3 min read 
Did you know that 1 in 10 UK Managers have been forced to take sick leave due to stress? Research by the Chartered Management Institute (CMI)* found that many managers are becoming chronically overworked and stressed by continuing to work after hours.
According to the survey of 1,037 managers, the average manager works an extra 7.5 hours beyond their contracted weekly hours. This means an extra day at work each week, which is equivalent to 43.8 days over a year.
The more time a manager spends working additional hours, the higher the risk of increased stress, depression and mental health problems which, on average, leads to 1 in 10 UK managers taking 12 days off work each year. This loss of working days could cost the UK economy £3.3 billion every year.
So, how can managers improve their working life and maintain efficiency? We have suggested a few tips to help you manage your working life.
1. Track your stress
Try to identify which tasks and situations cause you to feel stressed, and how you respond. Make a record of stressful situations, including your environment, thoughts and feelings, people and circumstances involved. This will help you understand and reflect on what causes you to become stressed. Once you have identified these triggers, you can begin to approach these situations with suitable strategies to reduce levels of stress.
2. Review Meetings
Regular meetings with your line manager will help you to review your workload, prioritise tasks and raise any difficulties. They can be the perfect time to build a rapport and in turn, encourage open and healthy conversations about your stress levels.
3. Stay Organised
Multi-tasking at work is a great to skill to have as a manager but it can also be the root-cause for chaos if you are not organised. Try to plan the day out and prioritise the workload. Create different plans and options to help you tackle an issue to help you to stay calm and find possible solutions.
4. Celebrate Small Wins
Celebrating small wins helps boost your confidence, positivity and can make you more optimistic about work. Reward yourself for the hard work you have put in and celebrate your team’s success and hard work too, this in turn will create a positive and happy atmosphere at work.
5. Disconnect
Set boundaries between your home and work life. It can be tempting to check emails after-hours or take a phone call, but it’s good to make sure you have time to switch off completely. Try and find activities that you enjoy – keep yourself busy whether that’s going to the gym, meeting a few friends after work, or simply cooking dinner. Doing activities besides work will help your mind de-stress and recharge.
Management can be demanding, having the right tools and techniques to manage your team, projects and finances can also help you feel more confident and less stressed. The CMI Level 5 course teaches these and more. If you’d like more information on the CMI management course AVADO offers, click here
*Source: ‘Always on’ culture leading to managers working an extra 44 days a year – 17th January 2018
