It’s no secret that the working world can be a relentlessly stressful place. From deadlines to office politics to cumbersome commutes, many members of the workforce are constantly besieged by stressors. Unsurprisingly, ample job stress can have negative impacts on one’s mental health, physical well-being and interpersonal relationships. So, if your job has become all-consuming and/or pushed your stress levels to the breaking point, there’s no time like the present to get a handle on the problem. Anyone looking for simple and effective ways to get job stress control would do well to heed the following pointers.

Attend Therapy 

People often regard therapy as something that only benefits those suffering from unmistakably obvious mental illnesses. While therapy certainly can be helpful to such individuals, it isn’t exclusively for them. Regardless of how pronounced or severe your mental health afflictions are, therapy is likely to prove beneficial. Stress is among the most common reasons for which people seek therapy – and job stress is among the most common forms of stress. So, whether your job has sent your stress levels into overdrive or only slightly elevated them, a good therapist can help set things right. 

If your schedule doesn’t have room for in-person therapy sessions, you should look into attending sessions remotely. Big Apple residents on the hunt for remote therapy options can find a bevy of them by doing a quick search for “online therapy New York.” After all, life can be tough in the city that never sleeps. 

Set Boundaries 

Understandably, many people have trouble saying no to anything work-related. Because of the way our culture glorifies hard work, these individuals believe that turning down any requests from colleagues or bosses means that they aren’t properly doing their jobs. However, as is the case in other areas of life, the people you work with are likely to take advantage of you if they feel they can get away with doing so. For example, if you establish yourself as someone who will take on any task at any time, you may frequently find yourself on the receiving end of unreasonable requests. In some cases, professional colleagues will take advantage of you without even realizing it. If you don’t speak up whenever you have too much on your plate, they may have no way of knowing when you’ve reached your limit. 

With this in mind, make it clear whenever your maximum workload has been exceeded. While your job comes with certain obligations, consistently working yourself to the point of exhaustion isn’t one of them. So, the next time you have too much on your plate, let your colleagues and/or bosses know that you won’t be able to take on any additional work until you’ve gotten a handle on your current workload. If you’re someone who historically has trouble speaking up for themselves, this is liable to be a bit of an adjustment. However, the long-term benefits to your mental health should prove well worth the initial discomfort.     

Maintain a Good Work/Life Balance 

For many members of the workforce, maintaining a good work/life balance is all but impossible. Despite only being paid for 40 hours a week, many people never truly clock out of their jobs and constantly have work on the brain. If this describes your situation, you need to start taking steps to change this. No employer has the right to infringe on your personal time, and if you feel as if you’re always at work, odds are your quality of life isn’t great. For this reason, make a point of setting designated work hours and designated personal hours and never deviating from this. When you arrive at your place of business, the workday officially begins, and when you clock out, it officially ends. 

Working is undeniably a stressful experience. Even if you genuinely love what you do for a living, the odds of your job being devoid of stress are virtually nonexistent. Alternatively, if you don’t derive any enjoyment or satisfaction from your job, you’re likely to derive ample amounts of stress from the daily grind. For countless people, job stress is a prominent part of life, with many individuals writing it off as inescapable. While stress-free jobs are certainly rare, there are a number of steps you can take towards reducing work-related and making it more manageable long-term.