Handling Workplace Stress
What are some ways that you have personally handled workplace stress or helped others to do so?
I personally stepped away from my desk and went to interact with students in the classroom. This enabled me to connect with my students and their instructor. I was able to laugh and re-evaluate the problem that caused the stress in the first place. It gave me a break and I was able to breathe and relax which re-energized me.
The easiest thing for me to do in dealing with workplace stress is to find the humor in the situation.
Stepping away for a few minutes and looking at it from a different perspective and the humorous side of it helps me relax, and come back to the problem refreshed and ready to take it on!
Debra,
I to find it is beneficial to step away from the problem and refocus. If I don't negative thoughts tend to repeat themselves until my worry becomes toxic. Finding a co-worker that I trust and admire and voicing my concern with her really helps also.
I generally handle workplace stress by taking deep breathes, meditation and going for a walk. When my co-workers are stressed I generally make positive conversation and try to make my co-worker feel better.
To help deal with work stress, I breath a lot. I also exercise and that also helps me a lot. When I eat poorly, I get a little groggy sometimes but eating healthy makes a huge difference in someone’s attitude. Exercising, breathing, eating healthy helps me a lot.
Like Debra, I also handle workplace stress by stopping to look at the situation, stepping back from it and asking myself just how important is the issue stressing me and by trying to inject humor into the day. I often get funny emails/videos from a number of friends and regularly try to share them w/collegues that I know are also stressed and will appreciate the "laugh for the day".
Being a person with asma breathing properly is avery important part of health so there fore handling workplace stress is part of a healthy life when in a stressful situtation relax breath take a brisk walk and eat healthy and drink plenty o water. This does not eliminate all stress but helps.
I have definitely vented about some things that have stressed me out at work to a sympathetic ear and that does help. Speaking up at a meeting or conversation with a manager to ask about a less stressful way of dealing with the problems/issues you may be having has helped me also.
One of the stresses I have at work is a negative coworker. I draw my energy and excitement from my work environment. Most of my coworkers face the day with a positive attitude and then there is this one. I know that venting can offer relief by allowing you to unburden your problem, but constant complaints are just draining. I finally just had to distant myself from her.
I handle workplace stress by stepped away from a few minutes and trying to look at it from a different perspective. I found that stay positive helps on most of the situation. Exercise is also a good way to help on shifting the focus to something else for a while.
I have a stress ball on my desk which really helps after having a frustrating experience with a difficult student or coworker. And it helps with muscle tone as well.
Encouraging my coworkers to vent their frustrations helps in most cases. Personally I wish we had a meeting once a week for nothing but clearing the air and expressing frustrations with each other and the students.
I take my frustrations straight to the director or assistant director and bypass everyone else because when I get upset about something it usually has to do with a corporate or administrative problem.
Well, without even realizing it I have used one of the techniques listed in our readings.
There was a time in the recent past where there was a huge investigation going on within our department and as a result there was a lot of stress on the team. The investigation itself could result in several people losing their jobs. One of the actions I took to help de-escalate emotions and tensions was pull back from pushing activity and or assigning addtional tasks. I felt that if I did this I would break employees and place them in that high anxiety zone that would keep them from being able to perform.
Yes breathing, exercise, and eating right can absoutley impact our ability to function in high pressure situations.
Beginning in January I implemented a 4 day a week exercise regimen. By exercising frequently I have a more regular sleep cycle and those that work with me have noted that I am not on edge as once was.
As an added benefit I have been able to lose some weight I had gained due to high stress.
A good laugh in the workplace can work miracles. It helps to put things in perspective. I have a trusted colleague at work and we will vent a little then cut up about high pressure situations we have going on. This helps make the situation a bit more tolerable and puts things in perspective.
A sense of humor is the best way to handle stressful situations. I try to think of some way to make a streesful situation funny and then I can relax and take charge of the problem
Elena,
Work and fun do mix. The practice in the work place helps employees create a better trust level and comfort level for expressing themselve professionally for the better of the business of the workplace.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Elena,
Good for you for your plan. We all need to lead a balanced life with exercise, health practices, mental health relaxation, recreation and spiritual rejuvenation.
Dr. Gary Carlson
Elena,
This is always a stressful experience. I was part of a huge investigation in a company by the federal government. This is when you begin to stress the important factors of who your people are and their character. I worked for a great leader at this time who continued to reassure all of us that you know who you are and we have not done anything wrong. Each of us need to be proud of who we are with high ethics and character. Great time to build your people up and cooperate with the investigation. This is a time when you see the real strength of your people.
Dr. Gary Carlson
