Ways to beat end of year stress

It is common to find the last quarter of the year more stressful than the other months. Talk about racing to complete annual goals, finish budgets, handling stress of family get-togethers over the holidays, making plans for the new year, and then there is back-to-school at the turn of the year. All these are bound to get your stress levels soaring.

According to WebMD, low energy levels; anxiety and depression; irritability, forgetfulness; and head-, neck- and backaches can all be symptoms of stress. When you are experiences any of the symptoms of stress, it becomes only a matter of time before both your professional and personal life start to suffer.

Here are a few tips to help you handle end-year stress:

If you are in for a busy schedule, ensure that you set aside some time to take stock of how you are faring, both mentally and physically.

Noticing any symptoms of stress like irritability or headache early enough can help you promptly take action to alleviate them.

The best way to handle your stress, even before it strikes, is by determining what is causing it in the first. Find out what is causing your stress and take necessary action.

It could be that you are having too much on your plate, or that you are having problems with your supervisor. The sooner you attend to these problems the better for your wellbeing.

If you are having too much on your plate, you can make a priority list and delegate any excesses or postpone the tasks that can wait until you are less busy. If you are experiencing problems with your supervisor, or maybe a client, you can consider objectively assessing the situation and coming up with a win-win solution.

And if the stress is coming from home, you can set aside time to spend with your loved ones and try to find the root cause of the stress-causing situation and how you can reduce its impact.

It goes without saying that you are better placed to handle stress if your mind and body are both healthy. You need to look after yourself and ensure that you are eating healthily, drinking enough water, exercising and getting enough sleep.

Despite sounding counterintuitive if you are grappling with a busy schedule, taking short breaks can help you reduce stress levels and reenergize.

Ensure that you take your lunch breaks and consider adding a 10 or 15-minute break to your morning and afternoon routines as well when you get to leave your desk and walk around the office or maybe go for a walk outside.

Do you love reading, listening to music, playing a particular game or sport, or hanging out with friends? When you set aside some time every day to do something that you enjoy, you will get to relax and increase your resilience to stress.