Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. How to Keep Work Stress from Taking Over Your Life. Medically reviewed by Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW — By Cindy Lamothe — Updated on January 30, Tips When to seek help Takeaway Working on your time management skills, taking time to recharge, becoming aware of how events affect you, and relying on a support network may help you manage job-related stress.

Share on Pinterest Getty Images. Strategies to manage work stress. Was this helpful? Make it a habit Here are a few other ways to build mindfulness into your daily routine: Pause for a few moments before starting your workday and set your intention.

Download a meditation app you can use when feeling excessive pressure at work or during your commute. Schedule a 5-minute break to try breathing exercises.

When to seek help. The takeaway. How we reviewed this article: Sources. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations.

We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Jan 30, Written By Cindy Lamothe. Medically Reviewed By Joslyn Jelinek, LCSW, CYT. Oct 30, Written By Cindy Lamothe. Medically Reviewed By Timothy J. Legg, PhD, PsyD. Share this article. More in Wellness on Your Terms 9 Healthy Foods That Lift Your Mood. How to Hack Your Hormones for a Better Mood.

Read this next. This Is How Joy Affects Your Body. Medically reviewed by Timothy J. The things that wake you up at night or you catch yourself thinking about in the middle of the day, distracting you.

I literally go through my entire house and office quarterly and make a list room by room of undone stuff — I like to say these are the invisible monkeys on our backs, that over time create a level of stress that we unconsciously start to tolerate.

Then I make that same list with the people and relationships that are incomplete or need attention in my life. Once I have everything down on paper and out of my head, I can prioritize my list and in what order I am going to handle these stressors.

The goal is to have an environment both mentally and physically that is clean, calm, and has space to support you. Accept things for what they are and being grateful for every piece of feedback, every amount of effort put in, every opportunity given, and even every opportunity missed.

And for the busy professional, having clear life goals means being productive with your precious time. The more specific, the more likely you are to achieve them, and the easier it is to chunk them down. How many hours would it take? Again, clear goals make saying no less stressful.

Affirmations are simple, positive statements describing specific goals in their completed states. Although they sound rather basic, these empowering mantras have profound effects on the conscious and unconscious mind.

Some of your stress may come from limiting beliefs. Every high achiever has a powerful team of key staff members, consultants, vendors, and helpers who help manage projects and handle everyday tasks.

Repleting magnesium — a restorative mineral that is a common deficiency in stressful situations — can be beneficial as well. And since stress can disrupt digestive function, providing some gut TLC with broad-spectrum digestive enzymes is also prudent. You may also want to consider a category of supplements called adaptogens, which are reported to support a balanced, adapted response to stress.

Common adaptogens include ashwagandha, Relora, GABA, ginseng, licorice root, and more. Some have also found amino acids such as L-theanine to be helpful as well. As always, be sure to work with your healthcare team and practitioner to help develop the best supplement protocol for your needs.

For most, the concept of managing stress can feel intangible and subjective. Like most behavior patterns, the benefits can start initially, but have stronger impacts when mounting over time.

Build from there, and trust that even a small step is still a step in the right direction. Leave a comment, ask a question, or see what others are talking about in the Life Time Training Facebook group. Samantha McKinney has been a dietitian, trainer and coach for over 10 years. At first, her interests and experience were in a highly clinical setting in the medical field, which ended up laying a strong foundation for understanding metabolism as her true passion evolved: wellness and prevention.

However, […]. Comments are closed. While many aspects of our health are interconnected, two in particular play a major role in how we feel and function: sleep and stress.

These guided breathing exercises can help you slow down, be more mindful, and find a sense of calm. Join Members Experience Life Work Living Store More Sites. Life Time Athletic Events Life Time Foundation Life Time Academy Culture of Inclusion.

Life Time Member App. Join Members Work Living Newsletter Store Life Time Athletic Events Life Time Events Life Time Academy Culture of Inclusion Life Time Member App.

Stress Management for Busy People. By Samantha McKinney, RD, CPT Life Time Training. Keep the conversation going. Go to Facebook Group.

Martin Luther King Jr. is the only non-president who has a national holiday designated in his honor. January 9, If you have never created a vision board before, this is a fun and creative way to visualize what you want for yourself and help manifest your goals.

International Thank-You Day is celebrated each year on January 11th. The challenge for this month is for you to practice expressing gratitude by giving thanks to at least one person in your life.

