How do I deal with work related stress?

Cultivating mindfulness in our daily life is a practice which we can do in the work place as well as elsewhere in our life.  Mindfulness is the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non judgmentally to things as they are.  Focusing on your breath is  a first step in cultivating your attention on the present moment and a way of managing the flow of you thoughts so you are not overwhelmed by distractions.  

 We can make changes in the way we work even if they are only small.  Multi tasking is a source of stress as are continual distractions from the task at hand. Mindfulness in the work place might, for example, mean focusing all of your attention on one task at a time and only reading emails at selected times of the day.   

Stress and tension are normal reactions to events that feel like a threat to us. In your case, you say that your work situation is causing you stress.

The level and extent of stress someone feels depends a great deal on their attitude to a particular situation. An event which may be extremely stressful for one person can be a minor event in another person's life.

Also, stress is not always a bad thing because some people thrive on it and even need it to get things done.

Regardless of whom you are or what you do, chances are you spend a lot of time involved in the busyness of life, worrying about getting everything done, and feeling out of control.

Most people don't handle their stress well. They focus on the unpleasant and unexpected things that happen daily. This should just be called ‘life’ and we need to know that we can learn to better handle the stressors that life sends our way.

The workplace is often a very stressful environment. Yes, Deadlines are a major cause of Work Related Stress. Other factors that might contribute to this type of stress are:
- conflict with your boss/co-workers,
- changes that happen abruptly, where you cannot cope with them,
- threats to job security, or
- A fear of not performing to expectations.

When addressing the question about workplace related stress I would, apart from considering the normal stress relieving strategies, first ask if you are actually in the right career.

When dealing with clients during career counselling or development sessions we often look at Work Related Values. Many people have never considered these values when choosing a career and this can cause stress. A value is something you value, something that is important to you. You may value your health and therefore eat healthy food or exercise daily.


Let me explain WRV a bit:
Identifying & clarifying personal values that are work related is an important part of a successful career plan. In this context, the word value refers to how you would feel about the work itself and the contribution it makes to society. A work related value means some part of your work that is important to you.

Most people who do work that is in harmony with their values feel satisfied and successful in their careers.

Work values can be divided into two functional categories.

1) Intrinsic values are those that relate to a specific interest in the activities of the work itself, or to the benefits that the work contributes to society.

2) Extrinsic values relate to the favourable conditions that accompany an occupational choice, such as where the job is located, inside or outside work, physical activity, earning potential, and other external features.

Most people, in order to feel truly satisfied with their work, must find some personal intrinsic value in it.

For instance; some people might enjoy working under pressure or working in situations where time pressure is prevalent. They may enjoy fast paced work environments (Work in circumstances where work must be done rapidly)

But for others this is very low on their list of values. They may have stability (Have a work routine and job duties that are largely predictable) high on their list of values. Or Precision (Work in situations where attention to detail and accuracy are very important)

Maybe you could visit a career counsellor and explore with them where you’re at in your current career and if there may be other options that would lower the stress and increase the satisfaction.

However, if you decide that you are in the right career, you may want to look at the specific areas that cause stress and your career counsellor can also assist with strategies to manage and/or minimise the stress.

There are already a number of good suggestions here for you to try.

I would add that focussing on the present moment and feeling a sense of grounded presence in your body can take you a long way in reducing the stress you feel. I teach “Focussing” which is a kind of mindfulness but which connects you to your inner experience in a way that enables a greater sense of presence in your life.  

Just try next time you feel stressed to take a deep breathe and relax into the present moment. Reminding yourself to live in the “now” can be a great stress relief, especially if you can be really all there with your whole body and mind. This creates a feeling of spaciousness which is the antithesis of stress. It takes practice but is a great way to access all of your power in a high powered environment.

Also, create a ritual where you delineate work from home. An example of this would be for you to stop in your car before you arrive/enter your home environment and consciously let go of the day and create intentions about what energy you want to bring home with you. I recommend this to parents who come home to children expecting to see them full of energy etc. Just creating a signal to yourself of some sort that work has ended and making it a habit, can create the work/home separation you need. If you travel by public transport you could write some notes to yourself summarising what got done, what still needs to get done and then leave it all there on the page. 

These are just some of the ways I would recommend to relieve work related stress and I wish you all the best in your endeavours.

Lots of good advice here. Mindfulness, staying connected in the present, diet - all good stuff. Other things you might like to consider:

• That staying in the  moment means just that. Plan, but don't project an outcome. Usually the outcome's out of our control anyway and worrying about it  won't make any difference. Continually worrying about tomorrow's outcomes create unnecessary stress about situations. All we can do is our best!
  
• Learn to trust yourself more. Listen to that still small voice within and learn how to follow it. I believe as human beings we are naturally intuitive we just need to practice it and the trust and experiences will grow.
  
• Make lists, plan the day, but be open to changes and know when to go with the flow. Flexibility not rigidity.
  
• Perfectionism - give it away. It's one of the biggest stressors of all!
  
• Don't compare yourself to others. When we do this we always come up wanting. The only person we can compare ourself too is who we were last month, last year etc.
  
• Finally journaling. Write. We write slower than we think and it's a form of meditation really. And when you have your thoughts in front of you in black and white it's easier to see what's really going on. I'm sure you know about Dr Who's tardis. From the outside it looks small but go inside and it's enormous. So it is with our minds and you can get lost in there, when all that's needed is 3 or 4 lines on a piece of paper. Much more manageable don't you think!
  

Sadly there are too many people who find themselves in this situation. 
Pressure to perform, the threat of losing clients or of losing ‘face’, the pressure that we put on ourselves to excel and a perceived need to work long hours and be ‘successful’ are just some of the reasons people find themselves stressed in the workplace. 
Firstly, whilst there is so much competitive pressure in the workplace what you must accept is that you have put yourself in this position and you need to get yourself out of it for the sake of your health and your home life. It's easy enough to say that a client is overly demanding or that deadlines or targets are unreachable but the direct truth is that if you say that work is to blame you are just making excuses for your own lack of ability to manage your thoughts and emotions and/or set boundaries or limits. 

I agree with suggestions made that mindfulness meditation can help you on all of those fronts. It can help you to be present, and when practiced with concious reference to the basic principles which come from buddhism it can help you to  understand the concept of attachment which is the source of most of our daily stress.

I would also encourage you to investigate your values and re-evaluate your position at this time, are you where you want to be in your life? If not, which of your values are you compromising? 

Check out my website for a number of articles linked to workplace stress http://melbournecorporatewellness.com