The stress you suffer at work is a major source of stress in your life. The stress of time deadlines. The stress of poorly defined goals. The stress of annoying co-workers, incompetent employees, or uncaring management. All of these can pound on you and lead to major problems in your life, if not handled properly.

Stress that is not managed can wreck your health. Headaches, sleep problems, excessive weight gain or loss, and digestion problems are what you can expect in the short term. But it gets worse, long term. Unmanaged stress can lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke can occur. These are just your physical problems. Stress can cause, or make worse, emotional problems like depression, lack of concentration, interference with relationships, and loss of self-esteem.

There are probably hundreds of "stress management programs" that will give you cute little tips for handling stress at work or sayings to repeat when you feel the stress. But you know that the stress at work needs a management system that is as tough, and as big, to fight back and defeat that stress.

One of the biggest problems with most management systems is that they are usually built around one single concept or tool. Systems to handle stress are built on meditation, time management, goal setting, improving interpersonal relationships, and cognitive reorientation. Now, these are all great tools. And all of them work to reduce some stress.

But stress at work is not limited to just one type of stress. What is needed is a comprehensive management system, to handle all of the stresses you are hit with at work. A system that provides you with all of the tools you need.

One tool that many systems overlook is creative problem solving. By having the skill of creatively analyzing problems and coming up with a broader range of solutions, you are not limited to the "fight or flight" response to stress. By having a buffet of answers, you can pick the best way to fight the problem. Meditating on stress may inspire you to come up with an answer. But deliberately focusing on solving the problem will do that far more efficiently.

Now, here's the great thing about this. Not only will you develop a reputation as the coolest head in a crisis, you will be looked to as the person with the good ideas. The one who others call on when they run out of ideas. The one who can lead them out of the woods. People like this are called "leaders" and generally get the good promotions, pay raises, and respect of management and co-workers.

Using creative problem solving as part of a comprehensive stress management system can reduce or eliminate the stress you have at work. Using a system that has creative problem system as a key component, rather than a system that is built on one tool with other tools tacked on, will give you the most flexible response to stress when it hits.