With the rapid advancement of technology, the stresses facedat work have also increased. Many people dread going to work, hence the term“Monday Blues”. What is the reason for this? There is partly the fear frombeing retrenched in bad times, leading to greater job insecurity on the part ofthose who remain. Undoubtedly, occupational stress is one of the most commonlycited stressors faced by people all over the world.

Stress refers to the pressure and reactions to ourenvironment which results in psychological and physical reactions. Whilst somestress is good for motivation and increasing efficiency, too much stress canresult in negative impacts such as reduced effectiveness and efficiency. Moreand more people are feeling isolated and disrespected at work, and this has ledto greater occupational stress. Many companies have taken to consulting expertsand professionals on ways to increase connectedness and motivation of theiremployees.

Some companies organize parties and make their employeesfeel valued at work. These are measures to motivate employees and help them tofeel secure at their jobs, translating into greater productivity. However, notall companies have such measures in place, and some have not gotten it quiteright. Hence, it is up to you to make sure that you can cope with stress atyour workplace, and use it to help you work better. Here are 3 simple steps tohelp you with coping with stress in the workplace.

Step #1: Raising Awareness

Help yourself to identify when you are facing rising levelsof stress, tipping the scales from positive to negative. This is important, asbeing able to identify signs of being stressed can help you to take steps to ensurethat your overall quality of life does not drop. If left unacknowledged, theproblem will only snowball, leading to disastrous consequences to your healthand overall wellbeing.

You can identify if you are feeling stressed by checking ifyou have any physical or psychological reactions, such as excessive sweating orheart palpitations, or the onset of headaches, irritability or the need toescape. If you experience any of these reactions, identify if you are feelingany overwhelming negative emotions, and if you are constantly worried.

Step #2: Identify the Cause

You need to be able to analyze the situation and identifywhat is causing the rise in stress. These stressors can be external andinternal. External stressors refer to things beyond your control, such as theenvironment or your colleagues at work. Internal stressors refer to your ownthinking and attitude. Often, we only start reacting to stress when acombination of stressors working together exceeds our ability to cope.

Keep a diary or a list of events that have caused you tofeel strong negative emotions, or those that are likely stressors. This willhelp you to identify the causes of your stress. Whilst it is not alwayspossible to eradicate them, we can change the way that we cope with it.

Step #3: Coping with Stress

In order to deal with the situation that is causing youstress, you need to calm your mind and body so as to stave off the reactionsand cope with it in a positive way. This can be through different methods, suchas taking time off. If a situation is triggering your stress and you are unableto calm down, remove yourself from it. Go outside and take a walk to calm down.Alternatively, you can try implementing relaxation techniques such as deepbreathing. If it is an internal stressor, stop your thought process until youare able to deal with it logically.

The key to making these 3 steps work for you is to practicethem. These are not instantaneous solutions, and you need to condition yourmind and practice them so that you can implement it when you are feelingstressed.