January 2, Heidi Bausch joins Susie Jones on WCCO Health Radio to talk about how you can help care for yourself and when you might need additional help. The New Year brings the renewal of change for many people. This includes relationships. Perhaps you have taken time to reflect on your relationship—aspects that bring you safety, security, joy, pleasure, and happiness and aspects that leave you feeling uncertain, insecure, anxious, disappointed, and depressed.

Did you know that each letter in the work CARE represents important aspects of therapy at CARE Counseling? December 19, Americans are among the most stressed out in the world, putting us at 20 percentage points higher than the global average.

By the end of , topics weighing heavily on the minds of many are global conflicts, racism, racial injustice, inflation, and climate-related disasters.

December 14, December 13, Emotional maturity is not something that is achieved and is done with—it is a continual area of self-development. A foundational sign of a psychologically healthy person is being willing and able to reflect on their emotional health.

December 4, The holidays can also be triggering for many folks. Even those who feel pretty good physically and emotionally can find that this time of year is more taxing on their mental health.

It is important to check in with yourself and pay attention to signs that indicate additional support is needed. Did you know that December is known as one of the most stressful times of the year? December tests our resilience as the most stressful month of the year.

November 28, Eating is a foundation of wellness and is important as preventative care for mental health conditions such as depression and disordered eating such as bulimia. It is important to become aware of the warning signs and symptoms of eating disorders.

The most common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia, binge eating disorder, and avoidant restrictive food intake disorder ARFID. November 20, If you are struggling with your relationship with marijuana, now may be a good time to re-evaluate your options and make a lifestyle change.

Visit Global Healthcare Resources Wellness Consulting to explore how their expertise can assist in creating a more balanced, healthy, and productive life. With this tailored approach, you can embark on a path to better stress management and overall well-being, guided by the insights and support of industry professionals.

About Editorial Guidelines. Take the 5-min. quiz and find out! Corporate Wellness Effective Stress Management Techniques for Busy Professionals By. Corporate Wellness. Effective Stress Management Techniques for Busy Professionals In today's fast-paced business environment, professionals often find themselves juggling multiple responsibilities, leading to increased stress levels.

Understanding Stress in the Professional World Stress in the workplace arises from various factors, including tight deadlines, high expectations, and balancing work with personal life.

Strategies for Stress Management Time Management : Effective time management is crucial. Prioritizing tasks, setting realistic goals, and avoiding procrastination can reduce work-related stress.

Mindfulness and Meditation : Incorporating mindfulness and meditation into your daily routine can significantly reduce stress levels. These practices encourage focus on the present moment, reducing anxiety and promoting relaxation. Physical Activity : Regular exercise is a proven stress reliever.

Whether it's a brisk walk, a gym session, or yoga, physical activity releases endorphins, improving mood and reducing tension.

Healthy Eating Habits : A balanced diet contributes to overall well-being. Eating nutritious foods provides the energy and nutrients needed to cope with stress. Adequate Sleep : Lack of sleep exacerbates stress. Ensuring you get enough restful sleep is vital for stress management and overall health.

But does it get the job done for now? The different approaches are applicable to different people depending on your work lifestyle, communication necessities, and responsibilities.

Increasing your productivity will lead to better results in a shorter period of time and increase your job satisfaction which leads to a stress-free lifestyle. You probably have to grind for a few more months until you finally get the promotion. Lack of sleep due to raising a newborn?

Having a hard time being sore after the gym you just started? Sports is one of the best stress-relief instruments and getting used to the pattern is inevitably going to bring satisfaction over time.

Just keep up and hustle through the first months. In most days, you may find the need to escape from a stressful environment at your workplace or your home, and the several distractions every now and then.

Even the cars passing by can be a great distraction, among others. Re-calibrate your brain in a positive way by taking a walk. Moving your body will put you in an active state which happens to be a natural technique to relieve stress. My executive friends love to hold meetings outside of the office.

A short walk outside grabbing a cup of coffee and having a meeting while walking around can actually spark and boost creative juices as well improve the satisfaction of your work day not to mention the positive outcome for your body over time. The ABC Technique was originally created by Dr.

Albert Ellis, a psychologist and researcher. It was further adapted by others in pursuit of a more refined model for stress management. Every now and then, you may face adversities or stressful events. Your beliefs refer to your responses to these events. The consequences are the results of what actions your beliefs have led to.

The ABC Technique helps you develop a better outlook on life by helping you improve your mindset and what you tell yourself every time you experience stress. Analyzing the pattern of your thinking every time there is a stressful event can provide you with helpful insights on how to better handle the next possible occurrence of a similar stress trigger.

