How to Deal with Stress in your Job: 5 Stress Management Tips

If your job makes you constantly feel like it’s too hot in the kitchen, maybe you need to take some time out to combat the stress your job creates. It might come as a surprise but according to research by the top 93 big firms in the US, stress is the main reason for people quitting their jobs.

Here are our top 5 tips to get you through a day, stress-free:

1) Take plenty of short breaks

Break down your day by taking regular short breaks. Don’t try to sprint your way to lunch thinking you will get more done. Studies show that people who take small breaks and don’t spend the whole day tied to their desk, suffer much less from stress and actually get more done!

2) Draw up a list of your priorities

Do not stress about your job work load, just write down your most urgent/important tasks for the day and cross them off as you go. Finishing one task at a time is a great way to get things done and it will help you to focus all your talents on your work, not on whether or not Bill will send you the CPS report on time tomorrow.

3) Make a list of long term goals

If you are anything like most workers, you will get stressed at the slightest feeling you’re not achieving your ambitions. Write down some of your long term objectives and goals, spending a few minutes each day to see how you can move closer to them. Even just the feeling that you’re heading in the right direction in your job can bring your stress levels down.

4) Don’t try to be perfect

Workers can often suffer stress caused by nervousness that their work isn’t 100% perfect. This is a sure fire way to send your stress levels through the roof. Embrace the idea that sometimes ticking the boxes is all you need to do. There aren’t many worse feelings than the one you get when you carry the weight of expectation around on your shoulders that your work has to be “Grade A” all the time.

5) Fuel yourself throughout the day

Your mind can’t work without the right fuel but be careful not to induce stress by filling yourself with sugar and caffeine. Drink plenty of water and try to stay away from caffeinated drinks. Sugary-carbonated drinks and even diet drinks are full of chemicals and sugar, a recipe for a sugar crash and an overworked mind. Healthy snacks can make you more relaxed and release energy steadily, helping you to combat stress.

So, there you have it. Incorporate these 5 tips in your daily routine and keep those grey hairs at bay!

Top 10 Most Stressful Jobs (but rewarding)

Last time out we discussed the top 10 stress free jobs and how they may not necessarily be as easy going as they appear on the surface. Every job can be stressful at times no matter how much you enjoy it but some are more stressful than others. Without further ado we bring you what we think are possibly the most stressful jobs out there:

1. President / Prime Minister
2. Brain Surgeon
3. Policeman
4. Bomb disposal expert
5. Armed Forces
6. Debt Collector
7. Nuclear Power Plant Safety Inspector
8. Crime Scene Investigator
9. F1 Driver
10. Stock Exchange Broker

Stress is never going to be far away with these jobs but what are the rewards? Life is all about balance and if you’re rewarded well then often this can counter the stress factor. Take for example being the President or Prime Minister; running a country has got to be pretty stressful, just ask Gordon Brown. Gordon’s American counterpart however, Mr. Obama seems much more relaxed and has the adoration of many so there is a much happier side to running a country, not to mention being chauffeur driven everywhere, having your own private jet, entourage, travelling the world, meeting and greeting celebrities and I imagine, a pretty hefty salary.

Brain surgery takes a lot of thinking (pun very much intended). The slightest mistake can result in fatal consequences and that’s a lot of pressure to put on anyone’s head (it gets worse). The impact the surgery has on people’s lives however, priceless. Can you imagine how satisfying it would be to improve someone’s quality of life, or even save a life?

Driving is stressful. A trip to the shops can often lead to many a burst blood vessel. Driving for a living at breakneck speeds with millions watching your every move and the slightest mistake could potentially be your last with the team boss demanding you improve your results or worse, the barriers approaching the front of your car at a rate of knots while your life flashes in front of you. When things go well however you experience the elation of winning a race, fans cheering your name and not to mention the rock and roll lifestyle and superstar girlfriend. That’s a trade off many would happily take.

Ultimately while stress is not pleasant for anyone, if the rewards outweigh the stress then it makes it all worthwhile. If you find yourself more stressed than happy however, then it’s perhaps time to review your options or speak to your boss. Stress is commonly linked to depression and poor health and when the bad times outweigh the good, it’s time to go

Also see our Top 10 Least Stressful Jobs and be sure to keep coming back to our blog for tips on how you can reduce stress at work.

Top 10 Stress Free Jobs (or are they?)

Workers around the world share one common ailment: stress. With jobs being the number one cause of stress, many seek a change in career hoping to find an occupation less stressful. So, we scoured the web to discover just what these jobs are, and tell you, our dear readers, all about them.

But then we started arguing about how stressful each would be, and if stress can even be measured accurately in the first place. So, below we present what are regarded as the least stressful jobs, and our thoughts on whether they can truly be regarded as such…

1. Tropical Island Caretaker
2. Beer Taster
3. Restaurant Reviewer
4. Librarian
5. Zoo Keeper
6. Artist
7. Beautician
8. Video Game tester
9. Exterminator
10. Florist

These jobs all appear to be pretty easy going right? Take no.2 for example. Get up. Go to work. Drink Beer! How hard can it be? Well, very actually. Apart from never being able to drive home, you’d have to avoid tasty foods in case they hampered your palate, so no curries for you, Mr. Beer Taster. But most of all, what if you stake your reputation on a new beer and your company launches it to terrible feedback, losing millions? You lose your job and are unable to get another, your reputation ruined. But your beer-lust remains strong, and you end up living on the street penniless and destitute, your wife having left you when she found you awash in a sea of empty tins of supermarket own-brand value lager.

And No.5, looking after animals all day has to be pretty stress free. Playing with the monkeys, stroking the bear cubs, milking the chow chows. Doddle. Or is it? Zoo Keepers are likely to feel a strong bond with the animals they’re charged with looking after, and those animals are likely to get sick – that’s got to be pretty stressful. This is not to mention all the other things, like trying to get the damned fussy Pandas to mate. So, we reckon that zoo-keeping could be a pretty stressful job after all.

Ultimately, any job can be stressful and coping with these stresses is the real key to maintaining a happy work-life balance and achieving the success you desire. So, in the coming weeks we’ll be preparing a stress busting guide helping you to combat stress in your workplace.

Update:

Please see our list of the top 10 stressful jobs and see if you agree with us!