16 methods to deal with stress at work

Set your alarm as early as possible and get up immediately

This recommendation may seem, on the contrary, to increase stress rather than to relieve it. But that's not true.

The longer you can’t get up in the morning, setting the alarm clock for 5 minutes, 3 minutes, 1 minute... the more stress takes you into its clutches from the very morning. This intermittent immersion in and out of sleep does not bring health and peace. As well as the subsequent rushing around the apartment in the format of emergency collections.

To reduce morning stress, you need to get up long before the moment you need to leave the house. And calmly pamper yourself with any coffee or tea in the morning.

Make your work schedule more flexible

Identical, similar, like twin brothers, days of the working week have a depressing effect on the human psyche. Try making your work schedule more varied. For example, ask your boss if you can stay at work longer on Monday evening and then leave early on Friday. Or don't come to work on Thursday, but go to work on Saturday.

Of course, not all jobs allow you to take such liberties. If you work in a reputable law firm or in a factory with a strict shift schedule, you are unlikely to succeed in such tricks. However, you still need to change your working mode.

If your bosses do not approve of your unauthorized comings and goings, then you can change the duration (within acceptable limits) and place of your lunch. Try to have lunch in different places and with different colleagues. You can also try leaving the house earlier. And one day just walk longer, arriving at work on time. And on another day, drive up and be at work ahead of time. The main thing is to have variety.

How to overcome stress at work without medications: a few more tricks

How can you worry less at work if the above methods did not give the desired effect? Treat your workflow like a game! This will work especially well for those who have not established close relationships with colleagues and are not morally attached to them. With such an attitude, it will be extremely difficult to lead you to negative emotions! In the article “Working for fun: myth or reality?” I say that the profession should bring joy and satisfaction. You can get such emotions if you use the advice above.

Another psychological trick: erect an imaginary barrier between yourself and your boss during communication. Such a brick wall will help you distance yourself from the person, and you yourself will feel safe.

How not to freak out at work if a difficult conversation cannot be avoided, and you could not prepare for it? Try breathing exercises. The tactic of “three deep breaths - three exhalations” will help you calm down, come to your senses and collect your thoughts.

And, of course, perform all your duties competently. If an employee comes to work solely to chat with colleagues, then the boss’s anger is logical. When you fully comply with your job responsibilities, all the boss’s nagging will be unfounded.

Correct prioritization

And the art of working time management. Such measures will allow you to avoid endless overtime, and will give you the opportunity to take breaks and rest breaks, but for this system to work, you need to follow a number of important rules:

plan time systematically and necessarily consistently;
write down an action plan for approximately 60% of your working time, set aside another 20% for unforeseen circumstances (“spontaneous” activity, for example, creativity or leadership);
It is advisable to draw up a plan in writing; unsolved tasks must be rescheduled, indicating deadlines;
Be sure to record not only your actions, but all your results and achievements.
Proper distribution of working time will contribute to effective problem solving and, accordingly, increase working capacity.

Long-term planning will save you from unexpected emergency situations; for example, you can classify all your tasks into groups: “non-urgent” - those that will wait until the end of the work week, “urgent” - those that require completion in the coming days, and “super-urgent” - those that “urgent today.” Don’t put an unbearable load of work on your shoulders - really assess your strength before planning goals and objectives.

How to manage stress outside of the workplace

Leave work at work and take care of yourself - this will reduce the load on your nervous system. Listen to the following tips to avoid becoming a hostage to stress:

play sports;
walk more often;
learn new things;
find a creative hobby;
communicate with family and friends.

Everyone has their own ways to relieve stress at the end of the work week. Choose what you like and try not to think about problems at work on the weekend. As Spiritual Economics teaches us: “Remember that the Sabbath is a special day. Six days you shall work, but the seventh day is a day of rest, and therefore no one shall work on that day” (WBTC, Exodus 20:8-10).

Ask colleagues for help

If you feel like you're stuck at work, ask your colleagues for help. It's funny, but it's women who usually neglect the help of their colleagues, not men. Men are generally less likely to suffer from stress at work, because they often skillfully shift it onto the shoulders of other people, for example, the same women who simply cannot refuse a male colleague who has given them a compliment.

