Managing Stress At Work When the Demands Keep Growing

When work feels relentless, start with the part of the day that keeps going wrong. What is being asked of you, and what would need to change? Sometimes that means a short pause before a demanding conversation. Sometimes it means admitting that two deadlines cannot both be met with the time and support available. Excessive workloads and limited control over work are recognised risks to mental health. ^[1]

At Red Beast, we want you to have energy for the life you're working towards. That includes the effort you put into work and the recovery you need around it. Here, we look at how to handle pressure during a busy day, ask for changes that matter and arrive home with some space left for yourself.

Think about yesterday. Was the difficult moment an unexpected request just before you left? A meeting that left you unsure what you were meant to deliver? Or the realisation that you had spent all morning answering messages and still hadn't started your own work?

Write down the situation in one sentence. “I have three people assigning work, and each expects their request first” gives you something to discuss. “I'm terrible at managing my time” closes that discussion before it starts.

The NHS recommends identifying the situations or tasks behind work-related stress. ^[2] A few notes over several days may reveal a recurring problem. You don't need an elaborate tracker: the request, when it arrived and what it displaced are usually enough to begin.

The next step depends on what you find. The UK's Health and Safety Executive identifies workload, control, support, relationships, role clarity and organisational change as areas worth examining. ^[3] You can use those categories to ask better questions about your own work without turning them into another checklist to complete.

Turn a recurring pressure into a specific conversation about the work.

A busy afternoon and an unclear job role require different responses. Use the examples below to move from a general feeling of pressure to a specific request.

These are conversation starters. Adapt the wording to your role and workplace. If you're self-employed, the same discussion may be with a client or business partner, and it may concern the scope of a job rather than your working hours.

Bring an option where you can. For example, you could deliver the essential part of a proposal today and the supporting material tomorrow. A clear trade-off is easier to consider than a vague promise to work faster.

Choose a reasonably calm moment and explain what you are seeing. You might say: “The new request adds about half a day. I can take it on, but we need to move the report or arrange help with it.” You don't need a perfect estimate; explain what you know and where you may need more time.

NHS guidance includes speaking to a manager about priorities and workload. ^[2] Where that person is part of the difficulty, consider another appropriate route, such as a trusted senior colleague, HR or a worker representative. Use the support that exists in your setting.

Before the conversation ends, establish what happens next. Who will make the decision? When should you check back? If nothing changes, you need to know that too. A decision about the deadline or who can help is worth getting clear before another evening disappears into the same unfinished task.

If you manage other people, invite the same honesty. Ask what a new request will displace. Saying everything is urgent leaves someone else to make that choice without your help.

Talk through what needs doing and how much time you have.

There will still be moments when a difficult call or message lands badly. If the situation allows, step away for a few minutes before replying. Sit comfortably and let your breathing slow gently, without forcing deep breaths or holding your breath. NHS breathing guidance describes a simple, unforced approach that can be practised regularly. ^[4]

Then return to the actual decision. Does the message need an answer now? Do you need more information? Would a conversation work better than a long exchange of increasingly tense emails?

A pause can give you room to choose your response. Keep the larger issue visible afterwards. WHO guidance recommends addressing the working conditions behind mental health risks, alongside individual support. ^[1] A breathing break and a workload discussion serve different purposes.

Before leaving, note where you stopped and what comes next. Include anything you are waiting for. This gives tomorrow a starting point and makes unfinished work easier to explain if someone else needs to pick it up.

At home, choose something that belongs to the evening. It could be helping with dinner, taking a shower or sitting with your family before opening another screen. If you are on call, agree what counts as urgent and how you will be contacted; the arrangement needs to fit your actual responsibilities.

Our Red Beast ritual includes time for meals, quiet moments and family alongside personal care. ^[6] We want you to have time at home that isn't shaped entirely by the next deadline. You can care about doing your job well and still put it down for the evening.

Speak to a healthcare professional if stress is persistent or is making it difficult to function at work or at home. ^[5] You can describe what has changed without having a diagnosis: perhaps sleep is becoming difficult, your patience feels unusually short or you are struggling to get through ordinary tasks.

For tomorrow, choose one conversation you have been postponing. Write the issue and the change you want to discuss. It may take more than one conversation. Begin by making clear what is difficult and what help you're asking for.

This article provides general health information. It does not diagnose a condition or replace advice from a qualified healthcare professional.