OT asks...

What is your number one tip for handling stress in the workplace?

Seven contributors featured in the I ❤️ me edition share their wisdom

4 min read 3

Young Businesswoman Stretching Her Arms And Body For Relaxation While Working In The Office

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13 February 2025

In print and online now, The I ❤️ me edition explores the realities of health and wellbeing across optical workplaces and identifies practical steps that are making a difference in practitioners' lives – both personally and professionally.

We canvassed the views of contributors to our Life in practice section on one burning topic, asking them: what is your number one tip for handling stress in the workplace?

Anish Mistry, optometry director at Specsavers Nottinghamshire 2 Domiciliary Home Visits

Featured in: Decoding domiciliary

Anish is wearing a grey jumper and looking directly at the camera in a head and shoulders image

Specsavers Home Visits

“My top tip for managing stress in the workplace is to take a moment to reflect on your practice and if you have done all you can to best help the patient. Appreciate the difference you are making to people’s lives.

“The great thing about domiciliary is the great outdoors. You can reflect as you travel to the next patient or simply take a moment outside. As you’re changing the environment after every visit, you don’t tend to carry stress in the same way.”

Read Anish’s Decoding domiciliary reflections in The I ❤️ me edition, online now.

Dr Grant Robinson, senior lecturer at Cardiff University’s School of Optometry and Vision Sciences

Featured in: How I got here

Dr Grant Robinson

“To manage stress in the workplace I would encourage people to ‘eat the frog.’ This is a task prioritisation strategy that basically means to concentrate on completing difficult, frustrating, or tedious tasks (aka frogs) before the ones you’d rather do, getting them over with.”

Read Grant's How I got here reflections in The I ❤️ me edition, online now.

James Brawn, locum optometrist

Featured in: Life as a locum

James Brawn is smiling at the camera in front of a yellow wall

Susannah Larmont

“Have an honest discussion with the director about the working conditions you require, be it testing time, or extras such as supervising a pre-reg or seeing squeeze-in patients. It is much less stressful to get everyone on the same page on day one than to find yourself in working conditions you do not like.”

Read James' Life as a locum reflections in The I ❤️ me edition, online now.

Sian Wilkie, practice director at Wilkie’s Eyecare

Featured in: A day in the life of a business owner

Sian Wilkie

“Try to get to the root of what’s causing the stress, then try to find a logical solution to the problem. It’s so easy to react, and then the problem seems much bigger than it actually is.”

Read Sian's A day in the life of a business owner reflections in The I ❤️ me edition, online now.

Habeeb Rahman, pre-registration optometrist at James Bontoft Opticians and East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, and AOP Councillor for pre-registration optometrists

Featured in: Pre-reg focus

Mark Newton

“My number one tip for handling stress in the workplace is to focus on each day as it comes. Each day is a new opportunity to take small, consistent steps towards growth and progression. Consistency is key.”

Read Habeeb's Pre-reg focus reflections in The I ❤️ me edition, online now.

Chris Rosser, optical assistant, Specsavers Haverfordwest

Featured in: A conversation about...

White is smiling at the camera in a white shirt

Chris Rosser

“Talk to somebody about it. People don’t always know what you’re going through. They tend to think, ‘If I say anything, people think I’m not up to the job, or I’m not good enough.’ But most people are struggling with something, and if you share the load, it makes things easier. Unless you ask for help, you are not going to get it. It’s important to talk about it.”

Kelly Cato, retail optical assistant, Specsavers Haverfordwest

Featured in: A conversation about...

Kelly Cato

“Go to someone and talk about it. If I’m struggling with something in the workplace, I’ve gone to my manager. He has helped me deal with the stress, or he has taken that load from me, so in the moment I don’t have to deal with what was stressing me out.

“Previously, dispensing was stressing me out – every time I came into work, I’d be anxious about it. My managers on the shop-floor have taken me away from it, and I’m going to get more training on dispensing situations. It’s definitely better to approach someone and tell them why you’re feeling stressed.”

Read Chris and Kellys’ A conversation about... reflections in The I ❤️ me edition, online now.

Comments (3)

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Anonymous01 March 2025

My number one tip........... might be there are quite a few ways to decrease stress so have a look at all the comments in this article. And get better at what you do and then try to enjoy what you do.

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Anonymous

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We welcome your opinion and encourage readers to engage. In doing so, we remind you that this is a professional forum and ask that you are polite, refrain from using libellous or abusive language, and respect the views of others. If you would like to share feedback on this article with OT, please email the author by clicking here.
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Anonymous14 February 2025

Separate the sale of spectacles from eye examinations.
Adios to conversion rates and sales targets.
The tide is turning against shopticians

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Anonymous

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We welcome your opinion and encourage readers to engage. In doing so, we remind you that this is a professional forum and ask that you are polite, refrain from using libellous or abusive language, and respect the views of others. If you would like to share feedback on this article with OT, please email the author by clicking here.
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Anonymous13 February 2025

Legislated minimum testing times of 30 minutes minimum would do wonders for well-being

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Anonymous

CommentText

We welcome your opinion and encourage readers to engage. In doing so, we remind you that this is a professional forum and ask that you are polite, refrain from using libellous or abusive language, and respect the views of others. If you would like to share feedback on this article with OT, please email the author by clicking here.
Please add a valid message