How to Manage Stress at Work: 5 Practical Tips to Cultivate Calmness
Learn how to create a foundation of confidence and calm to keep you grounded during stress.
Do you feel yourself becoming more stressed as more to-do's keep getting added to your plate? Between work and your personal life, there are so many things that need your attention.
Sometimes, it feels like you're reacting to everything as it comes to you, instead of being able to plan ahead with intention like you’d like to.
I completely understand how you're feeling. That's why I'm here to show you the exact tips I use to manage stress at work and in life. So you can continue working towards your goals without all the overwhelm.
The Most Important Step to Manage Stress at Work
Are you continually feeling like there are not enough hours in the day to get your work done? You wake up early to get as much work done as you can to get a head start on the day.
You scramble to get all the kids ready for school before rushing out the door. Then, you rush to work already feeling behind. The emails pour in as you start your commute or settle into your home office.
You're working as fast and hard as you can, yet it never feels like you get enough done. You're constantly in reactivity mode, trying to tackle more than you can handle.
You crave the feeling of having control over your day. You want a little more space to breathe and take action with intention.
If this sounds like you, you're not alone. The first step is to examine whether your company supports your ability to manage stress at work.
If your company expects too much of you it's always going to be hard to manage stress and cultivate calmness when you most need it. So, it's important to take a step back and examine your current job.
Here are a few signs that it may be time to explore other roles or companies:
You don’t want to be your boss. The thought of stepping into your boss' role doesn't excite you. The people ahead of you seem to experience just as much stress and anxiety as you do.
Your company doesn’t support the lifestyle you want. Your company may say that they support your wellness and lifestyle. But if you're finding yourself staying late, working on weekends, or having to answer emails within the hour – it may be time to consider a change.
You’re not using the skills that are important to you. If you're working hard but not using the skills that are important to you deep down, this may be causing internal friction. For example, maybe you loved writing as a child and want to explore your creativity.
It's possible that the role you're in is no longer in alignment with your desires about work and life. And misalignment can cause added stress and internal friction.
But even a job you love can still be stress-inducing at times. Whether you shift roles or stay where you are, it's time to look at the processes that help you manage stress at work.
5 Practical Manage Stress Tips
Stress often shows up first in our bodies and over time can manifest as headaches, stomach aches, and body pains among other things. The key to beginning to manage stress is to create space and connection to your body. You start to feel calmer and more open and grounded.
Here are 5 tips to manage stress at work and cultivate the feeling of calm:
1. Delete or Delegate Some Priorities. We get so used to adding and adding things to our to-do list. It's important to take a step back to analyze the tasks that are creating stress.
Ask yourself: which of these tasks could be delegated or deleted? For example, maybe trying to put a healthy meal on the table after work each night is really stressing you out. Consider getting a meal service that does your meal planning and grocery shopping.
Remember: you don't have to do it all. Accept help in certain areas of life so you can give your attention to the areas that are most important to you.
2. Create a Morning Routine. Connecting to yourself for 20 to 30 minutes in the morning can be life-changing. Over time, you cultivate a foundation of self-awareness. This can help you come back to a grounded place when faced with stressful situations.
An impactful morning routine includes meditation, movement, and breathwork (more on these below).
Maybe you're thinking you don't have time for a morning routine. This is why it's so important to delegate or delete tasks to make room for practices like these.
3. Practice Breathwork. Do you often find yourself in a stressed state? Your heart beats fast, you have anxiety, and you’re constantly reacting. This is a sign you're in a fight, flight, or freeze mode most of the time – which doesn’t allow your body to regulate back to a calm state.
Connecting to your parasympathetic nervous system helps you move through the fight-or-flight mode. It helps you self-regulate your nervous system and bring balance to your body. One way to connect with your parasympathetic nervous system is by taking 5 deep, intentional breaths.
Close your eyes or softly lower your gaze and rest your hands on your chest or in your lap. Take a full breath in through your nose deep into your belly and up into your lungs for a count of 4. Then, slowly exhale the breath out through your nose or mouth for a count of 6. Repeat up to 5 breaths. This 4/6 count breath will immediately reduce stress and help you come back to a centered place.
4. Start Meditating. Meditation is a connective and grounding practice. Over time, it can change how you respond to stress, thoughts, and everyday situations.
Meditation helps you increase self-awareness and live more fully in the present. Through regular practice, simply by acknowledging and allowing your emotions, stress can be less impactful on your body. Need guidance on how to start meditating? Download my 10-minute guided meditation as a tool to help build a foundation to manage stress as you go through your busy day.
5. Incorporate Movement. You probably already know that exercising is beneficial to your health. But have you ever examined the benefits it has on your brain and mindset?
Exercise actually reduces levels of your stress hormones like cortisol. Cortisol is your main stress hormone which controls your mood, motivation, and fear. This means that movement physically helps you manage stress. Over time, the movement goes a long way in helping you connect with yourself and change your body's physical reaction to stress.
These 5 steps help you create more space in your life and within yourself. These practices can help you manage your emotions during high-stress moments. And they also cultivate an underlying feeling of more peace and groundedness overall.
Over time, you notice that you are less reactive and are more equipped to manage stress.
Guidance in Managing Stress and Anxiety
I know how it feels to have too much to do and not enough time to do it. To feel like you're just getting through the day instead of being in control of your headspace.
I invite you to take a deep breath. Imagine how it would feel to release your pent-up stress. Feel how much lighter, more intentional, and more in-flow you could be.
This feeling is possible for you. And when you're ready, I can help you cultivate it.
Book a consultation to learn how my whole-life coaching helps you lead your life with intention and wellbeing. Together, We'll examine your career and create practical habits to help you manage stress at work and in life.