Coping with stress: Workplace tips
Job stress can be all-consuming — but it doesn't have to be. Address your triggers, keep perspective and know when to seek help.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Your job is a likely source of stress, but you're not powerless to the effects of stress at work. Effectively coping with job stress can benefit both your professional and personal life. Here's help taking charge.
Identify your stress triggers
Your personality, experiences and other unique characteristics all influence the way you respond to and cope with stress. Situations and events that are distressing for your colleagues might not bother you in the least. Or you might be particularly sensitive to certain stressors that don't seem to bother other people.
To begin coping with stress at work, identify your stress triggers.
For a week or two, record the situations, events and people who cause you to have a negative physical, mental or emotional response. Include a brief description of each situation, answering questions such as:
- Where were you?
- Who was involved?
- What was your reaction?
- How did you feel?
Then evaluate your stress inventory. You might find obvious causes of stress, such as the threat of losing your job, uncertainty about the future or obstacles with a particular project. You might not feel like you're in control of decisions in your job or you may have been given unclear expectations. You might also notice subtle but persistent causes of stress, such as a long commute or an uncomfortable workspace. Or maybe you work from home and are feeling stressed trying to integrate work and life, such as personal and family needs, while working. Perhaps learning new technology for communication or working in unfamiliar locations is adding to your stress.
Tackle your stress triggers
Once you've identified your stress triggers, consider each situation or event and look for ways to resolve it.
Suppose, for instance, that you're behind at work because you have to pick up your son from school. You might check with other parents or neighbors about an after-school carpool. Or you might begin work earlier, shorten your lunch hour or take work home to catch up in the evening.
Often, the best way to cope with stress is to find a way to change the circ*mstances that are causing it.
Sharpen your time management skills
In addition to addressing specific stress triggers, it's often helpful to improve time management skills — especially if you tend to feel overwhelmed or under pressure at work. For example:
- Set realistic goals. Work with colleagues and leaders to set realistic expectations and deadlines. Set regular progress reviews and adjust your goals as needed.
- Make a priority list. Prepare a list of tasks and rank them in order of priority. Throughout the day, scan your master list and work on tasks in priority order. Say no if you don't have time to do a task.
- Protect your time. For an especially important or difficult project, block time to work on it without interruption. Also, break large projects into smaller steps.
Keep perspective
When your job is stressful, it can feel as if it's taking over your life. To maintain perspective:
- Get other points of view. Talk with trusted colleagues, family or friends about the issues you're facing at work and your feelings. They might be able to provide insights or offer coping suggestions. Sometimes simply talking about a stressor can be a relief.
- Take a break. Make the most of workday breaks. Even a few minutes of personal time during a busy workday can be refreshing. Similarly, take time off when you can, whether it's a two-week vacation or an occasional long weekend. Taking time to relax can help you have more energy when you return to work.
- Have an outlet. To prevent burnout, set aside time for activities you enjoy — such as reading, meeting with friends or pursuing a hobby. Try keeping a journal.
- Take care of yourself. Be vigilant about taking care of your health. Include physical activity in your daily routine, get plenty of sleep and eat a healthy diet. Try relaxation techniques, such as yoga, meditation, mindfulness techniques and deep breathing. Go outside for a walk.
- Make boundaries. Try to make small steps toward setting boundaries between work and your life, such as not checking email in the evenings or weekends, not going back to your computer in the evening, or keeping a standard work schedule. And set aside time when you don't use your phone or computer, such as not checking email, texts or social media.
Know when to seek help
If none of these steps relieves your feelings of job stress or burnout, consult a mental health provider — either on your own or through an employee assistance program offered by your employer. Through counseling, you can learn effective ways to handle job stress.
From Mayo Clinic to your inbox
Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health.
To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail.
June 16, 2021
- Stress in the workplace. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/workplace-stress. Accessed Feb. 24, 2021.
- Coping with stress at work. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/healthy-workplaces/work-stress. Accessed Feb. 24, 2021.
- 5 things you should know about stress. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/index.shtml. Accessed Feb. 24, 2021.
- Stress and your health. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.womenshealth.gov/mental-health/good-mental-health/stress-and-your-health. Accessed Feb. 24, 2021.
- Stress. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/stress. Accessed Feb. 24, 2021.
- Employees: How to cope with job stress and build resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/mental-health-non-healthcare.html. Accessed Feb. 24, 2021.
- Seaward BL. Essentials of Managing Stress. 4th ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2017.
- Seaward BL. Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. 9th ed. Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2018.
See more In-depth
See also
- 5 ways to bring play back into your life
- A Very Happy Brain
- Adapt to put stress in its place
- Are your holidays a dietary free-for-all?
- Being assertive
- Bridge pose
- Caregiver stress
- Cat/cow pose
- Chase away the winter blues
- Child's pose
- Cobra
- COVID-19 and your mental health
- Does stress make rheumatoid arthritis worse?