But for women it is more difficult to ask for help. Therefore, if you are a woman and want help in difficult times, try to help your colleagues yourself at a time when you are relatively free. Just come up and offer help. Then you will have every moral right to ask for a favor in return.

How to avoid stress at work and become calmer when communicating with your boss?

First, let's determine what type of boss yours is. It only seems so. that all conflict leaders are the same. If you look closely, everyone can be classified into one of three groups.

Tyrants. They enjoy demonstrating their own strength and power. They humiliate staff in words and actions. For example, they tear up reports because of one small mistake.
Laymen. They also humiliate employees, but only because they are not confident in their own competence.
Fathers. They are smart, competent, and can give good advice. But all this does not give employees the opportunity to relax. The boss can fire you even for a minor offense.

The way you choose to manage stress at work depends on the type of manager you are. Right now I’ll tell you how to work together with each of the problematic bosses.

So, how can you quickly reduce your stress levels at work:

If the boss is a classic tyrant.

The first thing to do is stop being afraid of him. In a one-on-one conversation, constantly maintain eye contact and calmly and confidently defend your own position. Let your arguments be strong. Then the manager will understand that you cannot be suppressed with authority.

If the boss is a layman.

How to avoid stressful situations at work with this type of boss? Be wiser. Don't get involved in arguments with your boss, don't weave intrigues behind his back. Realizing that the boss is incompetent in the matter, carefully give him advice - but better in private.

If the boss is a father.

Such people love order. Carry out your job responsibilities accurately and demonstrate knowledge. “Dads” love smart people, so very soon the boss will set you apart from the rest of the employees.

Down with multitasking

Never do several things at the same time. Not only is this behavior completely unproductive, but it is also one of the biggest sources of anxiety and stress in the workplace.

When it comes to multitasking, some people make this mistake. They seem to follow the rule - one moment in time, one thing. But at the same time, thoughts are already moving on to the next task.

This covert multitasking is no less alarming, and perhaps even more so, than overt multitasking.

Practice proper breathing

When a person is under stress, his muscles tense and his breathing becomes rapid and shallow. This can lead to hyperventilation and, as a result, panic. If you are not inclined to panic, then a pronounced attack may not happen, but nervous tension will still increase.

Therefore, teach yourself to avoid hyperventilation by performing these simple breathing exercises for calm and measured breathing.

Stages of stress

The first stage of stress - the alarm stage, or the anxiety stage - is quite loved and respected in the business environment. With it, all the adaptive resources of the body are mobilized: attentiveness to the task, the so-called “return” becomes enviably high.

Again, psychosomatics pass - or fade into the background: migraines, gastritis, ulcers, allergies, etc. A person can “burn” at work, showing miracles of productivity, that is, be a management’s dream: don’t eat, don’t sleep, just work.

However, if the stress factor is too strong or prolonged (for example, the emergency at work has been prolonged), then the primary reaction to stress flows into the second stage - resistance (stability) .

Stimuli that caused increased reactions in the body are no longer considered significant. The person gets used to it and calms down as best he can.

Important! Your tasks at work may remain the same, but your reaction to them may change: it will become cooler, or, if you like, relaxed. It's all about the amount of resources:

1. Available for a specific nervous system.

2. Spent on adaptation to stress during its first stage.

If the work required – and still requires – extreme stress (deadlines are running out, suppliers fail, subcontractors break agreements), and physical and mental strength is scarce, then reducing the intensity of work effort is the body’s necessary response to the current situation. Sooner or later, “burning huts” become simply uninteresting. I want to pass by and not get involved in another adventure with an unclear ending.

Otherwise, if the adrenaline button is still working (and you cannot stop), the third stage of living stress begins - exhaustion. At the last stage of development of the general adaptation syndrome - this is what stress is scientifically called - physical and mental energies are exhausted. Those defenses that helped you adapt to stress in the initial stages of living with stress no longer work. There is nothing left to “burn” at work.

From the outside it looks like a complete loss of motivation. There is not even the strength to defend new rules of the game, change working conditions, or reformulate production tasks. Under certain conditions, this may even seem convenient: the employee is flexible and does not demand anything for himself.

However, low productivity will sooner or later make itself felt. Plus - which is a minus - indifference and defensive devaluation of work processes by one person, which negatively affects the general atmosphere in the entire team.

