How can you address work-related stress before it becomes a problem?

I think identifying the source is the most critical step - are you doing the job of two people? Do you have a poor leader? Does the organization lack strategy? are they in financial trouble? Once you determine where the stress is coming from, you can start working on framing it.

Before the first step to address work-related stress and cause, it is best to start by taking a deep inhale followed by a long slow exhale. We want to be able to tune in and reflect from both our logical and emotional side. It is counterproductive to identify stress from the place of stress. While the possible factors, such as workload, deadlines, expectations, conflicts, uncertainty, etc… are highly relevant, it may be worthwhile to step back and look at the bigger picture. We/our organization change over time. What is our value today and what values is the business demonstrating? A misalignment in this area can be the root cause of work-related stress, making the possible factors listed merely symptoms of the underlying misalignment.

?? Work-related stress roots in various sources. Exploring work design and employee resilience is essential to address it effectively. ?? Conducting a job demands-resources (JD-R) model analysis can be pivotal in identifying stressors. ?? Engage in empathy mapping for different roles within the team to visualize stress points from varied perspectives. ?? Utilizing analytics tools can predict stress patterns by analyzing productivity and communication data without infringing on privacy. ?? Implement a continuous feedback loop, ensuring that the implemented changes are effectively reducing stress. ?? Effective stress detection requires tech and empathy, merging data and human insights for a holistic view.

First things first - in my opinion- —-so, to recognize that we are stressed; only then, we can to have some steps to second, stop with the actions, habits and the specific physical / emotional actions that are producing that stress

Pay attention to 'yourself'. Your body and mind are constantly providing you with clues - you just have to pay attention to spot them. Journal for 15 mins each evening, reflecting on your day. Observe 'small wins' that picked up your energy, tough decisions you made/for what reasons, and moments of uncertainty. This mindfulness will reveal patterns, and a source that needs attention. In my experience, sources of stress seem to fade away when you stop trying to 'control' things that are out of your control. Instead, shift your mindset to being the best 'reactor'. React to every situation with an open mind, with grace, with two ears for listening and one mouth for speaking. Be genuine. It's ok to not have an immediate answer or solution.

I find that many people under communicate because they lack the confidence to articulate and then share what is inside of their head. They also wait too long before communicating because they are often trying to solve it on their own. Writing (i.e. journalling) is a proven form of thinking, analyzing and synthesizing. The more you write - even just casually to yourself - the more concise your words become, the more organized your ideas become, and the easier it gets to describe and share your concepts for feedback from others.

Most important is short but frequent moments: 1. Nature. Studies confirm that humans are energized through connection with nature - standing barefoot on grass or sand, being surrounded by trees/greenery. It takes less than 10 minutes to recharge in this way. 2. Animals. Studies confirm that humans benefit through connection with animals. Many hospitals and clinics tap into this phenomenon with pet therapy programs/dogs for their patients. 3. Music. Studies also confirm that certain sound frequencies found in classical music, brown noise, etc., bring almost instant relief. 4. Scents. Certain scents are proven to promote relaxation. Hotels capitalize on this and pump their front lobbies with purpose-built scents. 5. Color - green & blue.

Focus on work-stress recovery! There’s a good HBR article by Meister et al. about this. It highlights five ways - according to science - to recover from work-stress. These are: psychologically detaching from work; not underestimating the power micro-breaks during a work day; using hobbies as a recovery vehicle; prioritising high-effort activities for recovery; and shaping the environment at at the workplace by incorporating nature into it and into its routine. Ensuring regular recovery in the short term helps us remain stronger in the longer term.

Stress and anxiety is often increased when we don’t focus on addressing our underlying emotions. Our emotions, or thoughts drive our behaviors and it’s a cycle. So to start, I’d be trying to understand what exactly the stressors are and define a step by step plan to address them one by one in turn removing the stressor. Or at least lightening the pressure.