- Downward-facing dog
- Dreading a family holiday gathering?
- Ease stress to reduce eczema symptoms
- Ease stress to reduce your psoriasis flares
- Feeling overwhelmed? Take a break
- Forgiveness
- Have you had a good laugh today?
- Holidays don't have to break the bank
- How decluttering your space could make you healthier and happier
- Job burnout
- Laugh more, stress less
- Learn to reduce stress through mindful living
- Learn to say no and enjoy the holidays
- Manage stress through problem-solving
- Manage stress to improve psoriatic arthritis symptoms
- Mountain pose
- Need better work-life balance?
- New School Anxiety
- Perfect holiday? Forget about it!
- Positive thinking
- Resilience
- Say no, to say yes to less stress
- Seated spinal twist
- Slide show: Yoga poses
- Standing forward bend
- Stress and high blood pressure
- Prevent stress setbacks
- Stress relief from laughter
- Stress relievers
- Stressed out? Skip the late show
- Stressed? Set yourself up for success
- Support groups
- The power of positive thinking
- Warrior 1
.
FAQs
“When I am in a stressful situation, I often stop to take a step back and allow myself some time to think, plan and prioritise. For example, if I've got a lot of different University projects I'm working on all at once, I become more efficient with my time.
How do you handle pressure at work interview answers? ›
Share a specific example
Think of a time you worked well under pressure. Perhaps it was when you had a tight deadline or an unexpected change to a project. Share how you managed to thrive under such circ*mstances and stay focused on your work. Use this example to prove that you can handle stressful situations.
How do you handle pressure at work? ›
6 Ways to Handle Work Pressure
- Adjust your attitude.
- Stay in the present.
- Give yourself positive reinforcement.
- Visualize the worst case scenario.
- Take a deep breath.
- Ask for help.
What are 5 positive coping strategies for stress? ›
Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress
- Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including those on social media. ...
- Take care of yourself. ...
- Take care of your body. ...
- Make time to unwind. ...
- Talk to others. ...
- Connect with your community- or faith-based organizations.
- Avoid drugs and alcohol.
What are the 5 examples of coping strategies? ›
What are some common coping strategies?
- Lower your expectations.
- Ask others to help or assist you.
- Take responsibility for the situation.
- Engage in problem solving.
- Maintain emotionally supportive relationships.
- Maintain emotional composure or, alternatively, expressing distressing emotions.
What are the 5 types of stress coping strategies? ›
There are many different conceptualizations of coping strategies, but the five general types of coping strategies are problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, social support, religious coping, and meaning making.
Can you work under pressure best answer? ›
Yes, I can work under pressure, because it gives us the ability to do work. Pressure is one part of this life to overcome success you achieve anything.
How do you work under pressure always say you work well under pressure? ›
"I work well under pressure because I use the pressure to help me work more efficiently." "I enjoy working under pressure because I believe it helps me grow. In my previous experience, I always worked well during deadlines, and I always learned how to work more efficiently afterwards."
What are 10 examples of positive stress? ›
Examples of positive personal stressors include: Receiving a promotion or raise at work. Starting a new job. Marriage.
...
Having a child.
- Moving.
- Taking a vacation.
- Holiday seasons.
- Retiring.
- Taking educational classes or learning a new hobby.
What are 12 strategies to deal with stress? ›
Physical activity is a natural stress buster.
...
- Eat a healthy diet. A healthy diet can help relax muscles and reduce anxiety. ...
- Reduce caffeine and sugar. ...
- Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. ...
- Get plenty of sleep. ...
- Supplement with magnesium. ...
- Identify professionals who can help.
10 Ways to Cope with Chronic Stress
- Re-balance Work and Home.
- Build in Regular Exercise.
- Eat Well and Limit Alcohol and Stimulants.
- Connect with Supportive People.
- Carve out Hobby Time.
- Practice Meditation, Stress Reduction or Yoga.
- Sleep Enough.
- Bond with Your Pet.
What is the most effective coping strategy? ›
Relaxation. Engaging in relaxing activities, or practicing calming techniques, can help to manage stress and improve overall coping. Physical recreation. Regular exercise, such as running, or team sports, is a good way to handle the stress of given situation.
What are three positive coping strategies? ›
Examples of healthy coping skills include: Establishing and maintaining boundaries. Practicing relaxation strategies such as deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness. Getting regular physical activity.
What are the four main coping strategies? ›
Weiten has identified four types of coping strategies: appraisal-focused (adaptive cognitive), problem-focused (adaptive behavioral), emotion-focused, and occupation-focused coping.
What are the four A's of stress relief? ›
Fortunately, there are 4 steps to help reduce stress and cope with the inevitable stressors of everyday life:
- Avoid. Believe it or not, it is possible to escape some of the minor stressors that tend to trouble people: ...
