It is not unusual to want to start the year with big plans to generate large profits, but then the kind of pressures mounted on the employees can break them, especially when we are just getting out of a turbulent ‘’2020’’.
The year 2020 is a year that will linger on in many minds. It will be remembered not for a birthday celebration but for the COVID-19 that dealt with us from the beginning till the end. The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic has seen many employees lose their jobs, many companies file for bankruptcy, and even governments have become destabilized. Many employees work without pay while some just get paid half of their salary. However One must be thankful to have a job that pays anything at all because millions have become jobless.
In a world without COVID-19, employees get pressured both at the end and beginning of the year with lots of targets. But with COVID-19 companies at the beginning would want to set higher targets as a recovery strategy for the previous year’s losses especially with the kind of losses that arose from the effect of COVID-19, business owners would want to restock for the year, they open accounts/books for the new year and project annual profits.
With COVID-19, is it possible to manage pressures at the beginning of the year? Well, the truth is when you bow to pressures you become stressed out. Have you been stressed out by COVID-19? You need to learn how to cope at the beginning of this new year 2021 amid COVID-19 stress.
8 ways to manage the new year stress amidst COVID-19
Stress management itself is a therapy that every human needs, whether one believes they’re stressed or not. A friend once explained to me how the human body and the mind react to stress and how I can best unwind from stress and stay in control. In order to manage the end of the year stress and in order to stay in control of your mind and body, you need to:
1. Know when you are stressed out:
A lot of people lie to themselves when it comes to stress and this is a big problem. According to a psychotherapist, people who lie to themselves end up breaking down and when they do they break down beyond repair. When you are stressed out acknowledge the fact that you are not a superhuman and that you can be stressed out. For some people, realizing that they are stressed out can be quite a problem. People like these need to evaluate their physical and mental states intermittently, especially towards the end of the year. Be sure you are not having unusual headaches because of stress because a problem known is solved halfway.
2. Know what is stressing you out:
While it’s a different thing to accept that you are stressed out, identifying the cause of stress is another thing. You may be busy at work and at home (family issues). Always remember to pick out the level of stress in each case and understand which of the situations stresses you, or stresses you the most and then ascertain the cause of stress.
3. Know your limits:
You can’t be everywhere at the same time. You should know that as a human being, you can only try but you can’t be everything to everybody every time. It is quite impossible to achieve. Just do your best and leave the rest. If work schedule is the major cause of your stress, just do what you can (at your best) and let others do the rest. You can’t be around your loved ones forever, just do your best to take care of them and leave the rest. What you will eat, drink, wear, and spend? Well, you can only do your part and let others do theirs. If the COVID-19 lockdown stopping you from visiting your loved ones then there is some good news, you can always visit them as soon as the lockdowns are over. Try to relax and release yourself from the yokes of stress. Do not get yourself worked up over anything to the point of losing your mind. You know why? Because when you do, whatever causes your insanity or death will continue to exist.
4. Live, relax, and rest:
Enjoy yourself, give yourself treats, relax, and enjoy the remaining years. Life is too short, so why live it worrying? The best way to get over stress is to live and relax like stress was never there. Take out time to relax all by yourself or possibly with a friend or partner. Also, remember to take out time through the year to enjoy your life on vacations. Give yourself memories that the pandemic can not take away. Even during the lockdowns, you can learn new skills, read new books, watch new movies or the ones you must have missed over the years, listen to the latest songs by your favorite artists, and so on, shifting your mind from things that stress you. Importantly, exercising your body viz yoga, jogging, going to the gym etc. They all help clear your thoughts and shape your mind. I will like to add bed rest. A lot of people take rest for granted and just spit in the face of proper rest. Not resting itself can stress one out and the damage can be enormous. Always find time to relax every day.
It is a known fact that when pressure is not managed, it degenerates into stress. In order not to have work stress or life’s pressure weigh you down amidst COVID-19, you need to:
5. Save your life and keep your job:
Yes, you don’t have to give in to pressures and at the same time you should not get fired and to achieve that it means you need to maintain a balance. If you give in to pressures and you stress yourself out, you might end up getting laid-off, or end up in a mental institution, or even worse, dead. So maintaining a balance is of utmost importance. Work when it is work time and play when it is playtime.
6. Never talk back:
COVID-19 has gotten many great minds off the company’s payroll, should you give them the opportunity to lay you off, they will definitely take it quickly and pay less when they employ your replacement. So whatever your boss says, just let him or her feel you are on track.
7. Be busy at work always:
Bosses tend to put more pressure on employees that are not busy at work. When your boss always finds you doing something for the company work, you get pressured less. Spending office hours gisting, watching movies, or listening to songs will attract more pressures from your boss. Let your boss see you as a busy employee. The less the pressures, the farther away you are from the stressing out.
8. Plan:
Effective planning is a necessary tool in managing pressure. You can deal with pressure or eliminate it by planning ahead. Workplace pressure, family pressure, end of the year needs pressure and any other kinds of pressure can be overcome by planning ahead of time.
In conclusion, any kind of pressure you may have been under during the last year or any pressures you are under at the beginning of the year 2021 amidst COVID-19 both at work and at home can be suppressed by the few tips listed above.
Featured image by flickr John Campbell