While we’d like to avoid stress as much as possible, it is unfortunately a part of daily life for many people. One type of stress that may occur every day over an extended period of time is work-related stress. Whether from a toxic work culture or boss, too big a workload or responsibilities outside of your scope, stress in the workplace can impact any level of employee at any time.
Many people may believe that work is supposed to be stressful, but not so. Once a constant and avoidable workplace stressor is identified, the next step is to take action to address the situation. To help, 13 members of Forbes Human Resources Council share their advice for talking about stress in a professional manner in the workplace — and the most effective ways to deal with it.
1. Talk To Your Manager/Mentor
Although stress may make you feel like you are a failure at your job, you are not. Talk with your manager/mentor to seek understanding of how they managed to overcome the same obstacles when they were once in your shoes. Ask them for help and advice on how you should handle your current workload or environment. Also, speak to peers about what their best practices are to see if you can adopt them as your own. - Tania Geradts, Flintco, LLC
2. Leverage Brain-Based Coping Skills
Individuals who realize a component of their job is a major stressor should first identify if the stress is acute or chronic. While acute stress can help drive us, chronic stress can negatively impact health and performance. Through brain-based coping skills and mindfulness, our brains can become more “stress-proof,” allowing us to engage in more mindful, rational responses to job stress. - Dr. Kelly Lum, Highgate
3. Develop A Proactive Strategy
After a stressor has been identified, develop a strategy to position the organization and yourself for success. Evaluate why the stressor becomes a stressor and search for practices and processes that may help reduce the stressor. Possible solutions include clarification of expectations, more preparation time, delegation of tasks, removal of key-person dependencies and additional resources. - Ben Weber, Vendor Resource Management
4. Reprioritize Your Deliverables
If you're under too much stress, take action. Reprioritize your deliverables, or ask for help from a team member. Bring your boss a reasonable proposal to extend timelines, delegate or get help. If your stress is caused by someone's behavior, consider having a candid conversation to change the dynamics. A toxic culture is hard to change from within. If you're stuck in one, start planning your exit. - Mikaela Kiner, Reverb
5. Just Ask For Help
Communicating the stressor is a big first step in the right direction. If a component of an employee's job is a major stressor, they should consider reaching out to trusted co-workers, HR reps, mentors or leaders within the organization to help mitigate it. When asking for advice, solicit best practices, experiences or ideas directed at mitigating the stressor(s) with a long-term fix in mind. - Dr. Timothy J. Giardino, Cantata Health
6. Don’t Wait Until Your Exit Interview
Get clear about the stressor, understand the issue and do your best to address it explicitly. If you can’t improve it, then decide how important it is. Can you learn ways to work around it or cope with it? If not, don’t be afraid to change jobs. - Laura Hamill, Limeade
7. Take A Step Back
We all go through seasons. From time to time we enter seasons where the variable amount of stress and extra workload can be either increasing or decreasing. If you're in a toxic environment, do what you can to help remedy it, have honest and clear conversations offering up solutions and work to change the culture. There's always the option to leave, but don't take that as your first choice. - Zach Montroy, SPHR, Navigate the Journey
8. Isolate The Stressor And Talk To Management
The first step is to determine the source of the stress. If it is a toxic culture or manager and there is no indication the situation will change, a new job may be the answer. If it involves workload or responsibilities, this should be discussed with management. A good manager should be able to help employees manage their workload, and know when they have taken on too much. - John Feldmann, Insperity
9. Ask Yourself Why, And Be Honest
The very first thing you need to do is just ask yourself, Why am I stressed? It's such a simple question that doesn't get enough attention. Is it workload? The type of work? You co-workers? Are deadlines too crazy? Are you going through some personal turmoil? Have you just been grinding away nonstop? Are you projecting insecurities on your work? So many possible questions. Just go layer by layer. - Angela Nguyen, Ad Exchange Group
10. Find Someone You Trust And Think It Over
Don't just go to anyone; go to someone you trust and talk. Get their opinions and feedback. Then take some time and think things over. Is it you, is it that particular task, is it the job or company in general? Then go back to the person you trust and talk some more. And don't be afraid to vent and get out your frustrations. - Evan Lassiter, Contino
11. Document, Then Collaborate
See where your time is spent by documenting your day-to-day schedule. A week-long audit can signal areas for adjustment. If there's still more stress and work than hours, review time logs as a tangible reference for a collaborative conversation with management. Suggest and be open to solutions. Documentation provides credibility and shows you have both the organization’s and your best interests in mind. - Stacey Browning, Paycor
12. Decide If Benefits Outweigh The Costs
Assess what is causing the stress. Is it short term or can it be excluded from the job? If it is significant and here to stay, decide if the cost of experiencing that stress outweighs the benefit of that job. A toxic boss or being constantly overworked are likely reasons to look elsewhere, especially if you see your colleagues experiencing the same. - Karla Reffold, BeecherMadden
13. Build Relationships
Something must change if you’re stressed at work. Continuing to stay on this path will not only impact you, but also your team. Once you identify what needs to change — whether that be your workload or unrealistic expectations — utilize the relationships you’ve built at the company. You need to talk to someone you trust, preferably a company leader, who has the influence to facilitate change. - Edward Fleischman, The Execu|Search Group
