Career Development Handbook Career-Development-Handbook | Page 12

The American Psychological Association made the following suggestions on managing workplace
stress:
•
Track your stressors. Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which situations create the
most stress and how you respond to them. Record your thoughts, feelings and information
about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting
and how you reacted. Did you raise your voice? Get a snack from the vending machine? Go for
a walk? Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to
them.
•
Develop healthy responses. Instead of attempting to fight stress with fast food or alcohol, do
your best to make healthy choices when you feel the tension rise. Exercise is a great stress-
buster. Yoga can be an excellent choice, but any form of physical activity is beneficial. Also make
time for hobbies and favourite activities. Whether it's reading a novel, going to concerts or
playing games with your family, make sure to set aside time for the things that bring you
pleasure. Getting enough good-quality sleep is also important for effective stress management.
Build healthy sleep habits by limiting your caffeine intake late in the day and minimizing
stimulating activities, such as computer and television use, at night.
•
Establish boundaries. In today's digital world, it's easy to feel pressure to be available 24 hours
a day. Establish some work-life boundaries for yourself. That might mean making a rule not to
check email from home in the evening, or not answering the phone during dinner. Although
people have different preferences when it comes to how much they blend their work and home
life, creating some clear boundaries between these realms can reduce the potential for work-
life conflict and the stress that goes with it.
•
Take time to recharge. To avoid the negative effects of chronic
stress and burnout, we need time to replenish and return to our pre-
stress level of functioning. This recovery process requires “switching
off” from work by having periods of time when you are neither
engaging in work-related activities, nor thinking about work. That's
why it's critical that you disconnect from time to time, in a way that
fits your needs and preferences. Don't let your vacation days go to waste. When possible, take
time off to relax and unwind, so you come back to work feeling reinvigorated and ready to
perform at your best. When you're not able to take time off, get a quick boost by turning off
your smartphone and focusing your attention on non-work activities for a while.
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