Managing stress at work is similar to managing stress in college. In fact, if you practice these strategies now, they’ll be easier to perform in a work environment.
Consider a situation that’s causing you stress. Then examine the chart below, which presents four strategies for dealing with a stressful situation. The first two strategies involve changing the situation, and the remaining two involve changing your reaction to the situation.
Each strategy has four associated questions which can help you determine if it is appropriate for your situation. Read through the questions for each strategy and select “yes,” “no,” or “unsure” as you determine if it is a strategy you can use to deal with your stressful situation.
Change the situation | Change your reaction to the situation | ||
---|---|---|---|
Strategy 1: Avoid the stress | Strategy 2: Alter the stressor | Strategy 3: Adapt to the stressor | Strategy 4: Accept the stressor |
Question 1: Can you say "no"?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 1: Can you ask for help?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 1: Can you think more
positively about the situation (find a silver lining)?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 1: Can you give yourself an
incentive to complete the task?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 2: Can you alter your behavior
to avoid the stress?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 2: Can you schedule your time
differently to reduce the stress?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 2: Can you adjust your
standards and not seek perfection?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 2: Can you accept that some
things are beyond your control?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 3: Can you pare down your
to-do-list?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 3: Can you delegate some tasks
to others?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 3: Can you recognize and
reduce self-defeating thoughts you're having ("should,"
"must")?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 3: Can you see how you would
do things differently next time?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 4: Can you avoid or limit your
time with the person causing the stress?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 4: Can you communicate your
feelings and concerns to the person causing the stress?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 4: Can you understand the
perspective of the person causing the stress?
Yes No Unsure
|
Question 4: Can you let go of anger and
resentment toward the person causing the stress, and
move on?
Yes No Unsure
|
After answering the questions in the chart, select what you think is the most useful strategy in this situation. Then implement it, and answer the following questions: