Rules for reducing workplace stress.
Relax! Managing stress shouldn’t be stressful
In today’s results-oriented business environment, many workers have no time to attend even a half-day seminar on developing stress-management skills. In fact, trying to schedule time to attend such seminars only causes more stress. And, while some people like to alleviate tension with a trip to a spa or a weekend in the country, you don’t necessarily need to go to such great lengths. The basic concepts behind stress management are simple. In fact, many of the following short and long-term solutions we have detailed here are things you can implement in no time at all.
So, to help you reduce stress on the job and in your life away from work, take a moment out of your busy schedule to read these 10 practical tips you can use today to combat stress for the rest of your life.
- Laugh more.
Humor is one of the best stress-busters around. A good laugh relaxes muscles, lowers blood pressure, and may reduce hormones that create stress and suppress immunity. Smiling helps, too. Research shows that facial expression — whether real or phony — can change a person’s mood.
- Stop being a perfectionist.
You don’t have to accept shoddy work, but pick a couple of things you can let slide. Don’t let your quest for perfection and fear of failure paralyze you with anxiety. People who strive to be all things to all people are prime candidates for this type of stress.
- Control your anger.
People who are chronically angry have four to seven times the risk of dying of heart disease and cancer as those who are not anger-prone (Duke University). And people who seethe silently are at even greater risk than those who are openly hostile. Contrary to the popular idea that so-called, “Type A” attributes (being time-pressured, overachieving, and impatient) are what pose the greatest risk, researchers now believe that hostility is the key personality trait for predicting heart disease. Hostile people get worked up over incidents that the rest of us don’t think twice about.
Whenever you’re angry, ask yourself three questions:“Is the issue important?”, “Is my anger justified?” and,“Can I do anything to fix the situation?” If the answer to any of these is “no,” the only appropriate action is to calm yourself down. If, on the other hand, you answer “yes” to the three questions, you need to turn your anger into assertive action.
- Slow down.
We’ve developed dysfunctional attitudes about time because we now view it in an open-ended fashion, as if a given hour has potentially infinite utility. In other words, we’re substituting quicker activities for slower ones so we can stretch out every hour. We used to have lunch, then we had fast-food restaurants, now we have drive-through restaurants. All of this has the reverse effect from what we might expect: it makes us even more aware of time, even more stressed, and produces a culture in which efficiency is the most important value.
- Don’t procrastinate.
When something important has to be done, tackle it immediately. This, of course, is easier said than done. But the fact is, you’ll perform better if you avoid caffeine-charged, all-night super-sessions. If you’re a procrastinator, think of your project as a stalled car that needs to be pushed — it takes work to get the car going, but when it develops momentum
it’s easy to keep it moving. Quit making excuses and just start pushing.
- Stop feeling guilty.
Guilt is the most wasteful of all human emotions. When someone throws you a ball of guilt, let it go by. Learn to say “no” more often — and stick to your decision. Don’t wallow around in guilt until you give in. That, experts say, will only leave you feeling angry and resentful. Don’t lay guilt on yourself either. If you used to run five days a week, but now just have time for three workouts, don’t berate yourself. Focus on the good you are doing. As adults, we’re responsible for our own happiness.
- Let go of grudges.
Research shows that when you relive a bad experience, you also relive the physiology that accompanied the stressful moment. One disaster can become 50 disasters. It’s a horror show that replays in your head as if it were taking place right then and there. When something really aggravating happens — say, when a business deal falls through— discard the experience. Just throw it away and move on to something more productive. Otherwise, you run the risk of carrying this invisible load wherever you go.
- Follow your dreams.
Look at the big picture — your life priorities. Make sure that the things you do add up to who you really are or want to be. Don’t take a job or join an organization because you feel it’s what others want you to do or because it’s something you wanted to do in the past. Put your energy into things that really matter to you now. Make a list of the things that make your life rewarding: goals or dreams you’re working toward. Write no more than 12 items, then cut your list to six. Jot the six items on a small card, something you can carry with you during the day. Use your list as your moral compass and check it twice daily.
- Pick your battles carefully.
Concern yourself with the things that you can control — not the issues that are out of your hands. Rather than try to change your company’s major policies, go for something smaller; like having a radio in your cubicle. If you’re being dragged on an unwanted family vacation, don’t attempt to solve three decades of family problems in one weekend. You’re setting yourself up for frustration.
- Don’t equate work with worth.
We’ve become walking resumes — we are what we do…no more, no less. With this mindset, a notion like leisure doesn’t make sense. You’re always compelled to be doing omething; otherwise you’re nobody. We admire rushed people. We think that makes them important. We think anyone who is rushing around at lightning speed, with a cell phone attached to their
ear, barking orders at everyone else, is a role model. What they really are is a model for a heart attack.