Every individual is unique, and therefore when subjected to stressful situations, they react differently. Various factors contribute to stress at the workplace, which includes a disorganized work environment and unhealthy organizational culture. Supervisors who undertake more projects than their team can usually handle over-load their subordinates. Subsequently, this creates a stressful work environment because there is not enough time to accomplish all the assigned duties, and the quality of work is also compromised. The way the managers address their employees also enhances or breaks the team spirit, thus affecting the organizational culture. For an organization to succeed, proper time and stress management skills are imperative.
Time has become a stressor at my workplace because it seems not to be enough. One of my colleagues in the accounting department was involved in a road accident, broke his arm, and injured his legs. This has caused him not to come to work, and therefore, my supervisor has delegated his task to the rest of us. We are four accountants in the department, and the additional responsibilities are making me feel overwhelmed. Nowadays, I find myself extending my office hours up to almost 10 p.m. to complete my work. This has affected my family time because I am not able to have dinner with my family members. My sleeping pattern has also been interrupted since I only sleep for a few hours, which leaves me feeling fatigued.
Another stressor at work that affects my life and my time management skills is when Deloitte auditors audit my organization. As an accountant, my work schedule gets disrupted because of all the support documentation the auditor requests. By the end of the day, I have not accomplished everything I had planned to do during the day. This forces me to extend my office hours. For one month that we have the auditors in the office, I usually feel strained, and the additional work pressure causes me to be easily irritable and experience fatigue.
Proper time management skills are essential in overcoming stress at the workplace. These skills include organization, prioritizing work, goal setting, communication, planning, delegation, stress management, and self-care (Baethge et al., 2019). Self-care entails having healthy meals, exercising, sleeping well, and taking breaks while at work. Additionally, possessing excellent communication skills will enable employees to ask for help from colleagues when they feel overwhelmed.
Prioritizing means undertaking urgent duties first, then handling the other tasks later. Moreover, with goal setting, employees can first perform roles that ensure they accomplish their target. To manage my stress level at work, I have decided that I will embark on an early morning exercise routine before going to work, and I will eat more fruits and vegetables. I will also ask for advice from my supervisor on handling my work and tackling the additional roles.
After expressing our concerns to the account department manager regarding the excessive workload, she advised us to prioritize work based on the most urgent and then tackle the other daily duties. In addition, the supervisor encouraged us to work as a team and consult her or other colleagues when faced with any challenge to avoid wasting time. She promised that the work situation would improve once our colleague returns to work after the recovery, which she estimates will take around four months. According to my supervisor, managing work pressure needs prioritizing and teamwork, and I have learned their importance.
Reference
Baethge, A., Deci, N., Dettmers, J., & Rigotti, T. (2019). “Some days won’t end ever”: Working faster and longer as a boundary condition for challenge versus hindrance effects of time pressure. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 24(3), 322-332. Web.