometimes taking home your work stress day after day, may not be helping your personal relationships because your partner or friends will have their own stresses going on, and they may not always be available to assist.
- If you find that a colleague is relying heavily on you and you’re struggling to cope, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone to support you.
If you need help, don’t forget that there are a number of helplines which are free and confidential.
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyondblue: 1300 224 636
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