Some jobs are heavy in terms of manual labor, and others are heavy in terms of stress; both need careful management to ensure that you aren’t going to hurt yourself physically or mentally. Of course, some roles are a combination of the two, which adds an extra layer of pressure to the situation. 

High-stress roles often have dangers that we aren’t always attuned to, which can come out in other ways when we least expect it. 

The basics

When stress starts to rise, or we feel aches and pains, there are three things that we tend to head for almost naturally - water, food, and rest. 

Water, food, and rest are the cornerstones of keeping our body and mind as healthy as possible. When we aren’t sleeping, we are naturally more susceptible to stress and are more likely to have arguments or disagreements. 

The same goes for when we are dehydrated because the body has to work harder to keep all of our processes running, which causes fatigue. 

We know that food fuels our body, but in times of high stress, you might find yourself reaching for the carbs and sugars, which can put us in a spiral of crashing when the initial energy bump bottoms out. 

Another thing to consider is that if you are working in a labor-based job, you are more likely to have an injury at work and need to start a work injury compensation claim. Try to be aware of possible hazards so this can be avoided, but know your rights if you need to. 

So what else can you do to relieve some of the pressure that you are experiencing at work?

Is it your responsibility? 

Often, we will take on responsibilities that fall outside of our role in a work environment. Taking on these extra things puts more pressure on us to complete tasks. If you are early in your career or have a people-pleasing streak, this can be tricky to navigate. 

However, if you have done five days of hard labor and then get asked to do weekend work - it is important that if you are tired, you say no - even if you don’t want to let people down. You are at risk of injuring yourself. 

For high-stress jobs that have a lot of deadlines and expectations, taking on extra workloads can be detrimental to your mental health. Delegating, where possible, will make sure that you don’t need to do more than your fair share. 

Before you take on responsibilities that aren’t yours, think about what you will achieve by doing it and if it is going to negatively impact you. 

Switch off

One of the hardest things to do in some job roles is to turn your work mobile off or not check emails. Or worse, not take hours and hours of work home with you. 

It can be difficult to leave work at the door if you are working at home, but it is important that you find the space between your occupation and the people that you live with. Spending time with friends and family is one of the most important things that we can do to release tension and unwind. 

When you don’t have any off or downtime, the pressures of work will keep building up until it feels like an impossible task. 

Mental health days

If you work in an environment where mental health is a dirty word, then that is already a bad sign. But, it is important that you book days off when you don’t have anything else to do but focus on yourself. 

Most of the time, people book time off to take care of tasks or go on vacations - which can feel busier than you had expected. 

Book days off just to do nothing with or do something that you know gives you a bit of balance. 

Keep active 

One of the best things you can do to reduce your stress levels, even in an active job, is to be active outside of work. Walking, running, lifting weights, and other types of working out directly impact how stress affects us. 

It is not always easy to find the energy to do something that requires us to be active, but we must prioritize it in our spare time. 

When we work out, we get a healthy dose of happy hormones, which helps combat stress. 

If you have a team of people relying on you, then that can bring extra pressure to your situation; here are some great tips to help: 5 Simple But Effective Stress-Busters For The Busy Boss - Minutehack.