12 Steps for Stress Management

8/13/2019 12 Steps for Stress Management

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12 Ways To Eliminate Stress AtWork

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The average business professional has

30 to 100 projects on their plate !o"ern #orkers are interrupte" seven times

an hour an" "istracte" up to 21 hours a "ay An" four out of 10 people

#orking at large companies are e$periencing a major corporate restructuring%an" therefore facing uncertainly about their futures This may be #hy more

than &0' of a"ults say they lie a#ake at night plague" by the stressful events

of the "ay
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()eople are asking me for ans#ers%* says Sharon !elnick% )h+% a business

psychologist an" author of just release"Success Under Stress (Everyone feels

over#helme" an" overly busy*

,s there a #ay to maintain stea"y focus throughout the "ay- ,s it possible to "oeverything that nee"s to get "one an" still have energy left over after #ork-

.o# "o you keep cool un"er so many "eman"s- ,nforme" by 10 years of

.arvar" research an" fiel"/teste" by more than %000 clients an" trainees%

!elnick offers the follo#ing strategies to take your #ork stress "o#n a peg%

before it takes over your life

The atigue Solution .o# To ,ncrease our

Energy ,n Eight Easy Steps Jenna GoudreauForbes Staff
http://sharonmelnick.com/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://sharonmelnick.com/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/


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The Secret To 4reaking 4a" .abits or 5oo" Jenna GoudreauForbes Staff

.o# To 4e A Super/Achiever The

10 6ualities That !atter Jenna GoudreauForbes Staff
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/12/28/the-secret-to-breaking-bad-habits-in-the-new-year/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/12/28/the-secret-to-breaking-bad-habits-in-the-new-year/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/12/28/the-secret-to-breaking-bad-habits-in-the-new-year/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/


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The 10 Worst 7ommunication

!istakes or our 7areer Jenna GoudreauForbes StaffAct Rather Than React

(We e$perience stress #hen #e feel that situations are out of our control%* says

!elnick ,t activates the stress hormone an"% if chronic% #ears "o#n

confi"ence% concentration an" #ell/being She a"vises that you i"entify the

aspects of the situation you can control an" aspects you can8t Typically% you8re

in control of your actions an" responses% but not in control of macro forces or

someone else8s tone% for e$ample (4e impeccable for your 90'%* she a"vises

An" try to let go of the rest

Take A Deep Breath

,f you8re feeling over#helme" or are coming out of a tense meeting an" nee"

to clear your hea"% a fe# minutes of "eep breathing #ill restore balance% says

!elnick Simply inhale for five secon"s% hol" an" e$hale in e:ual counts

through the nose (,t8s like getting the calm an" focus of a ;0/minute yoga

class in three minutes or less at your "esk%* she says

Eliminate Interruptions

(!ost of us are bombar"e" "uring the "ay%* says !elnick Emails% phone calls%

pop ins% instant messages an" su""en% urgent "ea"lines conspire to make

to"ay8s #orkers more "istracte" than ever While you may not have control
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/


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over the interrupters% you can control your response !elnick a"vises

respon"ing in one of three #ays Accept the interruption% cut it off% or

"iagnosis its importance an" make a plan !any interruptions are recurring

an" can be anticipate" (ou #ant to have preset criteria for #hich response

you #ant to make%* she says ou can also train those aroun" you byans#ering email "uring certain #in"o#s% setting up office hours to talk in

person or closing the "oor #hen you nee" to focus

Schedule Your Day For Energy And Focus

!ost of us go through the "ay using a (push% push% push* approach% thinking if

#e #ork the full eight to 10 hours% #e8ll get more "one ,nstea"% pro"uctivity

goes "o#n% stress levels go up an" you have very little energy left over for your

family% !elnick says She a"vises sche"uling breaks throughout the "ay to#alk% stretch at your "esk or "o a breathing e$ercise (Tony Sch#art< of the