Stop surfing the Internet and using social networks

Most of us do not notice how much time and energy we spend during the day scrolling through Internet pages that are not related to our work and communicating on social networks. But these efforts are colossal!

According to psychologists, we now spend as much energy on social networks and reading the Internet as we would previously have spent on 20 hours of conversations on a landline phone!

Imagine how much tension this is. Obviously, it is a very strong daily source of stress and a cause of chronic fatigue.

How to cope with stress when “everything is on fire” at work?

Take breaks

If you know in advance when the “hot time” will come at work, plan a short vacation before and after the emergency.
A couple of days off will help you prepare for the difficulties ahead and allow you to start work fresh and rested, putting your thoughts in order. Well, after the holidays they will allow you to relax and recharge. Dealing with intense workload will be much easier if you give yourself the opportunity to prepare and recover from it. And don't forget about breaks during the working day. Sometimes even a five-minute walk clears your mind. And never eat lunch at your desk! Use lunchtime to recharge before the second half of your work day. Get out of the office, walk down the street, don't sit on a chair all day.

Make your life easier

The last thing you need to think about during an emergency is a mountain of laundry or a broken TV that needs to be taken to a service center. Try to fully concentrate on work, do not be distracted by everyday trifles. If possible, find someone who can help you understand your current affairs. Ask your partner to do the laundry and a friend to take the equipment for repair. Put aside other important things for a while, try to spend less time on your smartphone and laptop, turn off gadgets when you get home.

Move

But all of the above does not mean that you should give up sports. On the contrary, regular exercise will help you cope with stress and increase productivity at work. Even if you don't go to the gym, try cycling or walking to work, skip the elevator, and take a walk during your lunch break.

Take care of your body

Don't forget about your health. Only eight hours of sleep (no matter how unattainable it may seem in difficult times) will allow you to fully rest and prepare for a new working day. Plus it will protect against burnout. In addition, try to make your diet as healthy and healthy as possible. Eating less sweets will cause your blood sugar levels to spike and make you feel depressed. Fruits and nuts will help you recharge.

Respect your regime

Some people's productivity peaks in the morning, while others only succeed late in the evening. Respect your capabilities and try to move the implementation of the main and most difficult tasks to this time. Working at “unproductive” times will make you nervous, and there will be no results.

Find time for yourself

Even if it's a ten-minute break, take it throughout the day. Switch things up, do a couple of asanas, stretch... There are many ways to shake yourself up and return to work with renewed vigor.

Don't recycle

Overworking does not mean achieving more. After a 56-hour work week, your productivity begins to decline. There is no difference between a 56- and 70-hour work week: working 70 hours, we simply “burn” hours of our lives, wasting them. Whatever the emergency, try not to stay late at work. Ultimately, what matters is not the number of hours you sit in front of the computer, but the quantity (quality) of work completed.

Analyze

After an emergency, spend 15 minutes remembering and analyzing everything that happened to you during “difficult times.” When did you feel good? When were you most stressed? How can you fix this? Constantly working on mistakes will help you cope with subsequent tasks more successfully.

More fat

The phobia of animal fats, which gripped humanity several decades ago and still continues to rage among those who like to lead a healthy lifestyle, with little understanding of what it is, has led to the fact that the human brain is deprived of the fats it needs. And as a result, I began to work with great stress. And I completely lost the ability to deal with stress.

Therefore, more butter, cream, lard and oily fish. For those with a phobia, plenty of avocado and coconut oil.

Daily walk

At least once during the working day, but you definitely need to go outside and reunite with nature there. If there is no nature nearby, then there is still at least one tree. You can approach him, stand next to him, put your hands on him.

A walk perfectly relieves nervous tension. Moreover, both purely physical, caused by being in a sitting position for a long time, and mental.

Methods for preventing and combating stress at work

Since absolutely all people are subject to stress, people have developed several quite effective methods of dealing with it, which can also be successfully used if you want to cope with stress at work on your own.

Favorite hobby

When a person has a hobby, he relaxes while doing these activities. Any handicraft or skill distracts from negative emotions. People who have a favorite hobby are less susceptible to stress than those who spend time only on work and responsibilities.

