How to Minimize Workplace Stress

There have been hundreds of articles and books written about stress, how to eliminate it, and how to control it. Many contain some excellent ideas, suggestions and analyses of the issue and potential remedies. But historical data indicates that, at least in the workplace, stress cannot be totally eliminated.

Whether you work in the private sector, controlled by the profit motive, the non-profit industry, motivated by the service motive, or the government, motivated by public issues, there will be stress in the workplace to achieve the organization’s goals. The first step in managing stress is to admit that it will exist, regardless of your attempts to eliminate it.

Tips to Minimize Stress Factors
Whatever the type of stress you experience, your ability to minimize and control it comes from within. Reading all the stress management books and articles ever written will offer little help unless you commit yourself to attacking this issue from the inside. Once you’re ready to do so, the following are tips that may help you minimize workplace stress.

• Vent, but only to the “right” person/people. Orally venting your frustrations and stresses can be wonderful therapy. But in a workplace situation, you must be careful to only vent to the right person. That person may be a co-worker you trust completely, a sympathetic supervisor, or another third party unconnected with your specific job or department. Be careful though. Your honest display of stress or frustration to someone else can morph into comments about your complaining or whining about your job. 
  
  
• When feeling stressed, do some physical activity. The fastest and most effective stress relief comes from physical activity. Jogging, swimming, or playing your favourite sport is very effective. If you are less “sports-specific,” just walking, a controlled workout, or a treadmill session will accomplish the same goal.
  
  
• Analyze your typical reaction to stress and start changing those responses that escalate, not minimize, the effects. Self-analyzing your usual reactions to workplace stress is critical. Reflect on how you act, what you say, and things you do when influenced by stress. Positive reactions should remain in your repertoire. Disregard behaviours that are negative or actually increase your stress level immediately.
  
  
• Develop strong control of your emotions at the workplace. This may be the most difficult tip to achieve. If you tend to be highly emotional in many situations, your difficulty quotient increases. But fear not! With practice and repetition, you can learn to control your workplace emotions to minimize stress.

Understand that workplace stress will accompany you throughout your career. As you rise up the corporate ladder or embark on an entrepreneurial adventure, you will face a variety of stress factors. Learn to manage and minimize stress to achieve your career and lifestyle goals by using these tips to level out your psyche and responses. This should help minimize the effects of stress and hopefully reduce them to a manageable level.

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