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Thursday, July 17, 2008

How to Manage Stress in Your Work Life

Stress is a result of a series of complex reactions that occur in response to certain events and situations in your life. There are many ways of defining Stress. Some researchers categorize it either as Eustress or Distress depending on whether something changes for the better or worse respectively. It is also defined as being in a situation which is very difficult to cope with.

If you are going through a lot of stress in your career which makes it tough going, you've come to the right page. This piece will help you cope with stress.

Since there are multiple causes of stress, understandably, there are many ways to deal with it. Being aware of it isn't enough; you should also know how to manage stress. This requires a change in the way you react to it and so on. Let's see how to go about that.

Beware of stressors: Determine the causes of stress and don't ignore them. Observe the events that bring stress to your work life. Try to figure out the meaning of such events. Also, analyze your reaction towards such circumstances; do you get panicky or physically upset?

Take heed of your reactions: If you really want to know how to manage stress, you'll have to take cognizance of those reactions we talked about earlier. Stress is generated by your perception of danger, either physical or emotional. Take an objective look at the cause as well as your response to it. Recognizing the situation for what it's worth will reduce the intensity of your reactions.

Be reasonable:
• Don't take a difficult situation and make a disaster out of it.
• Bear in mind that it's impossible to please everyone; hence don't make an effort to do so.
• Never exaggerate and view things as extremely critical. Remember, it is not necessary for you to succeed in every situation.
• Keep the analytical quotient high and the emotional quotient low at work. Keep sentiment at bay.
• Think of stress as something you can handle rather than something that overpowers you.
• Maintain a positive outlook and steer clear of "What Ifs".

Maintain both reserves: We are talking about physical as well as emotional reserves. Intersperse some free time with your work. Don't make your work monotonous, and take reasonable breaks wherever possible. Learn to like your work, failing which, find work in a field that is to your liking. Also, developing a friendly attitude towards co-workers will generate a self of well-being.

While undesirable stress has a weakening effect on your body and emotions, "good" stress can be harnessed to improve efficiency. Stress can influence you positively by inducing you to exploit your strengths and achieve goals. Stress can also exhort you to enhance your knowledge and perception at work. But as a negative influence, it will result in feelings of doubt, refusal, anger and depression. These will ultimately have an impact on you and your work.

While you should know how to manage stress, remember, there is no way you can totally eliminate it. Too much of it will butcher you. At the same time, a complete absence of stress can be totally de-motivating. Hence, you need to find the optimal level of stress which can spur you on, not drag you down. Modules like "The Stress Management Masterclass" can teach you how to manage stress at work. You could also download the Stress Management Training program.

Hi, I'm Akhil Shahani, a serial entrepreneur who wants to help you succeed. If you like to work smart, check out http://www.SmartEntrepreneur.net It's full of articles and resources to help you start and grow your business successfully. Please visit us & download our special "Freebie of The Month" at http://www.smartentrepreneur.net/freebie-of-the-month.html

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