Everyone suffers from work stress now and then. A bit of stress at work is normal, and some people even perform better because of it. But long-term work stress is not healthy. In the long run, it can lead to mental and physical complaints, lower productivity and, worse still, burnout. That happens more often than you think. In 2025, 21% of employees in the Netherlands had burnout symptoms. Ten years earlier, it was 13%. Arboportaal

Many people are afraid of being seen as weak. As a result, they don't set their boundaries, and they end up paying the price themselves. For them, here are four tips to reduce work stress.

1. Set realistic goals

Has your manager given you a new assignment or project? Then set realistic goals together, taking your other tasks into account. If your manager doesn't know everything you have on your plate, they may end up disappointed, when that was easy to prevent. So make a logical plan together, with deadlines where necessary, so you don't face any surprises.

2. Define your work clearly

With a new project or assignment, you often get a lot of information at once. To work as effectively as possible, you need to know what is expected of you, in terms of time and priority. You can get that clear with two simple steps:

  • Ask your manager how important the assignment is. Based on the answer, you determine its priority relative to your other tasks, and adjust your diary accordingly.
  • Ask when it needs to be finished, what the consequences are if it isn't finished by then, and whether the deadline can be moved.

That way you know where you stand, can plan your time well and considerably reduce your work stress.

3. Learn to say no more often

Perhaps you recognise it: the colleague who keeps passing work on to you or others. Many people don't dare to say no, because they are afraid of not being liked. But if you take on work from everyone, people start counting on it, and then your own work suffers. So learn to say no more often. That doesn't mean saying no to everything, because a bit of collegiality is fine too. Don't say no straight away, but first take the steps from the previous tip, for example. Always give a reason why you can't take on the work at that moment. With a good reason, your colleague will usually understand.

4. Delegate

Are you a manager, or do people work for you? Then make use of that. Some people find delegating difficult, but the more tasks you can delegate, the less workload and stress you experience yourself.

If you work for a manager yourself, you can always ask whether lower-priority tasks can be given to someone else. That way you can focus on the important tasks and do them as well as possible. Good delegation can even increase the productivity of the whole team.

Get started

Do you feel the work stress is getting too much for you? A different attitude, setting your boundaries and communicating well with your manager and colleagues are a good start. As soon as the stress decreases, you will notice that you feel better and work more effectively. Outside work, too, you can then focus better on the things that really matter. If the complaints persist, talk about it with your manager, the occupational health doctor or your GP. Good luck!

Also read suffering from work stress? Become a minimalist and more work engagement through less work stress.

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