Provide an outlet for your emotions

You shouldn’t accumulate all the negativity in yourself; periodically you need to give vent to your emotions. It is not necessary to quarrel with anyone, it is enough to simply express your thoughts on a piece of paper, or simply box. By the way, a friendly “vest” at these moments also plays the role of a life preserver.

You need to rest properly

All those who work hard suffer from chronic stress with all the ensuing consequences. During the working day, be sure to take short breaks of at least 10-15 minutes. Spend your evenings and weekends with friends, in nature, at the movies, etc. - this helps combat stress at work. Don’t try to take work home to finish the next report - this is a sure way to stress.

Nutrition

Often the cause of stress is poor nutrition. For example, a lack of B vitamins can lead to similar phenomena, as they help regulate the activity of the nervous system. Try to diversify your diet as much as possible, and do not abuse bad habits - this will help get rid of stress at work.

Full sleep

Every person needs to sleep at least 7-8 hours a day. Lack of sleep and insomnia inevitably lead to chronic stress.

Pets

This way of dealing with stress at work is suitable for all animal lovers.

Positive thinking

We have all heard more than once about the materialization of thoughts. That is why it is important to always think about the good and believe in a bright future. Positive thinking not only helps people cope with stress, but also makes them more successful and healthier.

Forget about office gossip

If office gossip bothers you and is largely the source of your stress, just forget about it. Do not pay attention.

Easier said than done? Not at all. If you understand that gossip is the engine of human evolution. They are inseparable from the very existence of the biological species Homo sapiens.

Therefore, in principle, they should not be taken personally. Or shun them yourself. For a person, gossiping is as natural as going to the toilet.

Of course, the above recommendations on how to deal with stress in the workplace are not exhaustive. However, they are very useful, and what is important is that they are easy to do!

How to relieve stress at work?

How to relieve stress at work is a question asked by everyone who is trying to achieve professional and personal goals.

Many of us have experienced professional stress at work for various reasons: the algorithm for working with a client was not built correctly, problems with shipment unexpectedly arose, we heard unfair accusations against ourselves, the client delayed payment for the goods, etc.

At the end of the day, the same question remains: how to relieve stress at work?

If such stressful situations occur from time to time, then, as a rule, this is not perceived as a tragedy or failure, but as an incentive for further work. There is a definite advantage to this: you can analyze and improve your work.

Some stressful situations help you get ready faster and accomplish what you planned. It’s like in sports: you mobilized and did everything clearly and correctly. True, under one condition - you know exactly how to do it right!

But what to do if stress begins to recur frequently and becomes chronic? If you can’t pull yourself together and accomplish what you set out to do? If relationships with your boss or colleagues have deteriorated and you feel stuck?

According to a friend of mine who works as an advertising manager: “Work has turned into torture, I can’t hear a continuous “no”, I can’t relax, I expect trouble from my bosses every day... Do I need to change jobs? How to relieve stress at work during these difficult times?

Analyzing her situation, we came to the conclusion that she should not change her job yet. It's just time to act! The time when you need to know how to relieve stress at work and what you need to change in your work right now.

First, let's try to figure out what stress is and why it occurs . And then we’ll talk about how to relieve stress at work.

Stress is a serious disorder, primarily of an emotional background. It is impossible to completely eliminate stress, but it is possible to relieve stress above the normal norm.

Any events in our lives are a huge complex of stress factors affecting us, ranging from bad weather to political disasters. We cannot influence many events in any way, however, we can change our attitude towards it.

How does a person react to stress? On a physical level, we experience a rapid heartbeat, increased blood pressure, and tense muscles. On the psychological level, a state of confusion, anxiety and fear arises, which is an automatic preparation for active action: attacking or defensive.

Fear is based on the basic instinct of self-preservation. His main reactions are: “stop”, “attack”, “run”. For the psyche, no matter how serious this or that situation is (whether it is a threat to life or a verbal insult), anxiety is equally triggered in the body - the impulse of which automatically brings the body into a state of highest alert.

Psychologists have noticed that stress occurs in a complex, new or uncertain situation, in the case of pronounced risk, time pressure, possible or real conflict. Or in the case when a person finds himself in a situation for which he does not have an adequate stereotype of behavior or he cannot apply it.

And the question of how to relieve stress at work is increasingly relevant.

