It is all too easy to feel overwhelmed by stress, and certainly with current circumstances meaning more of us are working remotely from colleagues and not seeing family and friends, it’s even more vital we regularly check in with each other and look after our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others.
With April being Stress Awareness Month we thought this is the perfect time to open up the conversation about workplace stress. To help with this, we asked the Interclass team to share their top tips for managing stress. Check out their words of wisdom below.
“Don’t panic, don’t make the situation a mountain, write a list of what needs doing, prioritise the list and work through each one. Also, if under stress, colleagues are there to support you, remember a problem shared is a problem halved.”
Phil Walker, Contracts Manager
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“If I wake up in the night thinking about work related issues, I will send an email to my work email with the items that I was thinking about. This way I can go back to sleep and don’t have to stress about remembering what I was thinking about or where I left a bit of paper with the note on.”
“Also, I regularly get up from behind my computer and go for a wonder around site to clear my head.”
John Mackay, Senior Contracts Manager
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“Get your running gear on and go for a good hour’s run/jog, ideally in a park or in the countryside. I find being in the fresh air and seeing/listening to nature is a great boost. Whilst running, there are no other voices, so you can have clarity of thought and work things out in your mind and if you push hard, the pain will block out everything! When you get home, the endorphins will give you another high. And repeat!”
Peter Hood, Construction Director
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“Mountain biking & badminton to switch off (when they allow us to play again) and sleep sounds on Alexa with blue bed light when going to sleep.”
Dean Bradbury, Contracts Manager
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“Getting some fresh air or exercising in general – walking, running, going to the gym or just taking five minutes outside to take a deep breath!!
Meditation – I’ve recently started this, and do about 5/10 minutes a morning…it gives me a clear mind to start my day.
Podcasts – Some recommendations on Spotify include – ‘Mindset Mentor’ & ‘Feel Better Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee’ & ‘On Purpose with Jay Shetty’. There are plenty more available!
Talking to my family or close friends – I feel that getting it out your own head, and saying things out loud helps take the pressure and stress off things. Just knowing you’re not alone in this world helps.
Affirmations and positive quotes – Just taking 5 to read some affirmations gives me that little boost I need sometimes.”
Laura Smith, Trainee Quantity Surveyor
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“Keep everything in the day. If you have got one eye on what happened yesterday and the other eye on what might happen tomorrow, then you’re looking at today cock eyed!”
Neil Edwards, Senior Quantity Surveyor
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“Stress is often caused by things you feel you cannot control. Find someone to talk to so that you can formulate a way of regaining that control, thereby, removing or reducing the stress point.
It’s really important that stress issues are not ignored. They will not go away without support and a plan.”
David Jones, Managing Director
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“Top Tip 1- Keep Contracts Managers off site.
Top Tip 2 – Do not attempt to have breakfast or lunch when Contracts Managers are on site unless cold green tea and floppy lettuce are your thing.
Top Tip 3 – When Contracts Manager is due on site have a day off. These are all full proof methods of reducing stress massively in my experience.”
Stephen Pearson, Project Manager
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“Remember it’s good to talk!”
Garth Watkins, Director (Civil Engineering)
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“Some of the best advice I have been given that reduces the stress from the situation is: You have always got more time than you think!
When you’re getting stressed, walk away breath and start again!
Finally, Guinness has always worked well for me, it’s very therapeutic and as it say’s on the advert, it’s good for you!”
Des O’Neill, Preconstruction Director
We hope these tips from the Interclass team serve as little reminders as how you can manage your stress, not just this month but all the time!
