Being a plumbing technician can be stressful. You’re dealing with anxious situations such as water pouring through ceilings, gas leaks and pipes bursting in subzero temperatures. If that’s not enough stress, how about adding working with raw sewage and dangerous chemicals at times.
I recently watched a video on one of the plumber groups I follow on Facebook where the plumbing technician is under a bathroom sink in an apartment building trying to complete a repair and the water is just shooting out from the pipe. Water is starting to spill into the hallway and living room area. There’s no way for the tenants or the plumber to get the water turned off to the apartment.
Instead of throwing the wrench — or other tools down — in a fit of rage and storming out, the plumber stays relatively calm trying to complete the fix. Eventually he grabs the hose from a nearby shop vacuum to try and get the spray water from the pipe to direct into the nearby bathtub.
If that isn’t a stressful situation, I don’t know what is. So, how do you deal with the stress you face day to day? It’s not easy sometimes, but there are easy things you can do.
Start Your Day off Right
After scrambling to get the kids fed and off to school, dodging traffic and combating road rage, many people come in already stressed, and are more reactive to stress at work. Some easy ways to try and relieve that stress are to have some quiet time to yourself after you get into the shop. Take a seat at a desk and go over the daily schedule, or spend some time organizing the shop. These are less stressful tasks and might help you calm down after your drive in.
Stay Away From Conflict
Because conflict takes a toll on your physical and emotional health and because conflict among co-workers is so difficult to escape, it’s a good idea to avoid conflict at work as much as possible. That means don’t gossip, don’t share too many of your personal opinions about religion and politics, and try to steer clear of colorful office humor. Try to avoid those people at work who don’t work well with others. If conflict finds you anyway, learn how to deal with it appropriately.
It goes for you when you are at a job site and dealing with a homeowner who is angry. Don’t confront them or get into a war of words with them. If it gets to be too much, then it’s time to talk to the company owner or your manager about the homeowner.
Stay Organized
Even if you’re a naturally disorganized person, planning ahead to stay organized can greatly decrease stress. Being organized with your time means less rushing from job site to job site, less time trying to find those tools you misplaced and less time cleaning up at a job site.
Forget Multitasking
While everyone does it, multitasking can add stress. How are you when you’re on the phone and trying to make that plumbing repair at the same time? Where is your attention really? There is a certain kind of frazzled feeling that comes from splitting one’s focus that doesn’t work well for most people. Take one task at a time and it’ll end up better in the long run.
What are your tips?
What you do is a serious job that involves a great deal of dedication and hard work. It also has a huge health and safety responsibility attached to it. So cutting back on the stress will only help you perform that job that much better.
I’d like to hear what your tips are when it comes time to dealing with a stressful situation or customer. Email me at editor@plumbermag.com or call me at 715-350-8436.
Enjoy this issue!
