Feeling stressed at work? Wearing your shoulders as ear muffs? Skipping lunch and bathroom breaks because you can‘t afford the time? Waking up in the night freaking out about what you need to get done? That’s not good. Some stress is good… We’re at our best productivity with a moderate level of stress to keep some warm embers under our bottoms, but once the stress hits the red zone (once it’s an actual fire under you), productivity, quality, and creativity all suffer…not to mention, it feels shitty! And if you have prolonged periods of acute stress, you risk health problems and even burnout.
So, how can you manage your stress to keep it to something reasonable?
1. Manage Your Attention
Managing your attention is one of the most important things you can do to alleviate (and protect yourself) from work stress. When you feel like you’re juggling six balls (and two chainsaws), your threat response goes up. Clearing the decks so there’s only one thing you’re thinking about really helps. Declutter your workspace. Close all but one window on your computer. Put all devices on do not disturb mode, get your phone out of sight, then set a timer and focus on that one thing until the buzzer goes… Multitasking increases stress and anxiety and makes you less productive, so when you get into the habit of doing one thing at a time, you’re not only less anxious but you’re actually getting things accomplish, which means you’ve got less to fret about.
2. Ask Your Boss for Help
Another approach is to enlist your manager’s support in prioritizing. Jot down everything that’s grabbing your attention, monopolizing your time, and draining your energy. Share your list with your boss, including how long things are taking and any roadblocks or sand in the gears making things harder or slower than they should be (I encourage all the teams I work with to do this exercise). I’m always shocked by how many things on these lists managers aren’t aware of. When they realize how much unseen physical, cognitive, and emotional labour you’re putting in, they can help delete, delay, distribute, or at least diminish the tasks to reduce your stress. It’s in their best interest to do so because it increases the likelihood you’ll accomplish what they need you to—and that reflects well on them and lowers THEIR stress. Don’t be afraid to ask your boss for help zeroing in on the most important work because it’s a Win-win.
3. Create Buffers and Boundaries
Buffers and Boundaries between tasks can also be helpful. I know many of us curse the commute, but research showed that people with a commute of around 15 minutes were better off than people with shorter commutes because it helps to have transitions to allow us to decompress from one thing before we throw ourselves into the next. That might mean letting go of the stress of dealing with your teenager before heading into your first meeting or shaking off the unpleasant meeting before trying to work on a report. Protect some space between activities in your day so the stress of one doesn’t bleed into the next.
Another option is to make a pre-task ritual. Before I sit down to write, I have a ritual of making myself a cup of tea. Not just a dunk dunk tea bag kinda tea, a bougie loose leaf tea in a blend like warming tulsi. I boil the water, put in the strainer, measure out the right amount and gently pore the boiling water over the leaves. It steeps for 4 minutes, so, in all, I’ve had 6 or 7 minutes to get my head in the game. Rituals are extra helpful forms of transition because they bake mindfulness in.
4. Breathe
Breathing, moving, and drinking (no, not THAT kind of drinking; HYDRATING!) all help to reset when stress levels rise. One stressful moment for me is when I’m pushing toward a writing deadline, and my computer hangs, or a website takes forever to load. I can feel my heart racing. I’VE GOT TO GET THIS DONE!!!! So now, when that happens, I open the Breathe app on my watch and do one minute of controlled breathing. I’ve noticed it makes a meaningful difference. Plus, the site has almost always loaded when I’m done. If you’re not into breathing (well, uh, not into DELIBERATE breathing), I also find progressive relaxation podcasts helpful because I get to lean into my stress first and then release the tension. There are thousands of options out there. Find one that works for you.
5. Pay Down Conflict Debt
This might be the hardest one, but with the biggest payoff. Don’t stew or sit in resentment or grievance. Being in conflict debt is terrible for your stress levels. If there’s an issue to be resolved, take a few minutes to think about what’s concerning you and how you might broach it constructively, and then OUT with it!! Carrying that issue means tromping around with conflict baggage that you can’t afford to carry. There are a couple videos in the description below to help you deal with those conflicts effectively.
6. Help Someone Else With Their Stress
Finally, I’m gonna end with my favorite science-based strategy for feeling less stressed, which is to help someone else feel less stressed. Research shows that empathizing, coaching, and supporting a colleague who’s overwhelmed increases your empathy toward yourself. Brilliant. So, find a teammate or a friend and support each other.
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There are lots of things you can do to get a handle on your stress. It might be a little hard to get started because your stress-addled brain is trying to tell you that it’s IMPOSSIBLE, but pick the simplest version of one of these strategies and start there. You’ll pick up momentum and be able to add more as you go. Good luck and let me know what works!