How to deal with stress at work: 5 powerful techniques

Factors causing stress

Why is so much attention focused on the question of how to handle stress at work these days? The short answer: because it can significantly affect your job performance but, even more importantly, your health and wellbeing.

The American Institute of Stress (AIS) reports that 65% of workers surveyed indicated that workplace stress had caused difficulties and, for some of them, had major effects on their health. In the US alone, job stress has become the major source of stress for adults and it has increased in recent decades. Recent surveys suggest that the same is true in countries around the world. That's why the ability to manage stress at the workplace is increasingly important.

Factors causing stress vary, and include things like long working hours, unmanageable workload, and monotonous work as well as an uncomfortable working environment, lack of proper resources and equipment, relationships at work, and a toxic organizational culture in the workplace. To manage stress in the workplace, it's essential to identify key stressors and find a way to handle them.

Why stress management in the workplace is so important

Stress isn't always bad – in fact, there is such a thing as “positive stress” which can include a certain amount of stress that helps us be more engaged and work more effectively. But you need to know how to deal with stress at work when it becomes continuous. The problem with long-term excessive stress and not knowing how to manage stress at work, is that if left unaddressed, it can harm our physical and mental health.

Chronic stress puts us at risk of developing an array of physical conditions that may lead to severe diseases like diabetes, damaged blood vessels, metabolic syndrome, heart disease, and gastrointestinal issues. The mental health consequences are similarly serious. Excessive stress can cause the feeling of anxiety, exhaustion, and even end up as burnout.

To mitigate negative effects like these, you can reconsider your work-life balance and take steps toward better stress management in the workplace.

How to handle stress at work: your to-do list

As stress awareness expands across the globe, so too does the importance of combating stress for the good of our physical and mental health. As advocates for a healthy and flexible workplace, we're sharing techniques, tips, and lessons we've picked from our EPAM colleagues that help them manage stress at work. Try them if you are searching for answers on how to handle stress at work.

1. Know your stressors

​​Stressful work experiences, demanding deadlines, toxic work relationships, and obnoxious bosses are just a few workplace issues that might lead to chronic stress. Before ''declaring war'' on stress, start by identifying key factors that stress you out.

To do so, watch yourself during your work routine for a couple of weeks and make some notes. Which situations create the strongest feeling of stress? And, more importantly, what are your responses to those situations? Did you feel anger, irritation, fear, panic? Did you snap, raise your voice, or distance yourself from the stressor?

Record the causes of stress and your feelings and then revisit your notes to see if you can identify patterns among the stressors and your reactions to them. This will help you better understand how to deal with stress at work.

2. Reconsider your interactions with others

Stress at work often results from communication with other people. Whether it's a teammate dropping passive-aggressive comments here and there or an overreacting manager, you’ve got this.

We can't control other people's behavior, but we can control our reactions and attitude. One option for how to handle stress at work resulting from relations with co-workers is demonstrating positive behavior and having empathy.

A bolder step you may want to take is to have a direct conversation with a colleague who stresses you out. Take a deep breath and ask your colleague what makes them act the way they do and if there's something you both can do to fix it. This takes grit and might also seem like a stressful thing. But, surprisingly, hard conversations can sometimes improve relationships and ultimately relieve stress.

If attempts to manage stress in the workplace don't work, or your situation reaches a breaking point, it might be a good idea to seek a different project within your company. Don't go through this challenging time alone, contact your HR / Manager / Resource Manager and ask what alternative projects and roles are available.

3. Find a way to balance your work and life

As a person who works remotely, you may also experience stress because your work and your personal life take place in the same environment. Having an opportunity to work remotely is a luxury, but it can be pretty challenging as well.

When you have busy days at work, plenty of errands at home, and your family requires your time and attention, things can feel overwhelming. Add to that the homeschooling scenario that many working parents experienced during the lockdown – sounds like a recipe for stress, right?

The truth is, it can be almost impossible to squeeze ALL the urgent and essential tasks and chores into your day, but it is possible to establish some kind of balance for yourself. Even if you're a working parent.

Here's an approach for how to reduce stress at work from an EPAM teammate who's also a dad:

4. Take time to unplug

Taking a pause every now and then during the day is a great technique when you are focusing on how to reduce stress at work. Sometimes you need more than one or two hours to renew your energy, though. That’s why it’s essential to (literally!) unplug, in the way that works best for you.

When you are considering how to handle pressure at work, think about taking an extra day off once or twice a month, and spending it as far from your laptop and messengers as possible. On weekends, spend more time outside and limit your interaction with devices and digital resources. This will help you switch off.

It may sound like a cliche, but hit a gym! Try jogging or hiking, join a yoga group, sign up for boxing or dancing classes. 

Start with at least 15 minutes a day. Even that amount of time will make a real difference. Sports activities are a powerful weapon against negative stress and the effects it has on your physical and mental health. Better brain function, blood circulation, digestion, mood – proved by many scientists around the globe!

Another co-worker at EPAM has more tips on how to manage stress at work – simple tips, but they can bring you tangible results:

5. Get some support

Whatever gets you stressed, don't go through the experience alone. Talk to a coworker, team lead, family member, or friend about what happened.

First, asking for, and accepting, help is a normal and useful impulse. Plus, an issue shared with someone else feels like half of the issue afterward, right? Also, a practical benefit of asking for support is that it can help you gain a better understanding of how to manage stress at work.

Co-workers may open up about their experiences and approaches to tackling stress. Your team lead may share information with you about available stress management resources or programs. A friend or family member may recommend mental health professionals. Sharing your experience can result in validation and emotional support, which is vital, as well as tons of concrete ideas and steps that you can take to deal with stress.

How to reduce stress at work: final thoughts

Sometimes stress hits hard, and it's vital to combat it here and now. When you need to pull yourself together quickly, try these 'first aid kit' techniques suggested by EPAM professionals:

Of course, it is unreasonable to expect that you will find a 100% stress-free workplace. We hope that these practical tips on how to reduce stress at work will help you get as close to a stress-free environment as possible.

A summary of your takeaways:

• Stay aware of the situations or factors that stress you out and how you react to them
• Be proactive in your interaction with others: demonstrate positive behavior, have empathy for them, and consider starting a candid conversation
• Find your way to balance work and life: pause, take time with your family, and find more flexibility to expand your life beyond work
• Take time to recharge: unplug to replenish your energy, exercise, be outside, take an extra day off – do whatever makes you feel a little happier and healthier
• Get some support: share your concerns and feelings with colleagues or friends, and you'll see you're not alone in this!

Take one step at a time, stick with it, be consistent and, in a while, you'll see yourself as a person who helps others master stress management in the workplace.