Everyone stresses out about something every now and again, but do you stress out about the same things over and over? If you do it’s probably a pattern that’s hard to break. One of my most productive tools was a stress journal. I documented everything that kept stressing me out. If my mom called complaining about her health I would write it down. If my boss piled a bunch of work on me I would write it down. I skewed a lot of my memories to fit my needs. I wrote everything down so I wouldn’t forget. I wanted to remember how I felt in every stressful situation down to all the tiny little details. This required me to be as honest as possible so I could learn to improve my emotional state.

As the months passed I began to see patterns in my stress. I became stressed out when I was driving (especially my commute to and from work), when I felt work was unfair, when I was late to a meeting or a doctor’s appointment, during a tense sporting event, while watching a high energy movie, and at social parties such as Christmas work gatherings.

Instead of resigning myself to feeling stressed out in these situations I began working with my relaxation skills. Whenever a technique was successful, I documented how it worked and how it helped me release my stress and stay relaxed. When my jaw tightened during a stressful project I reminded myself to relax and massaged my jaw for ten seconds. I did this over and over again until it started setting in. Eventually I stopped tightening my jaw and began to feel relaxed during even the most stressful moments. When I got saddled with extra work, my brow would normally furrow. When I recognized this reaction I focused on taking deep breaths in and out to calm myself down. I made a plan to help organize my situation get everything done or I talked to my boss about needing help. I learned to cut the stress off before it piled up too strong and overwhelmed me.

Using a stress journal can help you obtain a better understanding of what stress you out, but it doesn’t keep the stress away. You must do that by working with your emotions. Take the time to notice what causes your stress, then apply the stress relieving techniques that work best for you.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Sometimes the boss stresses you out and other times it’s a co-worker who’s a bully, but no matter what it is you must face it in order to relieve the anxiety that a difficult situation creates. Dumb Little Man wrote an excellent article, How to Deal with a Workplace Bully. I’ve had mild cases of being bullied. Some people just like to push themselves on to you. They might not even realize that they are making you feel uncomfortable. Try talking to them and making them aware of how they are acting and most likely they will stop. If they don’t, then try reading this article and see if you can use some of his tips.

Bullying is a deliberate attempt to control or undermine you. It typically happens over a prolonged period of time and it can severely damage your self esteem and confidence. It can be subtle or overt. It can take place in private or in front of others. The circumstances can vary greatly from person to person. Here are some examples of bullying behavior at work:

A co-worker or supervisor constantly complains to other team members that you aren’t pulling your weight. They make jokes at your expense and accuse you of making mistakes you haven’t made. In private they constantly belittle, insult and even threaten you. You feel frightened, angry, ashamed and embarrassed.

Most of our stress doesn’t come from the work itself; it’s the people who we are involved with that cause our stress. Please be aware of how other people are making you feel, and if they aren’t treating you right then stand up for yourself or find help.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Create a plan and you’ll relieve your worry. When you have a lot on your mind you probably try to over think the situation. However, worrying only creates more confusion.

Planning helps create internal balance. When you’re stressed out, organizing your thoughts is the best way to get yourself back on track.

Step 1: Understand your worry

Step back, take a deep breath and look at the situation objectively. Make a mental or actual list of everything that is causing you stress. Let’s say that you are afraid you might lose your job because of cutbacks. You’re worried that you’ll lose your source of income. That’s understandable and should create a little stress, but you know there is money to be made in every industry. Use that stress to formulate your plan.

Step 2: Create a plan

Now that you’ve figured out what the problem is you can create a plan of action. Give yourself at least two or three options, this way if one fails or you need more choices, you are covered.

Write out your plan. For example:

• Update your resume
• Connect with old contacts
• Search the web for jobs

And you’re back on track to creating the career you desire.

Step 3: Execute your plan

Many people create a plan, but are afraid to execute it. They feel overwhelmed by the process. That’s why you wrote out the list and why you should start by tackling the easiest thing on it. Start out slow, then gradually allow your actions to build and gain momentum. Before you know it you’ll be out on an interview, creating your own career instead of leaving your life in the hands of someone that probably doesn’t care about you.

Stress is dictated by how you perceive a certain situation. If you look at the possibility of losing your job as an opportunity to find something that you truly love then you won’t be stressed out, you’ll be excited. You’ll harness this excitement and find the job that you deserve.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites