Don't know how to handle/avoid stress at work

[Javfly33]

I work as delivery courier and my job apart from delivering packages some days is different from the previous one. Like I will get some unexpected errands ,and this errands start getting accumulated in top of my packages to deliver and I become so stressed I am hurrying up for the whole day constantly. The good news about the job is that time goes by pretty fast though lol. But I hate being constantly on the run and stressed out.

Any advice of people working in this industry would be appreciated. I started working ~3 months ago and I'm not sure how much I can "relax" withouth being unprofessional or achieving the business's goals. But I don't think it's not normal either to be anxious for the whole ~7-8 hours each day.

Do people who work on this industry are stressed? I want to know if it's normal or it's more a self-actualization thing I need to sort out about myself

Edited October 11, 2020 by Javfly33

[Gesundheit]

Maybe it has to do with skill, which means it gets better with time?

[Vittorio]

How can you expect to not be in a hurry or to have certainty and structure about what your workflow will look like, IF your job is designed to be so much flexible and thus unpredictable?

Either you find a way to adapt and cope with this kind of job or you simply find another job.

What do you want to do?

[electroBeam]

Well stress is a way of sweeping a deep fear under the matt. Take note that I didn't say stress is a way of getting rid of fear.

You can run javfly33 but you can't hide. I know you're some high flying delivery man now, but you still ain't fast enough to get away from those deeply seated fears that'll stay locked in your head desperately trying to get out.

You gotta do what the cool alpha males do: sit down and dive deep into the heart of that fear. Just contemplate it, expose yourself to it and dive deep into the feeling of it. Deeply feel it, so much so that its like you're realizing or manifesting it now. Don't think, just feel and accept, accept that fear deeply. Give up on trying to avoid it, and just befriend it. After all its just an experience, how bad can it get?

Edited October 13, 2020 by electroBeam

[Inliytened1]

@Javfly33 i think you will find stress in most jobs.  Stress is a part of life.   The key is how you respond to stress.  Its vital to find a healthy release valve.   For me that release valve is the gym.  I do a run, lift some weights, and sit in the sauna.   Afterwards i have this amazing feeling of well being where i can just sit and meditate for an hour or so.   So that's a much healthier alternative than turning to let's say drugs or alcohol which are horrible on the body.  (Besides all the other potentially negative affects they can have on your life)

Just some thoughts my brother!  Stay the course and much love

 

[sholomar]

Some jobs are genuinely stressful. I find it's best to practice self acceptance of the stress.. my job is not really stressful most of the time I just have a stress prone brain wired to trigger the sympathetic nervous system more easily. It's a long process to reprogram this and exposure therapy is the best way to manage fear and anxiety...

https://www.unlearninganxiety.com/amygdala/

If the job really does push  you to the bone... for example I hear they give UPS delivery drivers about 12 hours worth of deliveries and expect them to finish in 10, or you work at an amazon warehouse or somewhere that really pushes productivity, or they want overtime you don't want to work, I would quit. It's not worth it. Find an easier job that pays less, live a cheaper lifestyle.  Move to a more boring part of the country and start over.  Having a good network of friends or finding a way to cultivate playfulness within yourself is very important to psychological health also. Watch funny movies, not violent ones. Expose yourself to playful content, not stuff that makes you angry. Do things in your free time that strengthen the parasympathetic. 

I found Leo's "body awareness" video really stress relieving, the first part where he guides you to relax all your body parts. I know this is nothing new but for some reason the way he talked through it, and the rest of the video, was quite helpful. 

Edited October 13, 2020 by sholomar

[from chaos into self]

I think stress is normal. Stress comes from stuff like expectations and demands. It sounds like your job is high stress. 
 

dealing with stress I think is about acceptance. I guess not just that, but if you have stress it’s better to accept it than to think that it’s bad or wrong. Stress is normal. What you need is endurance. And like someone else said, an outlet in your downtime.

 

 I’m currently unemployed because every job I’ve had was too stressful. I’m currently waiting for a job coach, hoping they’ll be able to talk to me about this stuff and help out. I don’t know if I can find a job that’s stress free for me, so I expect needing to learn to cope. If you want to keep your job, you’ll need too learn to cope with the stress. You won’t magically make the job less stressful, but maybe a better perspective will help manage the stress.
 

It sounds like you’re reacting negatively to work related stress, making the normal demands of the job highly stressful. I encourage you to try to be more accepting of the demands of the job, and to try to deal with it without making the stress worse. 
 

stress isn’t a bad thing, and it’s natural. Dealing with stress is about coping. If you can, practice enduring the stress and p preventing it from compounding.

 

i wish i had more to say. Good luck in figuring this out!

[shallotsometimes]

Yes work comes with stress but when it's all day that seems unhealthy... A little bit of stress can actually be exciting, but too much can leave you depleted and burnt out. I worked in retail for a short time, and I have no idea how the girls working there full-time handled it (especially around Christmas!) That job was much more stressful than working in an office and I got paid half as much. (Part of it was retail had a lot more external stimulation so it was very draining in that way as well. Even though I still had deadlines in an office and had to rush to get things done.)

I agree more with @sholomar. We aren't wired to be stressed & anxious 24/7. I think a big sign though is if you dread going to work in the morning

[kuldeept]

Long-term exposure to work-related stressors like these can affect mental health. Research links burnout with symptoms of anxiety and depression. In some cases, this sets the stage for serious mental health problems. Indeed, one study shows younger people who routinely face heavy workloads and extreme time pressure on the job are more likely to experience major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder.

High levels of stress at work –– and outside of it –– can affect physical health, too. Repeated activation of the fight-or-flight response can disrupt bodily systems and increase susceptibility to disease. For example, repeated release of the stress hormone cortisol can disturb the immune system, and raise the likelihood of developing autoimmune disorders, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer’s disease. Chronic stress can also affect health by interfering with healthy behaviors, such as exercise, balanced eating, and sleep.

Work stress can also harm companies or organizations. Burnout reduces job productivity and boosts absenteeism and job turnover, and also leads to conflict between coworkers, causing stress to spread within a workplace

Personality Development Classes in Pune

[Javfly33]

@kuldeept thanks for the info. I might be lo Lucky genetically in this regard because all my life have had anxiety and I haven't developed any illness. Although I am still young. Maybe it's because of that and if I keep feeling like this I will. So yeah I have to watch out and get out of this sitty train before I die working a stupid work

On 11/10/2020 at 1:39 PM, Gesundheit said:

Maybe it has to do with skill, which means it gets better with time?

Some, but feels some of them too is just because the work is a mess.