10 Ways to Reduce the Stress of Being Leader

 

by David Weiman

Numerous sources have referred to chronic workplace stress and burnout as an epidemic. Reports from major health services and surveys in business publications regularly report alarming statistics about the health consequences of chronic stress and the cost to organizations of stress-related absences, accidents, poor productivity and morale problems.

 

Why is it so common? Hard work is an American value. But we’re probably adhering to that value too well, as people are working harder but taking less time off than ever before. Also, the days are gone when people worked for the same company for 30 years and then got a gold watch at their retirement party. Job changes are more frequent now, and that’s an additional source of stress.

 

How do you know if you're overstressed? Ask yourself these questions:

· Do you rush in a panic to work every morning?

· Eat lunch at your desk to get as much work done as possible?

· Too exhausted at the end of the day to enjoy activities at night?

· Ruminating as you try to fall asleep about what needs to be done tomorrow?

· Dreaming (or having nightmares) about work?

· Putting off vacations because you're too busy to take them?

 

If you answered yes to at least two of these questions, stress is probably affecting your life more than you realize.

 

And it's not uncommon for overstressed people to either ignore or fail to recognize the signs that they're over-committed to their work. But the physical and emotional consequences of working as hard and as fast as you can every day are serious, and include increased risk of a heart attack, decreased resistance to infections, anxiety and more.

 

How about some good news? Fortunately, the process of redesigning an overstressed life can be relatively straightforward, and includes an assessment of stressors, resources, commitments and opportunities for identifying personal and professional goals and values.

 

Here are 10 specific ways you can reduce your workplace stress:

 

1. Prioritize! Don’t try to get everything done at the same time.

2. When you get interrupted by someone at work, put them on your schedule and tell them you’ll get back to them at an agreed-upon time.

3. Don’t eat lunch at your desk, and don’t bring work with you to lunch.

4. Use deep-breathing exercises or relaxation techniques to de-stress during the day.

5. Reduce the noise in your environment by shutting your office door if you have one.

6. Don’t keep things bottled up! Let co-workers know if something they’re doing is causing you stress. Address things calmly and professionally.

7. Eat right, sleep right and exercise regularly (with your doctor’s permission).

8. Try leaving the radio off in your car on the way home. Many people find that the quiet helps them unwind.

9. When at home, don’t ruminate on work-related problems. Write them down, put them out of your mind and add them to your schedule the next day.

10. Use friends as a sounding board for discussing work-related issues.

Even if you're not feeling particularly stressed right now by your work life, these ideas can help you continue to enjoy your work life to its fullest and protect you against future stressors.

 

Dr. David Weiman is a management psychologist in Wynnewood, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. His practice is dedicated to helping organizations identify and develop skilled leaders. The author of the new book Managing Stress, he is also an adjunct assistant professor at the Institute for Graduate Clinical Psychology, Widener University.

 

Prior to becoming a psychologist, Dr. Weiman was the Vice President of Marketing of Lapidary Journal, Inc., a publishing company. He earned a bachelors degree in religion from Dickinson College, a master's degree in counseling psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, and a master's and a doctorate in psychology from Widener University. He can be contacted through his website at Leadershipfirst.com.