Career Development Handbook Career-Development-Handbook | Page 13

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Learn how to relax. Techniques such as meditation, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness
(a state in which you actively observe present experiences and thoughts without judging them)
can help melt away stress. Start by taking a few minutes each day to focus on a simple activity
like breathing, walking or enjoying a meal. The skill of being able to focus purposefully on a
single activity without distraction will get stronger with practice and you'll find that you can
apply it to many different aspects of your life.
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Talk to your supervisor. Healthy employees are typically more productive, so your boss has an
incentive to create a work environment that promotes employee well-being. Start by having an
open conversation with your supervisor. The purpose of this isn't to lay out a list of complaints,
but rather to come up with an effective plan for managing the stressors you've identified, so
you can perform at your best on the job. While some parts of the plan may be designed to help
you improve your skills in areas such as time management, other elements might include
identifying employer-sponsored wellness resources you can tap into, clarifying what's expected
of you, getting necessary resources or support from colleagues, enriching your job to include
more challenging or meaningful tasks, or making changes to your physical workspace to make
it more comfortable and reduce strain.
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Get some support. Accepting help from trusted friends and family members can improve your
ability to manage stress. Your employer may also have stress management resources available
through an employee assistance program (EAP), including online information, available
counselling and referral to mental heal th professionals, if needed.
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