How to Lower Your Workplace Stress



By RUTH MANTELL

Your workload has increased, so have your boss's expectations. But scaling back could mean losing a job.

Talk about stress.

Paul Baard, an organizational and motivational psychologist at Fordham University's graduate business school in New York, knows just how stressful a work environment can get. He has consulted with athletes in the high-stakes, high-pressure world of professional sports.

What secret has he passed along to those clients? When you are in a slump, you can still contribute by encouraging your teammates.

- Encourage teammates
- Help others
- Find meaning in your tasks; ask yourself, “Why do I do this work?” That helps your attitude change so you can put aside difficulties and compromise.
- Reduce your expectations.
- See "challenges," not "problems."  Approach work as an opportunity to learn, to take on new challenges.
- Set intermediate goals, to you can derive a sense of accomplishment, and keep pace with longer-term targets.