Calm · 10 min
A weekly check on work stress
Five minutes at the end of the working week to notice how work is sitting with you, so a hard stretch does not quietly become too much.
Work stress often builds quietly. A busy week becomes a busy month, and the signs, poor sleep, a short temper, dreading the week ahead, start to feel normal. A short check at the end of each week can help you notice early, while there is still room to change something.
The steps
Four small steps,in your own time.
On your last working day of the week, ask yourself four questions: How have I been sleeping? Have I had any time that was truly off? How do I feel about next week? What is my body telling me?
Score the week from one to five, and write one line about why.
If the score has been low for two or three weeks running, choose one thing to change: a conversation with your manager, a day off, a task handed back, an evening protected.
If you notice signs such as feeling numb, dreading work most days, being unable to switch off or feeling unwell, talk with a doctor.
The reason
Why it helps
Writing it down makes a trend visible that is easy to miss from day to day. Noticing rising stress early leaves more options than waiting until something gives. A small change made in time can matter more than a big one made late.
A gentle variation
If a weekly check feels like one more task, do it in your head on the way home, and only write it down when the week was hard.
WE · TRIBE
Try itwith someone.
Ask someone you trust to do the check with you, or to tell you if they notice the signs in you before you do. A friend or partner often sees stress first.
Try it today
At the end of this working week, score the week from one to five and write one line about why.
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