However, let's look at these factors from a sales perspective.

So, overcoming stress in sales. And how to relieve stress at work.

The specifics of the work of a sales manager are such that he often has to act in situations of uncertainty. Will it be possible to convince the client of the need to purchase the product offered? How will the client behave in negotiations? What to do with objections? How to keep a regular customer? More often than other professionals, managers face the fear of rejection during telephone conversations or in personal communication.

Uncertainty gives rise to fear: fear of not knowing what to do correctly in a given situation, fear of losing, fear of not being able to complete the work on time, ruining a relationship with a significant person, etc.

Just imagine how the mechanisms of fear latently interfere with a manager’s activities! What kind of sales are there if you want to “stand there and not move”, “push” the client so as not to pester you with unnecessary questions, and then “rush” further away from him! There is no time for communication here! Here you are thinking about how to relieve stress after such emotions.

By the way, please note that in some cases, when you yourself, as a buyer, contact sellers, many of them answer you dryly, restrainedly and even irritably. What does this come from? According to my observations, this happens to those who are afraid of communicating with a client, who are more often accustomed to refusals than to successful transactions. The fear of refusal transformed into persistent irritation at the sight of a potential client (he subconsciously does not expect anything good from the incoming buyer. The sooner the client leaves, the more comfortable the unfortunate seller will feel).

Such sellers simply need sales training and stress relief techniques! This will help them work with pleasure, increase their income, maintain health and help advance their careers.

Of course, all of the above happens more often with novice managers. With the acquisition of experience in sales, negotiations, and making successful trade deals, excitement and fear go away. There are much fewer questions like how to relieve stress. However, if you are already an experienced salesperson, but have noticed that you often make big concessions to your customers (and therefore enter into not entirely profitable contracts), ask yourself: “what is behind this?” Are you driven by the fear of losing a client?

To deal with stress, you need to know its signs. Here are some of them:

there is often a feeling of fatigue and irritation;
work does not bring the same joy;
decreased interest in communication;
anxiety;
very fast speech;
decreased interest in sex;
migraine attacks;
blood pressure increases;
addiction to alcoholic beverages;
a constant feeling of malnutrition or loss of taste for food;
frequent errors in work, etc.

How to relieve stress?

If stress at work cannot be prevented, then you need to be able to deal with it. Conscious stress management is a reliable ally in this fight. Try creating a stress relief program for yourself. Here are some tips on how to relieve stress at work:

positive effect on the psyche . Master muscle relaxation, breathing exercises and positive self-hypnosis - this will allow you to use your internal reserves. Listen to your favorite music more often (I recommend Mozart’s classical “Sonata for Two Pianos in C Major” - one of the most psychotherapeutic);

organize your leisure time. Attend mass events more often (for example, football or hockey), where you can experience strong emotions and recharge the mood of a large number of people. Try to watch positive films or theater plays more often. Go out into nature, communicate with nice people. All this will charge you with positive emotions for a long time. Try to move more: go jogging or do, for example, Nordic walking;

plan your activities . Try to follow a routine, evenly combine workload and rest. Strive to improve your professional skills (read specialized literature, attend master classes and trainings);

take time for yourself. Get plenty of rest, go to bed on time (this is very important for your physical condition and nervous system). If possible, use a massage, visit the pool, sauna, eat right;

use herbal medicine. For example, preparations of ginseng and golden root have an immunomodulatory effect, increase performance and reduce fatigue, and have a beneficial effect on the entire body. Consult your doctor;

Analyze stressful situations and outline a plan to solve them. This point requires a calm and balanced state. Perhaps you can involve your colleagues, a psychologist in discussing it, or understand it at a special training.

The job of a manager is one of the most stressful in business. In the West, stress management programs are given great importance. One striking example is the decision of the head of the London Underground, who sent all his top managers to 26 days of stress management training. The result shocked everyone: the costs were recouped in a year only through savings on sick leave payments.

The staff began to work more productively, and the company took on more interesting and complex projects that brought additional dividends. The problem of how to relieve stress at work was solved for a long time.

Thoughtful and professional training is always a huge step forward in the development of the organization and the personal growth of the employee. At our stress management training, we offer more than just stress relief. At the stress reduction training you will learn: