Coping with Stress - Workplace Techniques

Coping with Stress - Workplace Techniques

Take advantage of your workplace’s family-friendly policies and supports. If your
workplace offers discretion over the methods, timing, or location of your work, use this
flexibility to improve your situation.

Prioritize your multiple roles. When you become clearer about your priorities and values,
it becomes easier to make decisions and set limits between the demands of work and
personal life.

Reduce the psychological conflicts you experience between work and personal
life. Surprisingly, time is not necessarily the main conflict we experience between work
and personal life. Instead, the psychological conflicts (guilt, difficulty “turning off” work
behaviors at home, pressure and anxiety) create the most problems. Clarifying your values,
setting priorities, and actively reducing the psychological importance of one or more of
your roles may be required to reduce the conflicts, and the negative emotions that arise
from them.

Protect each role from interference by the others. When you are at home, turn off your
cell phone, laptop, beeper, or email, so that you can be fully “present” during this time.
Similarly, when you are at work, try to limit personal life intrusions - this will help you be
more efficient and effective during your workday.

Develop stress-management skills. The ability to take care of yourself by doing things
you enjoy - like reading, exercising, or indulging in a favorite hobby - is essential to
maintaining a proper work / personal life balance. Caring for yourself in these ways will
allow you to reduce your stress and reward yourself for a job well done!
Stress is a part of every aspect of life. Through regular practice of stress reduction techniques,
symptoms of stress decrease, managers must figure out an effective way to cope
with stress. They should remember that stress need not result in distress and a burn-out. If
managers take cognizance of the stressors in life and workplace and strive to deal with
them by stimulating the energizers – both internal and external – stress transforms into
eustress for improved health and performance.