Customer Service: Managing Workplace Stress

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In the business of rendering service to the public, dealing with people every day can be hard on the nerve sometimes, especially when you have to deal with difficult people or complaints regularly. Workplace stress is one of the most common causes of job dissatisfaction.
Learning how to manage stress is important as stress impacts negatives both in work productivity and health (physical and emotional).
While you can’t control everything in your workplace, or the type of Customers you deal with. You are not completely helpless when it comes to dealing with stress.

The best resource you have to deal with stress is – YOURSELF. You can learn how to recognize and manage stress

HOW DO I RECOGNIZE STRESS?

The following signs indicate excessive workplace stress –

  • Anxiety or depression
  • Insomnia
  • Frequent exhaustion
  • Frequent headaches, stomach pain
  • Apathy or disinterest in work (frequent absences)
  • Increased use of alcohol or drugs to cope
  • Social withdrawal
  • Strained relationship with colleagues

HOW DO I MANAGE STRESS?

Stress if not properly managed can do unprecedented harm to a person either emotionally or by manifesting as a physical illness.
An employee who is ill cannot be productive or able to render Excellent Service

#1. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Engage yourself in activities you enjoy – whether it’s sports, going to the gym, hanging out with loved ones, swimming, watching TV or reading.
Engaging in physical activity boosts health and makes you more immune to stress-related disorders. Regular exercise is a powerful

#2. GET ENOUGH REST
Lack of sleep weakens the immune system and leaves you vulnerable to stress and illness. When you are tired, you are less patient and more easily agitated, which can increase stress

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Keep a sleep schedule and stick to it. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night

#3. IMPROVE YOUR EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional intelligence affects our attitude and outlook on life.
It can also help to alleviate anxiety and avoid depression and mood swings.
A high level of emotional intelligence directly correlates to a positive attitude and happier outlook on life.

#4. DON’T TAKE THINGS PERSONALLY
When someone “takes things personally”, he or she interprets what another person has said (or done) as a reflection of who he or she is, rather than as a reflection of the person who is speaking (or doing). Customers can say hurtful things when they’re reacting to unmet expectations.
DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY Remember the angry customer is really a nice person and has temporarily become rude for a reason

#5. TAKE A BREAK

manage workplace stress
Going on a vacation re-energizes you and reduces the risk of heart disease. People become more interested and productive in their work after they return from a vacation.
Vacations are not a luxury, you need to start thinking of it as a healthy habit. Take a vacation when you feel your body needs a break. It doesn’t matter whether your ideal vacation involves lounging on a beach, swimming, early-morning jogs, or visiting friends just make it happen.

#6. LEARN TO BE POSITIVE
Optimists tend to experience less stress than pessimists or realists because we’ve learned how to see negative events as minor setbacks, and positive events as evidence of further good things to come.
I consciously trained myself to always focus on the positive outcomes of anything, as a result, i bounce back quickly from unpleasant situations.
Believe in yourself and your abilities, and expect good things to happen.

#7. AVOID JUNK FOOD

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eating junk food workplace stressJunk food and refined sugars low in nutritional value and high in calories can leave us feeling out of energy and sluggish. A healthy diet, low in sugar, caffeine, and alcohol, can promote health and reduce stress

#8. PRACTICE RELAXATION TECHNIQUES

manage workplace stressMeditation is known to greatly help people with stress through its calming effects and also boosts focus & productivity.  It might sound strange that sitting still and doing nothing for a period of time will make you more productive, but it’s true.

The basic idea of meditation is simple. Whenever your mind begins to shift its attention away from your breath and you get lost in thought, simply bring your attention back to your breath. And then repeat this again and again until your timer sounds.

No one can render exceptional Customer service when the mind & soul are burning up with stress. Try these methods out and see what works best for you, then stick to it. The most important thing YOU MUST DO is – Constantly practice & practice until it becomes second nature.

Kelechi Okeke
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