According to reports, industrial construction is considered to be by far the most dangerous of all occupations. Even though all jobs are characterized by some level of stress, it is vital to note that stress in the construction industry is fairly unique.

For starters, not only does job site stress expose the worker to more risk of injury, an accident as well as long term health complications, it also it goes ahead to expose coworkers to risk as well. All of this stands to impact the entire project either through delays, increased costs or in certain instances complete shutdowns.

You will be glad to learn that effective management has been found to help significantly reduce stress on the job site. Three of the main areas commonly pointed out by construction workers as being the leading source of stress are:

1. Poor planning
2. Lack of timely feedback concerning the ongoing projects
3. Poor communication

Just so you know, any attempts to address the management and reduce stress should always start from the top leadership. Below are 10 other tips on how to manage stress at the construction site. They include:

1. Putting things into perspective. It is very vital to understand the fact that construction jobs just like any other job is disposable. Your family, friends and personal health, however, is not. Simply put, in the event that you realize that your employer is requesting way too much from you then consider that as a sign that you should get a new job and a new employer.
2. Adjust your job situation. In the event that you really like you current employer and yet the job has become too stressful, it is strongly advised that you come up and ask your employer to consider tailoring your assignments to suit your skill set.
3. Getting time away – the moment you feel as if stress from your current job is building, it is strongly advised that you quietly walk away from the situation preferably take a quick break for a little meditative time. Just so you are aware, exercising has been found to do wonders for the psyche. As a matter of fact, even finding a quiet place and listening to your iPod can easily help reduce stress levels.
4. Fighting clutter – always take time to properly organize your desk since this would help ease the sense that you are losing control which commonly comes from having too much clutter around. One of the best ways to make sure of this is to keep a to-do list and then keep crossing things off it.
5. Talking things out – as strange as it may sound, sometimes the best stress reliever at the construction site has been found to be openly sharing with the person closest to you. Just so you know, getting support and empathy from someone else has previously proven to be such a wonderful way to blow off steam and significantly reduce stress.
6. Cultivating allies at work – by simply being aware that there are one or two coworkers willing to hear you out and help you figure out a solution in difficult moments will help reduce your stress level. Just make sure that you remember to reciprocate the same to them when they are in need.
7. Finding humour in the situation at hand – the moment you notice you or the people around you start taking things a little bit too seriously, it is strongly advised that you find a way to break through with laughter.
8. Set realistic expectations – always keep in mind, having unrealistic expectations for what exactly it is you would like to accomplish would not only set you up for failure, it would also significantly raise your stress levels. That being the case o reduce stress set realistic goals.
9. Always remember that no one is perfect. Change your motto of performing at your best and leave perfection to the gods.
10. Always maintain a positive attitude. Negativity has been found to suck the energy and motivation out of any situation, this being the case, it is strongly advised that you avoid it as much as you can whenever possible.

Everything taken into consideration, it is strongly advised that you assume control of your situation and fix it since this will help give you better health and allow you to easily forge better relationships with people around you.

Contributed by GenieBelt - construction software and app for volume home builders.