There are several reasons why you must learn to adopt breathing exercises when dealing with stress. The aforementioned risks can be detrimental to your mental and physical well-being. The earlier you develop a breathing technique, the better you could manage stress-related problems.

When you meditate, you will be able to experience relief from stress that has lasting benefits. Meditation is a popular activity you can do on your own by simply reading and reflecting, listening to music, calming yourself in a peaceful and quiet spot, or even focusing on something positive.

Of course, working with a specialist first to learn the ropes is highly recommended. Meditation is commonly applied at the end of some sports sessions, yoga included.

The deep state of relaxation that meditation produces can easily make you eliminate stressful thoughts and focus only on what is good for your overall well-being. Through meditation, you can respond better to stress triggers and become more aware of your behavior towards other people.

Just like proper breathing exercises, self-massage can also reduce muscle tension and relieve stress. In a research published in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice , the data shows that most nurses who take advantage of massage were able to reduce stress and stress-related symptoms such as headache, muscle pain and tension, insomnia, and fatigue.

Did you know you can try self-massage even while at work? You can stay on your desk and self-massage between tasks. You can enhance the effect of massage with the use of aromatic oil or scented lotion. Five minutes should be enough to do it. Does your mind get too noisy and overwhelmed with so many thoughts up until bedtime?

This technique enables you to elicit bodily sensations of warmth and heaviness through self-hypnosis. Through a level of self-reflection, your mind connecting with your body has a therapeutic effect that many first-timers decide to repeat and opt-in for as a continuous stress-relief practice.

After multiple sessions, you can voluntarily shift into a state of reduced stress and heal any respiratory, circulatory, insomnia, and anxiety disorders that are normally caused by stress.

Instead of randomly checking out the web or doom-scrolling through your social feeds, why not invest in self-motivation and enroll in courses online or follow pages that help you get motivated? Self-motivation is a great way to combat stress and get rid of ongoing anxiety.

Among the most critical elements is social support. Surround yourself with people who can encourage you and lead you to appreciate the bright side of everything and reflect on what else you can improve.

Connecting with the right people and shifting your habits will both allow you to calibrate your state of mind. Exercise also makes people feel good about themselves. Exercise is known to produce endorphins which are the chemicals in the brain that serve as natural painkillers and enable better sleep.

Find time to move your body around and undertake a physical activity by doing minimal changes in your day-to-day activities. Exploring your creative side does not only reduce stress and anxiety, but also helps you become even more productive.

This could mean as simple as engaging in activities or as complicated as taking risks. Either way, you must stimulate your imagination and boost your creativity minus all the stress around. Others presume that playing video games can lead to real-world aggression, especially if the games are filled with violence.

However, several research studies show a positive link between playing video games and reducing stress level. In one particular study , 1, game players are surveyed and the results showed that games help the players cope after getting exposed to stressful situations. But like with any other games, be careful about getting addicted to playing.

Should you ever play one occasionally, choose to play games that have a cooperative social component. Additionally, look up specialized games on relieving stress. While your RPG or 3rd party shooter can be exciting, they also act on your nerve system in various ways, which may affect your food cravings or sleeping schedule.

Certain games have been fine-tuned to relieve stress — still a playful exercise with a positive outcome on your mental health.

Also, take note of your mental state before and after playing. If playing what you thought as a stress-relief game ended giving you stress, then avoid this as a stress-relief tool. The key to avoiding stress brought about by too many commitments is simply to not overcommit yourself.

Prioritize the important tasks. There are urgent tasks that are not really important so, learn how to distinguish priorities as well. The Eisenhower Matrix is a great productivity tool for categorizing priorities appropriately. Leaving some time off for yourself is a great way to recharge and handle duties.

According to Oxford Dictionary, a safe space is any place or environment in which a person or group of people can feel confident that they will not be discriminated against, criticized, harassed, or experience emotional or physical harm. Safe spaces are vital for mental well-being and represent a healthy stress management technique.

Whether virtual or physical, an individual must have access to a safe space in order to shield himself from any prejudice. Lack of a safe space can lead to anxiety, which is the primary indicator of high-level stress.

You want to be able to put your guard down and rest from time to time. It can get emotionally exhausting if you continually expose yourself to a stressful and toxic environment. Be sure you create a safe space, no matter how little, for your sanity. Too much stress can make you lose your drive towards achieving anything at all.

Worse, it can even make you forget your worth and your capabilities.