When I was a radio disc jockey in Philadelphia, my boss called the phone in the studio every time I made a mistake.   I made a lot of them to be sure.

And the phone couldn’t ring out loud because I was on the air so it was hooked up to a 150-watt floodlight that flashed in my eyes for each ring.

Talk about stress.

It took the fun out of playing the music and having a great job.

Now we have stressors that we could have never dreamed of even if we work virtually.  Insensitive managers who bully through email and texting.  Inhuman workloads dumped on us with the presumption that “you will get it done” even if it has to be done on our own time.

Then there’s expectations insinuated that are unrealistic.  Add to that family life, personal health and other responsibilities like continuing our education and is there any wonder why we are always stressed out?

Here are a couple of tools to combat stress at the workplace.  Try as many as you like and cross them off when you think you’re making progress.

1. Work in the present.  Immediately put aside past successes, failures or future success and failures to concentrate on the project at hand.
2. Pat your own back – don’t expect others to do it or you’ll always be disappointed.
3. Don’t worry about being fired – that’s what some bosses count on, the fear employees have of losing their job.  Always remember, 99% of the time, you’re not going to be fired for what you think will get you fired.  In today’s investor’s economy, we’re more likely to be laid off for economic reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with our work performance at all.
4. Work for pride.  Athletes who have missed the post-season get a quick and often painful introduction to themselves when they are left to play for pride.  Pride is, in my opinion, the best motivator of human beings – better than money, status or power.
5. Separate money from performance.  If you’re not receiving adequate pay, that’s a discussion worth having for sure.  Where the topic doesn’t belong is in your everyday performance.  Always give a million dollars worth of effort in spite of the pay received in return.
6. Do away with multitasking.  It’s overrated and is stressful.  Focus on 20% of the things you need to do that deliver 80% of your productivity. 

“Disconnect from the Uncontrollable” – Geoffrey James

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