Supply Chain Management Can Be Stressful: 4 Ways to Prioritize Mental Health
From a global pandemic to massive inflation to armed conflict overseas, life can be stressful these days. Add in stress from work, and the overall load on your min can be a lot to handle.
Fortunately, you can do a lot to affect the amount of stress you feel in your daily life. Consider the following four mental health strategies that can help you deal with stress at your supply chain job.
How to Protect Your Mental Health Working in Supply Chain Management
Understand What is Expected of You
Research has shown that a lack of clarity concerning job expectations is a significant cause of burnout. If you don’t understand exactly what’s expected of you, or if expectations seem to keep changing, you’re likely feeling at least a little bit stressed.
The best way to get some clarity in your job is to chat with your supervisor. Don’t be afraid to go over specific deliverables and any strategies or best practices. In addition to clearing up any misconceptions, this chat will show your supervisor that you are dedicated to doing a good job.
Avoid Sweating the Small Stuff
It’s only natural to want to be the best employee in your company, but obsessing over minor details can create more problems than it solves.
It’s impossible to do everything perfectly, particularly in a fast-paced job. A great way to avoid nitpicking is to focus on doing your best with the time and resources. When you focus more on putting in your best effort and leaving it, you’ll be less stressed over minor details.
Use Ergonomics
Whether your feet always start aching halfway through the workday or you’re starting to feel the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome, physical discomfort can be a significant driver of on-the-job stress. Address any physical stress you might be feeling with ergonomic support in the form of more comfortable shoes or a wrist pad for your keyboard.
Don’t forget about physical stress caused by excess noise or poor lighting. Take all steps necessary to create a comfortable and productive workspace.
Embrace Healthy Habits
You can overcome some mental and physical stress at work with a little bit of regular exercise. Get in the habit of taking a short walk or doing some stretches on your lunch break or during a slow time in your schedule. Just spending five minutes or so can improve your mood and offset some stress.
Mindfulness involves focusing on the present with an open mindset, and the practice has been shown to have all kinds of mental health benefits. Researchers have shown that practicing mindfulness effectively treats everything from work stress to PTSD. Mindfulness requires the use of specific techniques that break stressful thought patterns. You can develop mindfulness abilities through guided meditations or mindfulness classes. Several apps make it easy to cultivate mindfulness in your life.
We Can Help You Find the Right Work Situation
Sometimes, work stress is caused by a working situation or environment that does not meet personal or professional needs. In this situation, a job change can help immensely.
If you’re currently looking to find a new supply chain job, please contact us today.
