Posted by Brumilda Marshall on 15th May 2015.

Stress is a mental and often physical reaction to a perceived threat or change. Things are in a constant flow of change, there are always unexpected life changes, performance reviews, even stress from things that might be perceived as a good thing, like a promotion.

It’s normal to have some work related stress but excessive stress can interfere with your productivity and impact your physical and emotional health. And if you are not able to deal with it, it can mean the difference between success or failure.

Finding ways to manage workplace stress isn’t about making huge changes or rethinking career ambitions, but rather about focusing on the one thing that’s always within your control, You. If you can turn around any self-defeating habits, workplace stress can be far easier to handle.

 Stop setting unrealistic Goals

Trying to achieve perfection on everything will simply add unnecessary stress to your day. When you set unrealistic goals for yourself or try to do too much, you’re setting yourself up to fall short. Aim to do your best, no one can ask for more than that.

 Get into gear

If you’re someone who’s always running late for work give yourself extra time by setting your clocks fast. File and throw away the clutter on your desk, just knowing where everything is saves time and cuts stress. Make to-do lists and cross off items as you accomplish them. Plan your day and stick to the schedule, you’ll feel less overwhelmed.

Focus on the positives

Many things at work are beyond our control especially the behaviour of other people. Rather than stressing over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems. If you see the downside of every situation and interaction, you’ll find yourself drained of energy and motivation. Try to think positively about your work, avoid negative-thinking co-workers, and pat yourself on the back about small accomplishments, even if no one else does.

Often we’re spending time worrying about future projects or dwelling on regrets. This makes it difficult move forward. When we multi-task we are paying attention to many things and while this may seem like a good thing, we’re actually losing quality, efficiency, and time. Mindfulness can really help, the art of cultivating the ability to be in control of our own minds instead of our minds being in control of us.