How can you reduce stress and anxiety at work?

The first step in becoming emotionally intelligent is to cultivate the art of the pause. Stopping to pause creates a break in our reactionary habits and allows us to choose a response to the stressful triggers that is less stress inducing and more grounding than our typical habitual reactions. You can't identify your triggers unless you pause. When your triggers have you, you are overwhelmed by them you can't see your uneccessary reactions, your negative thoughts or your unrealistic expectations. Slowing down, pausing allows you to bypass the Amygdala hijack and bring your prefrontal cortex, your reasoning brain online. A simple breath, a walk around the office, closing your eyes and counting to 20 slowly are ways to give you that pause.

I have seen people handling it differently. Honestly, it is subjective and varies according to person by person and their nature. However, one thing common in all situations is to have a compassionate heart to listen to people who need it. If this factor is missing, no matter the case, the result will be negative.

Most triggers "function" because there is a huge "stress bank" already inside most of us. If that wasn't the case the so called trigger would have nothing to trigger! This is where the focus should shift to. Stress will always come at you from outside, that's how our culture is set up. Stress = weaker people and the commanding few take a ride on weakened people. Learning to live with you better will help you deal with stress much better because you'll have more of you to fend it off.

We all experience stress and stressors occur throughout the day and may have more or less impact upon us depending on a variety of factors. Identifying triggers is important so you can retrain yourself and make a plan on how to RESPOND instead of react. But first you need a foundation of self-awareness to even identify what your triggers are! If you can think of the last time something happened that made you feel out of control and want to react with a quick response of frustration or anger, for example, this provides an opportunity to reflect on how you were feeling and what led to that feeling. Build your awareness first and then your triggers will become clear as you flex your reflection muscle on a more regular basis.

Try leaving your work place better than you find it every day. If you find that you cannot do that too many days in a row, you may need to start looking for a different employment or start your own company

When you are an adult, it is not easy to express your feelings especially the negative ones as it is often seen as a sign of weakness. Which makes things worse unfortunately. There's an element of cultural context to be taken into account.

Remember that employer paid support I mentioned above? Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) are available as a support...if your employer has made that part of your compensation package. Also, be mindful of how and when you are expressing your feelings; and to whom! I find it can be a fine line between venting to your colleagues and being labeled as someone who complains incessantly. Whether it's fair or not, the latter could negatively impact your career. Find your allies, your people, who you can trust and lean on when times are tough. Your emotions and well-being matter; don't be afraid to advocate for yourself.

One of the most helpful pieces of advice I learned is to use the word "and" instead of "but," this from the book Making Peace With Your Parents, an old and still transformative book. When people say "but" to another, or even to oneself, the immediate response is defensiveness. Whatever positive was said prior to the "but" is negated; it's as if the words were never said; it's like a brick wall. If instead you say the word "and" the other and you hear both. There's opportunity for change, for growth created. Our triggers often come from parental issues. Undealt with, others reflect the scripts we've carried since. If we felt controlled, manipulated, unheard misunderstood, judged, etc. that's how people show up for us. Healing can help.

The above recommendations are very useful. It is very positive to share with someone you trust. Keeping a journal or just writing helps to process these conditions. In the same way, it helps a lot to have a health and well-being advisor in the workplace who, in a confidential manner, can support with listening and provide various resources to transcend these situations.

I've had some stressful jobs during my career. (Go ahead and look, I'll wait.) I'm going to share 2 of my routines for finding relaxation and calm. 1. When I was carrying stress home with me, the first thing I would do is wash my hands. Strange? Not so much. While washing my hands, I would focus on all the things through the day that would cause me negative emotions, and visualize that the soap and water was washing them away. 2. After washing my hands, I would immediately change from my work-clothes to my home-clothes. For me, this symbolized the daily ending of my professional-self and the restarting of myself. Take them for what their worth. I am not a mental health professional, just a guy who's picked up a few things along the way.

Your perspective plays a vital role in managing stress. Nowadays, many experience constant activation of the sympathetic nervous system, causing increased heart rate, shallow breathing, and digestion issues, leaving them vulnerable. However, the significance of your mindset extends beyond stress reduction. A 2012 study reveals that mindfulness can lower inflammation markers even amid stress. Different research highlights meditation's ability to boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor, aiding brain tissue regeneration. Additionally, meditation enhances concentration, focus, and emotional resilience. Other approaches to shaping the mind-brain connection encompass psychotherapy, breath exercises, and prayer.

The best combination is relaxation techniques, breathing, walks and other moderate physical activity. It helps also, developing hobbies and preserving the weekend for relaxation and developing nurturing activities.

Imposter Syndrome is real. I speak from experience. But, recognize that someone else recognized skill and talent in you and you are here for a reason. Embrace curiosity and try to constantly learn, not only from professional sources, but your trusted colleagues as well. Sounds weird at first, but taking this approach fosters a collaborative environment and reinforces your own skills, knowledge, and talent. Through curiosity, challenging your thought distortions can become less confrontational and imposter syndrome can be tampered. This is just one perspective/opinion though.

Self-love and authenticity will help you let go of negative self-talk and find your purpose. In a 1990s study, Dr. Masaru Emoto exposed water to different emotions and found that positive thoughts led to ordered structures, while negative thoughts caused disorder. Since our bodies are mostly water, speaking kindly to ourselves enhances our well-being, similar to the water experiment. This approach can also influence how we perceive our shortcomings. Embracing our flaws in a gentler light and recognizing them as part of our unique composition empowers us to handle challenges more effectively

When you find yourself in a 'thought tailspin', and are going down into a funk, I find a few questions help pull you back into a balanced perspective. Try these: -How is that thought I'm thinking just a story? -Is it helpful to believe that story? -What is also true, that I'm not including in this story? -What story could I choose, if I were the Victor? The One who Belongs? She who Is Enough?

There is nothing wrong with seeking professional help! And, there are a lot of resources out there to do so. There is no time like the present to find support.

Use the Eisenhower Matrix tool to prioritize more effectively and reduce feelings of overwhelm. It evaluates tasks based on their urgency and importance and groups them into four different categories: 1. Do - urgent AND important, these should be done today. 2. Schedule: important but not urgent, these should be scheduled and done as soon as possible. 3. Delegate: urgent but not important, assign them to someone else. 4. Delete: neither urgent nor important, these should be eliminated completely. To start, list all of the tasks you need to complete. Then determine each task's urgency and importance. and place each one into the appropriate category. There are also numerous Eisenhower Matrix apps you can download and use.

When faced with unproductive anxiety, a helpful approach is to temporarily set it aside, not by suppressing it, but by taking a break. Later, when you return to it, you might notice it has lessened or disappeared. Research indicates that immersing yourself in the present moment is an effective way to alleviate anxiety. For instance, go outdoors for a nature walk. Pay close attention to tree details, light interplay, and leaf patterns. Listening to music can also shift your focus. This break interrupts anxiety's cycle, granting you space and perspective. Upon revisiting it, you can analyze and address it more effectively, making it less overwhelming or possibly even beneficial.