Reducing Stress at Work

Stress is prevalent in today’s workplace where people at every level often feel tense and overburdened. Stress occurs when we feel out of control. It’s a feeling of being overloaded with tight deadlines, long hours, and ever-increasing demands. Yet, understanding how to manage and reduce our stress can help us become more balanced and evenminded. Whatever our work demands, there are steps we can take to protect ourselves from the damaging effects of stress and improve our overall wellbeing.

A great technique for reducing stress is to start a journal and record anything that’s stressful in the workplace. This list can include any current or upcoming projects, coworker relationship problems, meetings, email overload, or whatever is causing us stress. By writing things down, it’s easier to notice any stressful patterns or habits that we’ve developed. We can then recognize the choices we have in the way we respond or react to stressful situations when they arise. It takes time and commitment to reduce stress, but the more we can make healthier choices that strengthen our emotional wellbeing, the better we feel and the more balanced we’ll become in the workplace and in our daily lives.