APU Careers Careers & Learning

Keeping Work-Related Stress in Check

By Marcia Powers
Contributor, Career Services

We have all experienced times during our careers when work is particularly stressful. Work-related stress can mount up quickly when managing multiple projects, meeting deadlines and keeping up with daily responsibilities. Left to its own devices, it can leave you feeling burned out in a hurry.

People use a variety of different tactics to help them relieve work-related stress throughout their day. Below are three of my personal favorites that I use to help me keep my stress levels in check:

Take time for breaks.
It’s taxing to push through an entire workday without a single break. I can recall many situations in my past where I toiled tirelessly throughout the day without pause, only to leave work feeling exhausted, overwhelmed and (not surprisingly) still stressed. To avoid this, I have found that taking a couple breaks throughout my day can do wonders in alleviating stress and tension. Often, it is as simple as taking a few moments to brew a fresh cup of coffee, stretch my legs or step outside for a deep breath of fresh air. When I get back to my desk, I usually feel more focused, calm and in control.

Make the “to-do” list shorter.
Like many working professionals, I thrive on creating “to-do” lists to organize my day. Yet, to-do lists can get out of control, so be careful not to pile on too many tasks. For me, a lengthy list often produces more stress, as I find it is too difficult to complete the entire list by the end of the day. When possible, make a shorter to-do list, and focus on completing the most prioritized tasks. By creating a shorter and more achievable list, I find myself feeling accomplished by what I am getting done, rather than stressing out about what is left undone.

Laugh.
Laughter really is the best medicine, and sometimes, a crazy cat meme is all we need to blow off some stress and get back on track. No matter how stressful a workday becomes, taking the opportunity to smile or laugh can help make a tough workday easier to bear.

Remember, there are a lot of options on how one might relieve work-related stress. The important thing is to find something that works well for you.

[Related: 5 Tips to Manage Work-Related Stress]

About the Author

Marcia attended the University of Minnesota – Duluth where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in History. After graduation, Marcia decided to serve in the AmeriCorps, where she discovered her passion for helping others achieve their academic and career goals. Deciding that higher education was the right path for her, Marcia gained experience in admissions and financial aid before transitioning to career services at American Public University System (APUS). As a career coach at APUS, Marcia’s industries of focus are emergency and disaster management, homeland security, criminal justice, and security management. Marcia currently resides in West Virginia and enjoys spending her free time hiking, fishing, and camping with her family and friends.

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