The twenty-first century workplace looks very different from the offices of the past. The invention of computers quickly ushered in the invention of the internet which quickly ushered in a completely new working landscape. Nowadays, there are at least half a dozen ways your boss can get in contact with you even when you’re not at work—by phone, email, text message, slack, etc. If they are truly desperate, they could even kick it mid-2000s style and poke you on Facebook. 

The point is—the average modern-day worker is highly reachable, and this makes it near-impossible for workers to fully step away from even when they aren’t physically at their desks. It leads to an “always-on” feeling that many of us can relate to. According to the research, 25% of employees report that they never or rarely take days off work and 62% report checking their work emails outside of working hours. In fact, the pressure to be working all the time has gotten so bad, that some are skipping lunch in order to get more done. 

In the words of organizational psychologist Charlotte Fritz, who researches the interplay of experiences in versus outside of work, “What we find is high levels of workload, time pressure, and expectations to be available 24/7. That makes it difficult to mentally detach during nonwork time.”

So how do we strike a better work-life balance? How do we manage stress and switch our brains to a ‘sometimes-on, sometimes-off’ mode? 

We have some ideas! 

Understanding Workplace Stress

The first thing you need to know is that this phenomenon of being ‘always-on’ is very common. It’s estimated that more than 80% of US workers experience workplace stress and of those people, more than 50% believe their work-related stress is negatively impacting their home life. 

The specific causes of workplace stress, however, will vary. Some of the most common causes are low morality/feeling of powerlessness, poor management, division of labor, etc. 

All of these issues, along with anything else that might be stressing you out at work, are only going to be made worse by the fact that work feels inescapable. This is due to the technological advancements we discussed earlier, and that’s why one of the first pieces of advice we’re going to give you to manage stress is to go on a digital detox. Before we even get into the nitty gritty of taking better care of your mental health at work, ‘always-on’ workers need to adopt a more ‘do not disturb’ attitude when it comes to after-hours correspondence. 

The Five R’s of Avoiding the “Always-On” Feeling

Not everyone can take a two-week long vacation to revitalize themselves, nor can most people afford to go around job shopping forever until they find a workplace with better mental health resources. That’s why we’ve put together the five R’s of workplace stress management with the goal of helping you achieve a better work-life balance without having to make any drastic changes. 

1. Reassess: 

If you’re feeling burnt out, you might be tempted to make a rash decision—like quitting your job or taking up all your vacation days at once—but we implore you to find a more permanent solution and that starts with a reassessment. 

Reassess your current day-to-day in the office and pinpoint what in particular is causing you the most stress. 

For example, working moms tend to be more stressed out than the rest of the labor force. This is likely due to their work demands overlapping too much with their parenting demands, which means the steps they might take to mediate that stress will be different than say someone who has no kids and works from home. (Fun fact, 80% of remote workers report being either ‘not anxious at all’ or only ‘stressed to a a modest degree.’) 

What actions can you take personally to help cut down on stress? You need to answer that question first if you want to implement long-term stress management tools. 

2. Rest: 

Hopefully this one is pretty straightforward. This is when the actual ‘turning-off’ takes place. If you’re struggling to separate your work and personal lives, then you need to take a step back from work entirely. You’re never going to have the brain power and energy required to recover from a burnout if you keep working through it. Whether it’s just an afternoon, a day, or even a week, time off is very important for both your physical and mental health. 

3. Recovery: 

The word recovery in this context refers not only to your recovery as a worker, but also the recovery of a healthy and happy working environment. This is where we suggest you implement some of the tools you discovered that work for you during the reassessment and resting periods. This doesn’t have to include anything dramatic like going on an extended vacation every couple of months. Even ‘microbreaks’  have been shown to “improve mood and job performance—provided that workers spent this time doing something relaxing, social, or mentally engaging.” 

And no, by mentally engaging, these researches do not mean scrolling through social media. Digital detox, remember? Even when you’re at work and allowed to check your email again, that doesn’t mean being glued to a screen for 8-hours is going to do you any favors. 

4. Report: 

For some, this will be the hardest step in the process, but it’s the best way to ensure these changes you’ve made can remain in place after you’ve recovered from a burnout. It’s time to gather all your data points and report your findings to the boss. Explain to them what you need in order to avoid burnout and ask them to honor your specific requests to preserve your mental health. 

5. Repeat: 

Repeat these steps as necessary (and within the boundaries of your workplace rules and job benefits). Don’t be afraid to take small amounts of time off when you need it, and try not to feel guilty when you do, or else you’re just exchanging one kind of workplace stress for another.

Final Thoughts

While the topic of employees feeling like they must be ‘always-on’ has been discussed a lot in recent years, there are still many businesses that don’t take employee well-being seriously. One survey from Harvard Business Review found that only 27% of executives prioritizes workforce mental health. While we can hope that this number increases with time, what this tells us right now is that stress management is something most workers are going to have to do for themselves. 

Luckily, we’re here to help. If your workplace is causing you irreparable levels of stress or you have reason to believe your boss won’t be receptive to changes on behalf of your mental health, it’s time to look for a new job. The expert recruits at CyberCoders are waiting to help match you with a better position in a healthier work environment and in a fraction of the time it would take you on your own. Don’t waste another day at a job that’s chipping away at your mentally and physically, check out our open positions and apply today.