Massachusetts General Hospital

Combat Job Stress

Try some of the following ways to cope with job stress:

• Start off your day with breakfast.
• Occasionally change your routine by meeting a friend or co-worker for breakfast. Allow time to relax and enjoy it.
• Instead of drinking coffee all day - drink fruit juice.
• Find some time during the day to meditate or listen to a relaxation tape.
• Organize your work priorities.
• Don't try to be perfect. Don't feel like you have to do everything.
• Avoid doing 2 or 3 or more things at a time.
• If possible, reduce the noise level in your environment.
• Speak up about petty annoyances while respecting others' feelings.
• Develop a co-worker support network.
• Don't take your job home with you or on breaks.
• Always take a lunch break (preferably not at your desk).
• Optimize your health with good nutrition, sleep and rest.
• Get regular exercise.
• Develop with co-workers your own brand of happy hour, parties, birthday celebrations and other events that act as a break in the work routine.
• Look at unavoidable stress as an avenue for growth and change.
• Avoid people who are "stress carriers".
• Avoid people who are "negaholics".
• Don't watch the 11 pm news.
• Give yourself praise strokes.
• Develop interests outside your job through family, friends, and volunteer activities.
• Cultivate hobbies, and take special weekends and vacations. Treat yourself to "new and good things".
• Be assertive. Learn to express your needs and differences, to make requests, and to say "no" constructively.
• Seek out emotional resources available to you that are close at hand - coworkers, spouse, friends and family.
• Don't be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help.
• Allow extra time to get to appointments.
• Take deep breaths when you feel stressed.
• Try to find something funny in difficult situations.
• Find ways to protect yourself ... take a "mental health day".