Hey Job… Stop Stressing Me Out!!!

Today I am writing about the #1 requested topic people have requested on my website: job stress. This topic is relevant to so many people. I am sure that most of you have experienced job stress in some way at some point in your life. So today I want to provide you with some thoughts and techniques to feel more in control and remain calm when you’re stressed out by your job.

I first want to highlight how job stress can not only affect us on the job, but can also impact many other areas of our lives. Within the workplace job stress can affect our productivity, our motivation to excel or work harder and can even affect ones long-term morale. This is true especially when we feel under-appreciated and not valued in their job.

The stress that one can feel at work can then trickle into our home life, relationships and even in caring for oneself. You may have difficulty sleeping, increased irritability, low frustration tolerance and see changes in eating habits and appetite. These are just a few examples of physical symptoms of sustained job stress. Job stress affects our relationships too, and can put a strain on positive interactions with family, friends and loved ones due to stressed moods, increased anger and reduced patience with handling other challenges in their day. Closeness in relationships can be affected too, with the stressed individual wanting to be alone, not able to be present in the moment or feeling emotionally and mentally drained. Job stress can take a toll on taking care of ourselves. We may be less likely to care for our individual needs such as exercise, a good diet, taking time to do things that we enjoy or even giving ourselves time to decompress and unwind.

As you can see job stress is not only affecting people in their work environment, it can be affecting many parts of their lives and the people around them. So for these reasons and more I feel it is such an important topic to address and I am now going to share with you some techniques that I know can help you handle stress better, feel more relaxed, and empower you to feel more in control of your moods and emotions. I will provide you with 5 techniques to use while at work and 5 techniques to use after you leave the office and are away from your job.

My Top 5 Techniques for Handling Stress at the Office are:

1. Deep Breathing (4,7,8 technique). I love this coping skill because you can use it anywhere, anytime and as often as you need. Breathe in through your nose for the count of 4; Hold your breath for the count of 7; Breathe out slowly through your mouth for the count of 8.
2. Take A Break. Make sure you are taking small breaks when needed and not working through a lunch break. This is time to decompress, fuel your mind and body, and rejuvenate your energy level. Make sure your breaks are about you…not completing other tasks such as making phone calls, paying bills or dealing with frustrating situations. This is your time to unwind and release some built-up tension and stress.
3. Embrace a Positive Attitude and Use Positive Self Statements. It is important to embrace a positive attitude during your day to avoid self-defeating statements or spiraling in a negative mood. During time of significant stress it is vital to try to focus on something positive within your environment. Maybe it is a co-worker you enjoy talking with, knowing your first break is in 30 minutes or that you are walking with a friend during your lunch break. If there is nothing you can find positive about your day at work; think of something positive that will help motivate you to get through your day. It could be looking forward to plans after work, spending time with your children and spouse or simply that you get to leave the job in 2 hours. The more you can be mindful about being positive the better your moods will be, the less stress can affect you and the more likely you will use positive self- statements throughout your day.
4. Visualizations. Surround yourself with pictures that promote a positive mental and emotional response for you. It could be a feeling of calm as you look at the ocean; a warm feeling of love from a favorite family vacation photo or the release of relaxation as you scroll through images of favorite places to visit or the beauty of nature. Whatever it is, surround yourself with visuals of things, people or places that promote happiness.
5. Movement. Move your body throughout the day to help you stay alert, rejuvenate your energy and get the blood flowing. Stretching, Yoga poses, a brisk stroll around the office to say hello to a friend or a walk outside on a beautiful day. The method you choose is not important; what is important is just taking the time to move a little every day.

My Top 5 Techniques for De-Stressing Once You Leave the Office are:

1. Use Your Time Driving Home Productively to De-Stress. I suggest listening to audio books or podcasts on your way home since they are often about desired or passionate topics that create a nice break and chance to relax from a stressful day at work. Listen to music that suits your mood and enhances the state of mind you wish to achieve. For example, instrumental music may be more calming and relaxing to de-stress you while dance music is more upbeat to get in a joyful mood and inject some energy for the remainder of your day.
2. Be Mindful In Your Actions. Focus on how you can be present and engaged with those around you both mentally and physically. Identify ways this can occur whether it is with a specific activity with your children, enjoying conversation with a significant other or finding time for yourself to decompress and relax once you are home. Make active choices that benefit you and those around you in having positive and meaningful interactions.
3. Nutrition. When people are stressed their eating habits can change. Some people’s appetites decrease while others may be emotional eaters and gravitate towards carbohydrates and foods filled with sugar. Both choices are poor since they are not properly sustaining your body to work properly and maintain stable, healthy moods. You need to make sure that you are supporting your brain and body with protein all the time – especially during times of stress. The “feel good” chemicals in our brain such as Serotonin and Norepinephrine are protein-based chemicals that need to be nourished consistently throughout our day with high-protein foods. Protein also helps stabilize blood sugar levels to avoid sugar crashes and give us needed energy to maintain focus and motivation during our day. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water to nourish and hydrate your cells for a better performing mind and body.
4. Surround Yourself With People Who Build You Up. Spend time with loved ones and friends that provide support, bring fun into your life, create opportunities to escape job stress and encourage you to live your life with passion and zest. These experiences rejuvenate your soul and spirit. They make you feel alive and help you focus on the important things in your life. You need to allow yourself these times to unwind and have fun.
5. Explore Nature. Nature provides tranquility and peace like nothing else. It is easy to feel calm, relaxed and rejuvenated within nature. The awe of nature’s beauty and its ability to continuously sustain itself is amazing. Nature not only survives…it thrives. You may need to sit with nature and reflect on ways you can start supporting yourself to not only survive, but thrive.

So you now have 10 techniques that are easy to implement to help you cope better with stress. Choose the techniques that resonate with you to begin remaining calmer when encountering job stress. I suggest that you evaluate your own job stress and how much it impacts different parts of your life. Examine how you currently react when feeling stressed and what techniques you can start using today to decompress and feel more in control of your emotions, moods and behaviors. Overall the goal for you is to create balance in your life. Once you start these techniques you may realize how easy and helpful they are in supporting your mental, emotional and physical well-being. Look inside you at the impact of your job stress. It is important to honor what you find, create a plan for change and act upon it. I wish you much success in this process. Remember… we cannot expect our body and mind to perfectly handle everything life throws our way, every time. However we can provide ourselves with the support we need to succeed.