Energy )roject has sho#n that if #e have intense concentration for about ;0

minutes% follo#e" by a brief perio" of recovery% #e can clear the buil"up of

stress an" rejuvenate ourselves%* she says

Eat Right And Sleep Well

(Eating ba"ly #ill stress your system%* says !elnick% #ho a"vises eating a lo#/

sugar% high/protein "iet (An" #hen you8re not sleeping #ell% you8re notgetting the rejuvenating effects* Accor"ing to the 7+7% an estimate" 0

million Americans "o not get sufficient sleep% #hich is a critical recovery

perio" for the bo"y ,f racing thoughts keep you from falling asleep or you

#ake up in the night an" can8t get back to sleep% !elnick suggests a simple

breathing trick that #ill knock you out fast 7over your right nostril an"

breathe through your left for three to five minutes

Change Your Story

our perspective of stressful office events is typically a subjective

interpretation of the facts% often seen through the filter of your o#n self/"oubt%

says !elnick .o#ever% if you can step back an" take a more objective vie#%

you8ll be more effective an" less likely to take things personally She recalls

one client #ho sent a re:uest to human resources for more people on an

important project When she #as "enie"% she imme"iately got angry an"


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"efensive% thinking they "i"n8t trust her to kno# #hat she nee"e" et she

never stoppe" to even consi"er there might be bu"getary issues on their en"

=nce she #as able to remove herself from the situation% she calle" the .>

"irector an" sai" Tell me #here you8re coming from% ,8ll tell you #here ,8m

coming from an" then let8s see if #e can fin" a solution ?ltimately% it #orke"

Cool Don !uickly

The atigue Solution .o# To ,ncrease our

Energy ,n Eight Easy Steps Jenna GoudreauForbes Staff

The Secret To 4reaking 4a" .abits or 5oo" Jenna GoudreauForbes Staff
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/12/28/the-secret-to-breaking-bad-habits-in-the-new-year/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/12/28/the-secret-to-breaking-bad-habits-in-the-new-year/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/04/02/the-fatigue-solution-how-to-increase-your-energy-in-eight-easy-steps/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/12/28/the-secret-to-breaking-bad-habits-in-the-new-year/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/


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.o# To 4e A Super/Achiever The

10 6ualities That !atter Jenna GoudreauForbes Staff

The 10 Worst 7ommunication

!istakes or our 7areer Jenna GoudreauForbes Staff

(When you feel frustrate" or angry% it8s a heate" feeling in your bo"y that cancause you to react%* says !elnick ,nstea" of imme"iately reacting@an" likely

overreacting@she suggests trying a (cooling breath* techni:ue 4reathe in

through your mouth as if you are sipping through a stra#% an" then breathe

out normally through your nose +one right% you8ll feel a cooling% "rying

sensation over the top of your tongue ,t8s like hitting the (pause* button%
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2013/01/17/how-to-be-a-super-achiever-the-10-qualities-that-matter/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/16/the-10-worst-communication-mistakes-for-your-career/http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/


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giving you time to think about your response She says% (,t8s so po#erful it #ill

even calm theother person "o#n*

Identi"y Sel"#Imposed Stress

(earn to stop self imposing stress by buil"ing your o#n self/confi"ence ratherthan seeking other8s approval%* says !elnick ,f you8re too caught up in others8

perceptions of you% #hich you can8t control% you become stresse" out by the

minutia or participate in avoi"ance behaviors like procrastination ,ronically%

once you shift your focus from others8 perception of your #ork to the #ork

itself% you8re more likely to impress them

$rioriti%e Your $riorities

With competing "ea"lines an" fast/changing priorities% it8s critical to "efine

#hat8s truly important an" #hy That re:uires clarity% says !elnick ,t8s

important to un"erstan" your role in the organi


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Be Your &n Best Critic

Some 0%000 thoughts stream through your min" each "ay% !elnick says% an"

internal negativity is just as likely to stress you out as an e$ternal event The

fi$- ,nstea" of being harsh an" critical of yourself% try pumping yourself upEncouraging thoughts #ill help motivate you to achieve an" ultimately train

you to inspire others

Follow me onTwitter,Facebookand Google+.

Managing Job Stress - OverviewJob stress comes in different forms and affects your mind and body in different ways. Small things can

make you feel stressed, such as a copy machine that never seems to work when you need it or phones

that wont !uit ringing. "a#or stress comes from having too much or not enough work or doing work that

doesnt satisfy you. $onflicts with your boss, coworkers, or customers are other ma#or causes of stress.

%ts normal to have some stress. Stress releases hormones that speed up your heart, make you breathe

faster, and give you a burst of energy. Stress can be useful when you need to focus on or finish a big

pro#ect. &ut too much stress or being under stress for too long isnt good for you. $onstant stress can

make you more likely to get sick more often. %t can also lead to long'term health problems such as heartdisease,high blood pressure, back problems, anddepression.

(ook for these signs of #ob stress)

*eadaches

+rouble sleeping

roblems concentrating

Short temper

-pset stomach

Job dissatisfaction and low morale

What CausesJob Stress?

