We truly expected that the first month of the year, as usual, would be calm, or more precisely – we were already waiting for a "dry January." And, of course, the first week of the month looked exactly like that. Some carriers were still living on Christmas prices, and clients were still celebrating the New Year. We understood that the large companies were simply calculating and preparing for this year. You could hear the ringing silence in the exchanges, and most of us chose skiing gear so as not to waste time in vain.
But we had a feeling that it was about to start. And, of course, the cargo poured in like from a horn of plenty. Boredom was replaced by work, and all winter purchases were put aside. The beginning was very promising, but when the end of the month arrived, we can say – we were already exhausted in the first month. And certainly not because of the endless work.
The first month of the year brought more than one shipment for which, I have no doubt, at least one gray hair appeared. Truck cancellations, delays, and, of course, poor communication from colleagues sometimes made us lose our patience so much that there were more decibels in the office than the allowed norm. Therefore, we would like to dedicate this month's blog post to this very topic – how to manage stress at work.
We interviewed psychologist Greta Šiulytė on this topic, who answered our questions in detail.
While we often think about the tangible physical work environment – sedentary work, screens, chairs, or tables – it is no less important what is "in the air." The organization's microclimate strongly contributes to employee emotional well-being and experienced stress. If we work for a longer period of time next to colleagues who feel great tension, pressure, and constant rush, an intensified stress response can also be triggered in our bodies.
People naturally take on the emotions of those around them through the tone of voice, body language, and general atmosphere, so even if we come to work calm, the tension in the team can quickly be "transmitted." And if we also bring unresolved baggage from the day before, the general work environment will only strengthen the negative content.
The situation is complicated by sedentary work and sedentary leisure time. Research shows that lack of movement is associated with higher stress levels, poorer mood, and difficulties in regulating emotions. Physical activity helps the body exit the prolonged stress mode – it regulates the level of cortisol (the main stress hormone) and promotes the release of neurotransmitters important for well-being. By moving, we can "discharge" the accumulated tension and strengthen resilience to future challenges.
In the field of logistics, the feeling of guilt often arises when processes get stuck, even if not all stages depend on one person. It is worth understanding what the guilt is signaling to us. It is a natural response to a situation in which we think we acted improperly or did not meet expectations.
We often take the guilt only upon ourselves, and along with it – all the responsibility for what happened. In such cases, guilt becomes an internal engine: it encourages working longer, trying harder, doing "just a little more." In the short term, this may look like responsible behavior, but in the long run, such a model leads to exhaustion and a higher risk of errors. Here it is very important to recognize your limitations. We do not have endless resources – our productivity is affected by many factors. By demanding constant success from ourselves, we condemn ourselves to disappointment in advance – it is simply not realistic.
Ask yourself honestly: "Did the implementation of the plan really depend only on me?" Logistics involves other people, systems, and circumstances that we do not control. Where responsibility is shared, control is also not solely in our hands. Try to consciously share the responsibility in your mind with colleagues or circumstances. Ask yourself: "Which part of this situation was my responsibility, and which was not in my control?"
In stressful situations, our nervous system switches to "survival mode" (fight or flight). The body starts acting as if it needs to save itself immediately. To return to balance, it is important to send safety signals to the body:
The body registers stress earlier than the mind. If you notice:
Accept this as a signal and step away for 5 minutes. A break should be taken not when you "can't take it anymore," but when you receive the first warnings.
We spoke with our employees about how they manage to handle tension and what helps them not lose balance in the dynamic world of logistics.
Sigita: "Every time I rethink the situation a thousand times. After rethinking, I realize that 'sending away' won't lead to anything good – I'll just ruin my nerves and that's it. Then I try to think rationally about ways to solve the problems that have arisen. And as for stress... I always try to tell myself that it's not that bad and that it's only work. That you shouldn't take everything personally. I think about good, achieved things. Does it work?! Not always..."
Laurynas: "Since I have to delve into problem situations and solve them at work, stress becomes a daily companion, like an invisible colleague sitting next to me. Whether this 'colleague' will annoy you or be put in his place depends on your own mindset. Regular sports, sauna, and a healthy lifestyle help me best. Quite recently, I started trying an exercise: I give a name to the stressful emotion and communicate with it as if it were a person. By naming stress as a person, it becomes easier to distance oneself from it and let the situation go."
Jonas: "Conflict is never a solution. If a problem arises, the situation must be clarified as soon as possible and a decision made: look for another truck or wait for the same one, simply consider everything rationally. By getting involved in a conflict, you only waste time and waste energy. There must only be a constructive solution to the problem!"
Valerijus: "In logistics, stress is like an additional load: inevitable but manageable. When deadlines are pressing, carriers disappear, and the load is 'somewhere on the way,' we breathe deeply, drink coffee, and turn on the 'problem-solving mode.' Priorities, humor, a good team, and Plan B (sometimes C) – that's what helps us stay calm."
As we can see, everyone has their own recipe. We hope that you also find something useful for yourself. After all, the less stress there is, the brighter life becomes.See you at the end of February with a new topic and new impressions!