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5+ Ways to Manage Stress in the Workplace

Jeff Rogers, CPMBC

Stress management in the work place. 5 ways to handle stress. Image shows 4 partners excited and stress free.

Why do you feel stressed? This is a straightforward question with a surprisingly complicated answer.

I might also add that we are unique human beings in various ways, and stress triggers are unique to each of us. There are several accepted types of stress, and a better understanding of these types will help us understand why we undergo stress in the first place.

Workplace Stress is Universal

I believe stress is more a result of a behavior triggered by another feeling or experience. By the numbers, 44% of employees say they are stressed! So, if you are feeling stressed, you are not alone.

But just because it's common, doesn't mean you shouldn't know understand the triggers and how to manage it. There are significant consequences of stress, being out of control, or rage, and if you add a leadership position to the equation, the results are more magnified.

I don't know about you, but I wish I had a few do-overs in stress management over the years. Our ability to process stress is representative of our Emotional Intelligence (EQ) or lack thereof.

Understanding the Causes of Stress in the Workplace

So why am I stressed out?

Angry businesswoman shouting on phone in office

Think of stress as an expression of other feelings. When I think of what triggers my anxiety or those around me, I see sadness, helplessness, being unfairly treated by others, frustration, embarrassment, shame, lack of control, fear, not being heard, or even guilt, as triggers for my stress.

As you review this simple list, identify what you have resonated with. These are relatively generalized feelings or triggers, but these words evoke emotion.

What can I do?

The first thing is understanding how these words and senses drive our responses and behavior.

Stress management, to me, is getting in front of the uncontrolled response to the trigger. For each of us, the motivation is unique. But, I must believe the main categories are similar.

I believe that a reality check is critical for your stress management success. This "In the Moment Reality Check" separates you from the rest.

JRCI Stress Management Questionnaire

Take a moment to reflect and ask yourself these essential questions:

1.	Is this important in the BIG Picture?
2.	Is this worth interrupting my day?
3.	If I take action, is it worth my time?
4.	What is a measured response if I do decide to take action?
5.	What can I do about this, if anything?
6.	How does this affect other relationships I must care for?
7.	What is the unintended consequence of the action I may take?
8.	Was it worth it when I had time to look back at this?

Now you have asked yourself these helpful questions, you must not become paralyzed or ineffective. Instead, you must engage in effective behavior and action. It would be best if you summoned the courage to act through, and out, of the stress created.

Navigating Stress Management at Work

What can I do to find and ground myself for the best-measured response? Again, this next step is different for each of us. What might be the suitable de-escalation method for you? It would be best to take control in order to reduce the stress in your world. Your self-awareness and self-regulation skills are now on display.

As you work to identify this next step, reference the JRCI Stress Management Top Ten as a resource. This worksheet may be valuable for your subsequent interaction with stress when its ugly presence rears.

I have learned that other negative impacts affect our health when we keep stress inside. We talk a lot about emptying the emotional backpack regularly here at JRCI and doing so daily.

Practicing this simple act of emptying this cluttered pack off your back, full of negative emotions and hanging it on the trouble tree outside your home and then retrieving it on your way out the door... has value! Setting yourself up for a new day with an emotionally empty backpack prevents overload, overwhelm, and stress. The value is for you, those you serve, those you care about, and those who care about you!

"The value is for you, those you serve, those you care about, and those who care about you!"

- Jeff Rogers, CPMBC

There are considerable health consequences associated with stress. Humans can suffer depression, lack of sleep, headaches, anxiety, elevated blood pressure, or even heart attacks. We all agree none of this sounds appealing. Statistics demonstrate much of it can be eliminated with a sound stress-management protocol system.

You have now learned 8 questions to ask yourself to reduce stress at work. Below, we have attached 10 things you can do right now to reduce stress at work or home. Now, it is up to you to do it.

JRCI Methods to Manage Stress In The Workplace

1.	Take a breather	Slow your breathing and take in some big air. Inhale from the nose and out the mouth will slow down your heart rate and provide a sense of internal control.
2.	Count it down… or up	That's right, count it out. You are slowing your response and buying time by counting up or down to ten. If you are outraged…work to one hundred!
3.	Go for a walk	Walk it off, and physical exertion quells stress and emits some adrenaline.
4.	Work your mantra	Experts suggest a mantra helps the mind focus. Use a repetitive, meaningful phrase to help de-escalate your feelings of stress.
5.	Music 🎶	Whatever your taste, play some tunes to pull you away from that negative mojo. You know what to do, and play it loud if you can!
6.	Take a timeout to reset	A simple preschool timeout worked then, and it will work now. Pull up, shut up, be still, and chill! You got this, mind over matter.
7.	Talk it out with a trusted friend	Sometimes, a good talk works out even the worst of stress. Hit up that trusted go-to meaningful person and chat it up together.
8.	Gratitude	In the thick of it, focus energy on the things you are grateful for in your life to get you back on track.
9.	Be creative	Creativity allows your wadded-up mind to stretch and find additional creative solutions or positive vibes.
10.	Laugh it off	When in doubt, laugh it off. Sometimes, to laugh is to quiet the monster within, especially if you cannot control the variables around you.

I am not discussing avoiding stress, that's another discussion with completely different challenges, but you now have tools to help you reduce stress. To get stressed is to be human, and to control stress, appropriately, separates you from the rest!