On those days that are extra stressful and/or challenging, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy work/life balance. The questions below were meant to gain insight into how employees handle stress at work on a daily basis. The survey was posted on social media websites and the results were split 50/50 between men and women, see below.

Survey Results

Do you exercise regularly (at least a couple of times a week)? 80% said yes

Do you treat yourself to a favorite snack or special lunch during the day? 60% said no

Do you take a break and try to gain some composure and/or perspective? 100% said yes

Do you socialize with coworkers who might be able to comfort you or give you positive reinforcement? 90% said yes

Do you make a list of the projects that need to be completed and then prioritize what should be finished first? 100% said yes

Do you recite a positive affirmation and/or remind yourself that today will pass and tomorrow is a new day? 60% said yes

Do you stay positive and remind yourself that you are doing the best that you can do given the circumstances? 90% said yes

Do you laugh and try to see the bright side of things? 100% said yes

Do you stretch at your desk and/or walk around the office to get blood flowing? 100% said yes

Do you take a deep breath and then dive right in to the challenging project at hand? 80% said yes

Do you go for a drink after work? 90% said no

Do you take personal time off after the challenging project is completed? 70% said no

Do you go home and go straight to bed hoping tomorrow will come sooner? 90% said no

Do you go to dinner at a restaurant or make dinner at home with friends or family and talk about your day? 80% said yes

Do you have realistic expectations and find yourself saying "no" when someone asks you to do something when you already have a full plate? 50% said yes

Observations Based on Survey Results

It was no surprise to see that 100% of the respondents said yes to taking a break to gain composure/perspective, making a list of priorities, laughing and seeing the bright side, and stretching at your desk/walking around the office. Those actions are the most common and easiest to perform. It is also encouraging to note that most people exercise regularly. Other encouraging results are that most people don’t drink after work and most people don’t go home and straight to bed hoping tomorrow will come sooner; both of which can be harmful to one’s health if done on a regular basis.

In addition, there are a few correlations between various questions. Of the 60% who recite positive affirmations or remind themselves that tomorrow is a new day, 100% stay positive and remind themselves they are doing the best they can. Of the 90% who socialize with coworkers who might comfort or give positive reinforcement, 89% stay positive and remind themselves they are doing the best they can and 79% talk about their day with friends or family over dinner. Of the 80% who exercise on a regular basis, 88% talk about their day with friends or family over dinner and 88% stay positive and remind themselves they are doing the best they can. In this particular survey, because the results were split evenly between men and women, gender did not appear to play a role in how one handles stress in the workplace.

It can be inferred then that in order to stay positive under stressful or challenging circumstances at work, one should recite positive affirmations, socialize with coworkers (in moderation of course), remind themselves they are doing the best they can, talk about their day with friends and family over dinner, and exercise on a regular basis. These results are by no means new information, but should serve as a reminder of what to do when stressed in the workplace. It’s often easy to get caught up in the moment and loose perspective and sight of one’s goals.

Please note that the survey and all observations made from the survey results are strictly for entertainment purposes. In no way are the results scientific or claim to be significant in any capacity.