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How to Overcome Job Stress

Guest post by: Drew Stevens Ph.D.

Article Overview: There are several factors that are issues for job stress. However it is most imperative to begin with you! Some levels of self-mastery are imperative so that you understand the issues that are making you ill while holding you back from personal and professional performance. Let's take a look at some of those stress triggers that lead to feeling overwhelmed.

How to Overcome Job Stress

There are several factors that are issues for job stress. However it is most imperative to begin with you! Some levels of self-mastery are imperative so that you understand the issues that are making you ill while holding you back from personal and professional performance. Let's take a look at some of those stress triggers that lead to feeling overwhelmed. The first thing to do is to collect yourself and realize that you are feeling were fatigued than usual and perhaps gaining some weight. Listen to what others say about you. If you find yourself on the defensive because others were concerned about you indicate that you look withdrawn and out of sorts perhaps it is time to review the number of hours that you are at your job. If you find that you were working more than relaxing and that your personal time is consumed with work-you might be suffering from burnout.

If you find that you are in more conflict with all this then you would have been in the last several months-you might be suffering from burnout.

If you find that you are taking less personal calls and seemed agitated when I was contact you just to be more personable - you might be suffering from burnout.

In addition the many maladies mentioned previously in this program to large hidden triggers concern that of procrastination and an inability to to establish goals.

When it comes to procrastination over 80 percent of individuals tend to do so. Procrastination simply adds more to your plate. Once one thing suffers and then another and then finally another you develop a domino effect. Things begin to pile one on top of another without allowing an individual to complete any task. As these issues tend to amount there is more bewilderment as to how to overcome the need for completion. Prioritizing and better time management are keys to helping you minimize stress in your life.

Unfortunately like procrastination many people do not set goals. One not only needs a starting point but also an end. Without having direction throughout the day there comes aimlessness in inability to complete things in a timely manner. Nothing is important and nothing is urgent. And when things have no rhyme or reason then there will be an overwhelming nature of work tasks. More importantly, when managers or peers request the completion of projects or tasks individuals than become overwhelmed trying to cram task completion. Even though we live in a society that hinges on remote control and instantaneousness in anything we do; there is no way to hide from procrastination and a lack of goals. These things will catch up with you; they will stress you out and could ultimately conduct some serious damage both physically and mentally. By identifying and being aware of the stress triggers in your life, like the ones listed here, you'll be in a good position to help eliminate and avoid stress from your life.

Here are some additional stressors that I want you to identify with:

• Difficult people

Needless to say there is an inordinate amount of conflict in the workplace. This exists from employee or to employee, employee to employer and even from customers. No matter what we are all faced daily with having to handle and disarm difficult people. Like many other workplace issues we cannot really deal with conflict if we don't take time to understand. And, like many other issues conflict isn't as difficult or as messy as we are led to believe. We just simply need to get past the stereotype.

Conflict has two issues, objectives or alternatives. However the mistake we typically make is that we look at the content of the situation or the personalities of the situation or the history of the situation. This tends to lead us to stereotype.

First, begin with the notion that they are really no evil people, and that the combatants are not innately malicious. We must simply look at two things:

1. what is the evidence supporting the position

2. what is the observed behavior ?

It is then up to our how to determine how will you respond to the situation. Here are some quick guidelines to assist you:

• Be cognizant of personality in the workplace. There are four basic types of personality. Many are familiar with Myers-Briggs, DiSC and even SELF profile assessments that describe these particular personality types. Know to whom you are speaking and then emulate that type of personality.

• Check your baggage. Never come back conflict with additional conflict or even take it personally. It is always best to lean on professionalism.

• Let the other person run out of steam. Typically most angered parties need someone to vent. Simply let them to and eventually they run out of air.

• If they are insulting inform them you are a professional and you will not be spoken to in such a manner. Cussing and rude behavior is simply a fete accompli to a phone call.

• Ask questions. Ask someone that is being difficult a lot of questions so that you can clarify what they're trying to say, which can give you insight as to why there is an issue.

• Overwhelming amount of tasks

• Look at issues from three perspectives:

o Seriousness

o Urgency Criteria

o Growth - Getter better, worse or both

• When others interrupt you learn to think in terms of ROI - time for selfishness

• Learn what is the problem is the issue:

o Large - break it into parts - writing a book - think non - fiction

o Ambiguous - clarify for more direction - most managers are ambiguous

o Priority - Determine from the person or persons that gave this to you how imperative is the issue to others it is always urgent - for example magazine reading and fundraising is not a urgent priority.

• Recall Steven Covey's List of Urgency and Importance - Four Quadrants

• Occam's Razor - the easiest route is often the best. Think backwards to find the easiest and quickest solutions. i. e. Washington's Crossing of the Delaware

• Finally, avoid the banal and fodder of social media.

• Lack of information

o Sometimes stress is created because we believe we have enough information but find we don't or alternatively we believe we need more information than we actually do. In the former it is helpful to see things from the perspective of a project manager. Break down information into numerous tasks based on milestones and then obtain the proper information from those that have it. Make certain you set time frames so you are not waiting longer than you need.

o Secondly stop waiting for things to be perfect. There is no such thing. When you are 75 to 80 percent ready move. Do not belabor. You can drive yourself crazy attempting to find the proper word, color, phrase, banquet hall, and music. These are the issues that create stress. When you are ready simply hit the green light and go.

• Stress of others you work with

o Simply listening to others is very stressful. The problem with the rumor mill is just that - rumor. From wages to promotions to mergers, rumors can drive us all bananas. I remember a time when I was employed with Dow Jones and a decision was made to sell off a division. For the next five months no work got done because management did not communicate the issues so individuals simply sat around and rumored throughout the day. I do not know what was more lively a mortuary or my office. However I can tell you worker compensation claims did increase.

• Poor management

o There is nothing worse than working for a poor manager. Many years ago John worked for Rick who was chronically late, never returned calls and email and simply procrastinated throughout the day. It got to a point where John actually needed to manage the manager. John wrote down time frames when things were due, embellished appointment times to ensure Rick would be there "timely" and worked hard at providing information to Rick prior to help meet his deadlines because of Rick's procrastination. Remember people do not leave bad companies they leave bad mangers.

• Survival

o The impact of the 2009 recession and economic volatility has led to a myriad of stressful situations. These stem from higher production from the simple concern about future employment. I do not want to sound trite but if you are employed you must be thankful and look at the good and not the doom. Focus must remain on the present not the future. No one knows what that holds and today is truly a gift. Live in the present for less stress.

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Article Tags: job stress, stress, time management, work overload



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