How to Manage Stress at Work (Part 1): 5 Stealth Stress Management Techniques for the Workplace

It’s Career Coach Friday – and it’s time for some straight talk on stress. Bottom line: you cannot afford to be stressed out at work. It’s not good for your career. And it’s not good for you.

Stress makes you edgy, distractible, more emotionally reactive, more likely to perceive inconsequential things as catastrophes, and worst of all: you think less effectively.

Let me say that again. Think. Less. Effectively.

Does that sound like a professional that’s operating at peak performance? Need I say it? NO.

But many of us are so conditioned to a high stress work style that we take it for granted that it’s just how work is. So release your inner all-star professional, by taking back your power and choosing how you are going to experience each and every day.

That way, you’ll be calm and grounded, no matter what stress your job throws at you. Let’s look at how to do it…

5 Stealth Stress Management Techniques for the Workplace

1. Deep Breathing (Also Called Diaphragmatic Breathing).

Deep breathing is one of the fastest, easiest, and most portable stress management techniques on the planet. You can do it anywhere, and no one will be the wiser. Simply take a few cleansing, deep breaths, letting your belly expand. As you do this, focus your attention on the sensation of breathing. Feel your body relax with your deep, rhythmic breaths.

2. Relax the body.

When you’re under extreme stress, the fastest way to alleviate it is to relax the body. Remember, stress is not just a mental experience, it is a very real physical experience in your body. A handy way to relax the body at any moment is to simply imagine your body relaxing. You’ll be pleased to find out that visualizing your body relaxed actually triggers a relaxation response. So imagine your whole body relaxing, becoming warm and heavy. Allow your breathing to slow as your muscles relax.

3. A Mindful cup of tea.

Pouring yourself a hot cup of tea is a great way to take a five-minute breather, and focus your mind on the pleasant experience of its tasty goodness. You want to drink mindfully. Mindfulness means focusing your full attention and awareness on what you’re doing. You can apply it anywhere to keep your mind from racing back to the stress. So, as you drink your tea, enjoy it fully. Savor it. Take a brief mental vacation from work as you mindfully drink.

4. Take a Walk

Lunch breaks are there for a reason – to take a break. So I’m going to challenge you to something that might sound a little crazy: take your break! This is a matter of coaching yourself. When you’re tempted to get “just a little more done” during your lunch hour, remind yourself of all the reasons why you become a less effective professional when fail to manage stress. You’ll come back rejuvenated and ready to be even more productive than before.

And if taking a walk seems too decadent for a serious professional – think of it this way: it’s better to take a walk than to end up crying in the bathroom, snapping at a client, or taking out your stress on a team-mate. So, yeah, take a walk.

5. Get Some Laughs

Laughter really is good for what ails you. So go ahead and watch that funny YouTube video. Go spend 10 minutes with the office clown. Read the onion. Whatever makes you laugh, do it! And, since laughter is infectious, maybe it’ll help your colleagues let go of their stress too!

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:

I’m pleased to announce a new initiative on mariewetmore.com, and it’s starting next week… TOOT YOUR HORN TUESDAY. Based on the undeniable truth that you don’t build momentum unless you acknowledge your successes, I am inviting you to brag, swagger, boast, and toot your own horn about your successes in an environment where you will get the high-fives you deserve.

I’ll post some awesome content as usual, and then the comments section will be all about you. Connect to this beautiful community and toot your horn. It’ll boost the momentum you need to succeed – and it’s not a bad way to expand your network, either.

No success is too small – IT ALL MATTERS.

Marie Wetmore, Life and Career Coach