- Alter. Communicate clearly and let people know your expectations. ...
- Accept. ...
- Adapt.
What are the three most effective stress management techniques? ›
Meditate or practice yoga. Work in the garden or do a home improvement project. Go for a walk, run or bike ride to clear your head. Read a book, short story or magazine.
How do you handle stress and pressure in the workplace interview question? ›
How Do You Handle Stress Interview Question and Answer
- Understand why the interviewer is asking this job interview question. ...
- 2. Make a list of your soft skills. ...
- Add context to these skills with a relevant, impactful example. ...
- Focus on your positive actions, not your negative feelings. ...
- Don't deny your stress.
How do you answer Tell me about a time you worked under pressure? ›
The basics of a great response
- Assure the interviewer that you can handle pressure.
- Be honest, but stay positive. If you struggle under pressure, that's okay. ...
- Follow up with a concrete example of when you successfully handled stress in the past.
- End on an affirming note: you'll bring the same skills to this role.
What is your biggest strength? ›
Here are some examples of strengths you could mention.
- Enthusiasm.
- Creative thinking.
- Task prioritization.
- Discipline.
- Determination.
- Analytical thinking.
- Communication skills.
- Dedication.
How do you motivate pressure at work? ›
9 Ways to Motivate Yourself to Work When You're Struggling...
- Plan out your entire day. ...
- Make lists — and stick to them. ...
- Break everything into small steps. ...
- Check in with yourself and be honest. ...
- Do a review of your progress. ...
- Take five. ...
- Create a motivating work playlist. ...
- Look at what you're eating (and drinking)
10 Ways to Cope with Chronic Stress
- Re-balance Work and Home.
- Build in Regular Exercise.
- Eat Well and Limit Alcohol and Stimulants.
- Connect with Supportive People.
- Carve out Hobby Time.
- Practice Meditation, Stress Reduction or Yoga.
- Sleep Enough.
- Bond with Your Pet.
What are 5 strategies to avoid burnout and reduce stress? ›
Preventing Burnout
- Early recognition of burnout and related risks. ...
- Cultivate ability to self-reflect. ...
- Complete a periodic assessment and realignment of goals, skills, and work passions.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat a well-balanced, healthy diet.
- Get enough sleep.
What is coping checklist? ›
The Ways of Coping Checklist (WCCL) is a measure of coping based on Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) stress and coping theory. The WCCL contains 66 items that describe thoughts and acts that people use to deal with the internal and/or external demands of specific stressful encounters.
What are 4 coping skills? ›
Coping Skills
- Deep Breathing. Often when faced with a stressful situation or feeling, our breathing changes. ...
- Writing. Writing can be an effective means of working through stress. ...
- Physical Activity. ...
- Self-Talk. ...
- Art. ...
- Meditation. ...
- Puzzles. ...
- Music.
What are the three 3 workplace interventions for reducing stress? ›
Table of Contents
- Encourage Open Communication.
- Offer Mental and Physical Health Benefits.
- Bring in Meditation Classes.
- Offer Paid Time Off.
- Encourage Employees to Take Breaks.
- Take the Team Out on Company Offsites.
- Bring Some Diversions into the Office.
- Consider Flexible Work Schedules.
What are 10 stress reducing techniques? ›
Advertisem*nt
- Get active. Virtually any form of physical activity can act as a stress reliever. ...
- Meditate. ...
- Laugh more. ...
- Connect with others. ...
- Assert yourself. ...
- Try yoga. ...
- Get enough sleep. ...
- Keep a journal.
What are some positive coping skills? ›
Good Coping Skills
- Practicing meditation and relaxation techniques;
- Having time to yourself;
- Engaging in physical activity or exercise;
- Reading;
- Spending time with friends;
- Finding humor;
- Spending time on your hobbies;
- Engaging in spirituality;
What are active coping strategies? ›
The term active coping in this study refers to coping style that is characterized by solving problems, seeking information, seeking social support, seeking professional help, changing environments, planning activities, and reframing the meanings of problems.
What are 15 ways to manage stress? ›
15 Simple Ways to Reduce Stress & Anxiety
- Exercise. You don't need a gym to exercise. ...
- Go outside. Connect with nature in your backyard. ...
- Aromatherapy. Pull out those old scented candles and inhale a calming scent. ...
- Journal. ...
- Listen to calming music. ...
- Sing. ...
- Laugh. ...
- Connect.
What are 6 behaviors for managing stress? ›
Ways to Reduce Stress
- Take Short Breaks. If your work environment or your home life is the cause of your stress, take breaks. ...
- Exercise Regularly. ...
- Get Enough Sleep. ...
- Eat Healthy. ...
- Make Time for Yourself. ...
- Don't Be Afraid to Seek Medical Care.