Managing Stress in the Work Place

Jobs are rarely all they are talked up to be during your interview. During week one, everything is coming up roses, but by week five you begin to uncover the unfortunate character flaws of your superiors and co-workers. If you're an organized and timely individual, your boss's disregard for deadlines will surely put you in a frenzy. If you were hired as a Marketing Manager, but are constantly being asked to make coffee and copies, there are millions of others who sympathize. If you are so lucky as to have a job that does not stress you out, keep reading so that you know what to tell your less fortunate friends. If you are the less fortunate friend, keep reading for ways to cope with your reality.

Let go of the stress associated with that which is outside of your control. If your boss has no regard for deadlines and it's your job to remind him of his deadlines, do so without stressing. It may seem easier said than done, but politely explain to your client or the company you are working with that you are waiting on your boss. Kindly remind your boss of his or her obligations and continue with your day. If you are not comfortable enough to repeatedly pester the person you are depending on, send a quick email and follow up with a visit to his or her office. It is futile to make yourself uncomfortable and worried about something that you cannot do yourself. Before you sit back and relax, make sure that there is absolutely nothing you can do to make the task easier for everyone involved and send out one more reminder with an open offer to help.

Be proactive in everything you do. Take initiative to plan and accomplish everything that is within your control as soon as possible. Aim to complete projects long before their deadlines. If you stay organized and communicate the plan, you have covered all of your bases and can rest assured that anything that goes wrong is not your fault. Make sure you leave a paper or email trail as you make plans and send reminders. Leaving a trail is the best way to demonstrate that you held up your end of the project, should something go wrong.

Avoid coworkers who contribute to your stress. "Avoid" is not synonymous with ignore. If anyone in your office makes you uncomfortable or prevents you from working, it must be addressed. Every office has an employee who insists on having their hands in everything. If your office's nosy neighbor meddling in your affairs bothers you, be vocal. Politely mention that what you are working on is between you and your boss and you would feel more comfortable if the aforementioned peeping Tom would speak to your boss about it. If you have an IT person who is obnoxious or has an unbearable attitude and you are capable of fixing your own computer problems, do so. However, you must be careful with this, as causing a problem rather than resolving one could cause stress for you and anyone else involved. If all else fails, professionally address the issues with your coworker, before going to your boss. Anytime you seek the advice with a superior regarding personality clashes in the workplace, the boss is going to ask if you've spoken to the villain. It's in your best interest, if yes is the answer. Going straight to the source demonstrates maturity and initiative on your part.

Take a break...or two! When you are working in a high-stress environment, you may be tempted to work through lunch or skip that coffee break. Remember that, as long as you are working hard, you deserve a break. There are some offices, particularly stressful office environments, where it is frowned upon to step out for lunch. If you want and need a break, take one. Should anyone decide to complain or discuss said break with you, there are a variety of ways to address this. Your employee handbook ought to have some mention of company protocol for lunch breaks and any additional breaks. If you can't seem to find anything in the employee handbook each state has its own labor laws; most states require that employers allow their employees a break. Realistically, it should never have to get to this point, but if it does, be sure to know your rights.

On your break be sure to eat something healthy and treat yourself to a piece of chocolate to get your endorphins flowing freely. Take a brief walk to increase circulation or read a chapter of a book that you've been enjoying. Taking just a few minute out of your work day to do something you like can put you in a better mood and make the day more bearable, when the atmosphere is stressful. If you don't have quite enough time for a real escape, try keeping a stress ball at your desk or playing soothing music through headphones, if your office allows it.

Smile. It will make you feel better and it gives off the impression that you have a great attitude, even if you're under stress. Jobs are hard to come by these days and having the boss concerned about your attitude will surely add stress to your life rather than reduce it. You've heard it before, a smile is contagious and your contagious smile might be just the ticket to job security.

If all else fails, buy a bottle of wine on the way home, enjoy a comedy and count your blessings. Making the workplace less stressful for yourself is likely to reduce the stress level of those around you. All of this stress reduction is likely to improve efficiency and morale. Office atmospheres that are stress-free are few and far between. Take what you have and make the most of it.