Three Techniques to Manage Stress at Work

Stress management is indeed one of the key abilities any manager should have. The pressure to keep an eye on the big picture and another one on the details can leave you feeling overwhelmed and unfocused, which will directly affect your performance.

I bet you have had days in which all you want to do is quit what you are doing and go on vacation. Do not feel guilty for having these kind of thoughts, it is extremely normal. In fact, I would even dare to say that stress is inevitable, with everything going on around us and the many worries we experience day to day, it would be unrealistic to try to completely get rid of stress, that would not be natural or even human. But the good news is that you can certainly minimize it by analyzing the major stressors in your life and taking action to minimize their effects.

Identifying your sources of stress and putting into practice techniques that can help you reduce the effect they have on you is called stress management, which is what I am going to talk about in this post. I will give you three techniques for managing stress at work, that can help you minimize stressand maximize your performance.

Focus only on what you can control

The first technique for managing stress at work is based on your focus. But first, you need to identify what is causing you stress. Some of the most common external factors that can affect how you feel in the workplace are: the workload and work schedule, the workplace environment and the interpersonal relationships, the pressure put on yourself to reach high goals, the tools and resources available, and the lack of control over how you do your job. 

All of these factors can affect your mood, performance and even your health. Do not let them. Focus only on what you can control. This is where resilience comes into play, you need to be able to hang in there despite what can be thrown at you, and being able to manage stress will help you deal with unexpected situations in a much smarter way. Remember, if you cannot change the situation, change how you feel about the situation and prioritize your well-being. 

Some tips that can help you cope with all of these external factors and help you perform better are: 

• Look for humor in the situation while looking for a solution, this will help you feel like the problem is not as big as it seemed at first.

• Pay attention to your thoughts and if you catch yourself being negative, flip your perspective.

• Evaluate your performance objectively. What can you do to improve your performance? Is it prioritizing tasks, having a better time management, a better coaching for your team?

Manage your stress about self-care: “what if I was a robot”?

You’re not a robot — but what if you were? A common complaint regarding stressing situations is that people at work tend to think you are, or should be, a robot. No feelings, no hiccups, just raw productivity. 

Let’s allow that for a second (not for long, though) and think about its implications: don’t robots get maintenance, upgrades, downtime, repairs, cool-off periods, fuel and oil, and cleaning? Don’t you try to protect your expensive investments by not overstepping their specifications? 

Then why should us humans get any less than that? Companies should protect their human capital as much as their technology. From top management to the newest hire, it’s everyone’s job to make sure that company structures systematically protect human lives. A good company doesn’t treat their team as disposable, single-use supplies. 

Don’t let your company damage its most precious asset: you. A career is a marathon. Your long-term, top-priority must be getting alive and in good shape to the finish line. In order to manage stress at work, do not let others de-prioritise your self-care and preservation. Even if you were a robot, there would be a bottom line of maintenance you would have to get.

Reaching the state of flow

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (I have to look up his  last name each and every time!) is the world-famous psychologist who authored the concept of flow. Flow is the idea that to feel happy when doing a specific activity, you should balance its challenge and your skill levels:

When something is too challenging for you, you will be likely to feel anxious and worried. Unless you feel perfectly capable for doing it,  you will experience stress. On the other hand, if the tasks you are doing are not challenging enough for you, you can also feel stressed through apathy and boredom.

The idea is to get to that flow state in which, like Goldilocks in the tale, it’s not too hot or too cold. Set yourself reachable goals, goals that keep you excited but also not worried about not being able to cope with the pressure. 

By putting into practice these tips, you will be more aware of your emotions at work, and therefore, be able to identify what might be causing you stress so you can then take action. Managing your stress at work will help you overcome obstacles faster and take you a step closer to reaching your peak performance.