How to Ease Stress at Work? Try Using Kanban

‘How to ease stress at work?’ A very common question. Yet, overcoming work stress is often another nerve-racking problem for many people. Even though you can’t completely eliminate stress, you can learn how to manage it make things easier for yourself and the people around you.

Tips for Reducing Stress at Work

Many people perceive work as a place of stress. But it doesn’t have to be like that, it shouldn’t be. Especially if you love your job and you’re good at it.

To create a more relaxed environment, you need to begin by creating an organized workspace.  Set up a personal space where you have the tools and space you need to be productive with the least stress possible. And if you manage a team, make sure to create as stress-free environment as possible for all team members .

Here are some actionable tips for reducing stress at work. And how Kanban can help you destress as well ?

Keep your Work Space Clean and Tidy

A messy desk cluttered with documents, pens, notepads, food containers, and whatnot can make it more difficult to find the actual things you need. Try organizing your space instead. Having a clear and open space to work on makes it easier to focus and stay calm. You can use document organizers to sort paper files. Or you can use the cloud to store digital files so the whole can access them.

TIP: If you use an online Kanban tool, you can have all task-related documentation and files attached on the corresponding card. No clutter, no lost files, no stress.

Take Regular Breaks

Sitting for longer periods of time is bad for your health and your concentration. Every hour, try taking a brisk 5-minute walk to clear your head and get your blood (and creative juices) flowing. And ease a little stress during the workday.

TIP: Visualizing your day on a Kanban board makes it easier to plan short breaks between tasks.

Prioritize the Big Tasks and Don’t Multitask

Take your upcoming assignments and organize them by priority. It’s recommended to do the most difficult things first, and from there everything will get easier. Also, don’t multitask. Work on tasks one at a time. Prioritizing your tasks gives you control over your workflow. And working on one at a time will ease your stress and help you stay focused.

TIP: Kanban boards allow you to visualize and order tasks by priority. And you can easily re-prioritize them as needed. Simply move a task higher up the list. Also, Kanban’s WIP limits can help you break the habit of multitasking. Limiting yourself to 2 work-in-progress tasks is a good start to ease stress at work.

Improve Team Support

Make sure you and your team are working towards the same goal – and on the same task. Share all relevant information and documentation. Communicate openly and often. Support other team members and help them when you have free time. Don’t try to do everything by yourself.

TIP: The Kanban method was devised to improve teamwork. Digital Kanban tools are especially helpful when collaborating with others. You can easily share your workflow, see each other’s planned work, coordinate better, and deal with overlapping work more easily.

Use Tools

You can’t and you shouldn’t try to remember everything about everything. Instead, try using organizational tools and apps to make your life easier, and ease stress at work. Find the tools that help you declutter, destress and stay more focused and productive. And try getting your team to use them too. It’s easier when everyone is sharing info and files through the same channels.

TIP: Have you tried a digital Kanban tool yet?

Do You Have Too Much or Too Little On Your Plate?

Dealing with a full email inbox or an overwhelming to-do list are daily struggles for many people. While sometimes stress can help you perform at your best, too much pressure is not only bad, but it can lead to burn out. But, interestingly enough, not enough pressure can result in rust out. Therefore, it’s paramount find your zone of peak performance. But how can you do that? Well, first, you need to learn how to manage and ease stress at work.

Since in time things usually get only more complicated, it may be beneficial to give Kanban a try. It will allow you to gain some control and balance within your workday. And see for yourself how small efforts can lead to a big change and help you overcome work stress.