Nowadays, Stress management is the need of the time. However, hard we try to go beyond a stress situation; life seems to find new ways of stressing us out and plaguing us with anxiety attacks. Stress management especially in the workplace is a reality that most of us have to face for one reason or another and handling with it is the key to long-term career success. Some careers are more stressful than others and some companies and managers you work for might provide you with more stress than you’d otherwise like. Sometimes stress can be helpful because it can provide motivation that allows you to work with a bit of a sense of urgency and purpose.

There are some stress issues that might be affecting your stress level that you might not be aware of like you drive 1 hour to work each day and feel beaten up by the time you get into the office each morning? Are there ways you can lighten your workload? Do you need to learn how to say no to certain requests from time to time etc? These are types of stresses which can be controlled. One should look for ways to improve your time management. Often, stress is a result of simply not having enough time to complete everything you need to do. Stop wasting time talking with colleagues and making personal phone calls, stop surfing the Internet for personal reasons, and eliminate time wasting. Shut your office door if you have trouble with people walking in and distracting you or find a quiet office where you can work undisturbed if necessary. One of the important things to avoid is neglecting your personal life. Remember to try to find the proper balance between your work life and your work outside of work. Try when possible to leave work at work. A separation between work and personal life is paramount. To manage stresses carefully consider whether or not you are in the right job. If successful stress management at work is just not possible and if you desire for your time with a previous employer when things were better, maybe you’re in the wrong job.

Stress management in the workplace is critical to your long-term career and long-term health. Stress management initiatives from a workplace perspective, may include the following:

• Putting balanced work schedules together

• Implementing an Employee Assistance plan

• Breaking project work into smaller pieces

• Providing Stress Management courses

• Assessing the communications styles within the organization

• Appropriate delegation of responsibility so that people are not overburdened with delivery

• Offer rewards and incentives for positive management of workplace pressure

• Promote a work environment and organizational culture which encourages entrepreneurship, originality and creativity in solutions and which is supportive.

• Ensure the organizational values are aligned to the culture and that management reinforces this in all human capital activities.

• Providing opportunities for social events or cultural programmes etc.