"ost of the time, its the ma#or sources of stress that lead to #ob burnout and health problems. Job stress

can affect your home life too. *ere are some common sources of ma#or #ob stress, with eamples of each)
http://twitter.com/#!/Jenna_Goudreauhttp://twitter.com/#!/Jenna_Goudreauhttp://www.facebook.com/JenGoudreauhttps://plus.google.com/107354000441475705820/postshttp://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/coronary-artery-disease-8221http://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/coronary-artery-disease-8221http://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/coronary-artery-disease-8221http://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/high-blood-pressure-hypertensionhttp://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/depressionhttp://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/depressionhttp://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/depressionhttp://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/tc/managing-job-stress-topic-overviewhttp://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/tc/managing-job-stress-topic-overviewhttp://twitter.com/#!/Jenna_Goudreauhttp://www.facebook.com/JenGoudreauhttps://plus.google.com/107354000441475705820/postshttp://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/coronary-artery-disease-8221http://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/coronary-artery-disease-8221http://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/high-blood-pressure-hypertensionhttp://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/depressionhttp://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/tc/managing-job-stress-topic-overview


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Lack of control./eeling as if you have no control over your work or #ob duties is the biggest

cause of #ob stress. eople who feel like they have no control at work are most likely to get stress'related

illnesses. *eres an eample)o Shelly is responsible for putting together a report that her boss must deliver at a 4 p.m.

meeting. Shes been waiting all day for the notes and numbers she needs. Shelly finally gets the notes

from her boss at )15 and rushes to prepare the report and charts and to make copies in time. She gets it

done, but she feels mad and resentful. +his is the third time this week that this has happened.

Increased resonsibilit!.+aking on etra duties in your #ob is stressful. 2ou can get more

stressed if you have too much work to do and you cant say no to new tasks.

o John volunteers for every new pro#ect, because he heard thats the best way to get

promoted. &ut the tasks are starting to pile up, and hes feeling overwhelmed. *e knows he cant really

manage one more thing. &ut this morning, Johns boss asked him to take on another pro#ect, and John

agreed. 3ow hes more worried than ever about getting everything done.

Job satisfaction and erfor"ance.o you take pride in your #ob %f your #ob isnt meaningful,

you may find it stressful. re you worried about doing well at work /eeling insecure about #ob

performance is a ma#or source of stress for many people.

o 7aoul has worked in his new #ob for 8 months. *e thinks he is doing well. &ut his boss

doesnt say much, so 7aoul isnt sure. *e wonders if hes on the right track, but hes afraid to ask.

#ncertaint! about work roles.&eing unsure about your duties, how your #ob might be changing,

or the goals of your department or company can lead to stress. %f you report to more than one boss,

#uggling the demands of different managers can also be stressful.

o 7osas old manager was promoted. 3ow 7osa is working for someone new. Shes heard

that the new boss plans to 9shake things up9 in her department. +he new boss #ust hired :mily, whose #ob

seems to be the same as 7osas. 7osa worries about what this means for her.

$oor co""unication.+ension on the #ob often comes from poor communication. &eing unable

to talk about your needs, concerns, and frustrations can create stress.

o new #ob with more responsibility and better pay #ust opened up in Jills department. Jill

knows she can do this #ob. nd shes been with the company longer than anyone else on her team. She

waits for her manager to ask if she is interested. &ut after several weeks, a coworker is promoted to the

new #ob. Jill feels hurt and angry, but she doesnt say anything.

Lack of suort.(ack of support from your boss or coworkers makes it harder to solve other

problems at work that are causing stress for you.

o Jeff works in a busy office answering customer complaint calls all day. %t would be easier

to handle all the calls if he could at least trade tips with his coworkers. &ut everyone else is busy too. *is

coworkers never make it out of their cubicles during the day, even to let off a little steam.

$oor working conditions.-npleasant or dangerous physical conditions, such as crowding,

noise, or ergonomicproblems, can cause stress.

o Sonya is eposed to constant noise at work. She wears earplugs, but at the end of her

shift herearsare ringing. She often comes home with a headache.
http://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/ergonomicshttp://www.webmd.com/brain/picture-of-the-earhttp://www.webmd.com/brain/picture-of-the-earhttp://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/default.htmhttp://www.webmd.com/hw-popup/ergonomicshttp://www.webmd.com/brain/picture-of-the-earhttp://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/default.htm


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12 Steps for Stress Management