Work causes stress - here are some simple ways to deal with it. Stress at work, ways to manage stress in the workplace

Professional stress is a condition that is familiar to more than half of the Russian population. Work pressure can have a number of consequences if a person does not deal with it. Before overcoming professional stress, you should find out your own causes of stress and associate them with your work.

Definition and concept

Professional stress is a mental, and subsequently physical, reaction to professional activity. More often, work stress is familiar to workers whose work involves serious mental stress.

The causes of this condition can be a variety of factors. A person experiences tension not only when he needs to work, but even then he begins to worry when he even thinks about his work. The work atmosphere leads to the emergence of unpleasant associations, disgust, accumulated negativity leads to the fact that a person breaks down even in a relaxed atmosphere.

In the future, professional stress can lead to the accumulation of a negative outlook not only on one’s work activities, but also on other areas of life. In this case, professional stress, if not overcome, develops into serious mental illness.

Causes

Before dealing with stress at work, it is necessary to find out the causes of occupational stress. Although they may vary from person to person, the causes of stress at work are often:

Change of professional activity - a person may not be able to cope with his responsibilities independently at first, and may require help without receiving it. All these are stress factors.
Prolonged physical, mental, emotional stress - stress in professional activities most often accumulates precisely for this reason.
Inadequate self-esteem - stress and conflicts in professional activities often accumulate due to the fact that a person values his abilities too highly in comparison with his colleagues.
Principles and beliefs that contradict those established in the team - these stress factors are reinforced by the fact that colleagues distance themselves from the employee, and he must resolve all issues independently.
Physiological characteristics – low resistance to stress, chronic somatic diseases, which contribute to the fact that overcoming negativity occurs extremely slowly.
The circumstances of the organization - a lot depends on how the work is organized. Some people burn out like crazy at work, but their work does not bring the desired results. Others organize their work correctly, measuredly, reaching even greater heights.

For whatever reason, stress and conflicts develop in professional activities, it is important to decide in time how to deal with stress at work in each specific case.

Varieties of the condition

Before you relieve stress at work and choose the most optimal option for yourself, it is important to study the types of professional stress and choose yours among them. If you cannot cope with this task, contact a psychologist and solve the problem together. The following types of professional stress are distinguished:

Communicative. A person does not know how to get rid of stress at work because he does not know how to establish connections with the team and resist aggression directed at him.
Informational. Strong physical and mental stress leads to the fact that a person is not able to adequately make decisions and analyze situations.
Emotional. Leads all types of occupational disorders, as it is the most common. Caused by the fact that a person does not know what to do when everyone is going with the flow. It seems to him that he needs to do something different to stand out. As a result, necessary tasks are not solved, and the person experiences emotional exhaustion.

How stress develops

The mechanisms of accumulation of professional stress are quite complex and can be conditionally divided into only three stages. Having understood the reasons, you should determine the stage of your own negative state.

Nervous start

The beginning of stressful processes, tension that accumulates and is increasingly difficult to get rid of. According to the professional field, the duration of this mechanism can be from a couple of minutes to several months.

Affect

A person loses professional qualities and self-control, becomes aggressive, gloomy, irritable.

Decline of strength

Fighting one’s tension exhausts a person, he is weakened, and in the future it will be more and more difficult to survive stress.

Even if you experience a negative mood only once a week or month, this does not mean that you are not susceptible to the consequences of this phenomenon.

When a person is exposed to stress or has experienced a breakdown, not only the central nervous system suffers, but also the internal organ systems. There are also negative effects on blood circulation, oxygen starvation, exacerbation of existing pathologies, dilation of veins and decreased libido.

Stress factors

Among professional stresses, the following factors of their development are distinguished:

Officials. Work moments that are difficult to overcome without knowing exactly what goals the management sets for itself. The employee does not know what work results should be obtained at the end of the work.
Labor. Overload or lack of work in the professional field. The employee feels undervalued, and when overworked, a stressful situation and anxiety develop.
Personal factors. People who love their jobs often struggle with choosing between family and work. They cannot manage their time in such a way as to get everything done.
Career. The person is afraid of being fired, but he is not advancing professionally either.

Physical negative factors include noise, vibration, cold in the workplace, contact with caustic chemicals, and toxic compounds.

Remedies

To cope with constant stress and eliminate the negative impact of the experience, you should protect yourself from such phenomena.

Ideally, management should solve the problem. The explosive state of the team will entail, if not the dismissal of valuable employees at their own request, then at least a noticeable decrease in their ability to work.

What a person can do for himself is a cup of green tea. If you don’t like green, make the one you like, or drink coffee. Professional tension in the midst of the working day can be relieved, thus, without attracting attention from superiors.

How to overcome stress in the workplace - turn on your favorite music for literally three minutes. To combat nerves during work, they use breathing autoregulation techniques.

Prevention

Since it is possible and even necessary to avoid stress at work, it is enough to master simple ways to prevent it. Remember a few simple ways to prevent a stressful situation:

Stop multitasking - work as much as your internal resources allow.
Try to complete the task the first time, without postponing it until later.
Do not be distracted by extraneous things and unnecessary matters while performing the main task.
Plan your working day - common time management techniques will help you with this.

A person who is distracted by routine tasks while working is not able to cope with the task assigned either quickly or efficiently.

The risk of encountering tense situations increases, since management expects results, and the employee knows that he has been honestly busy all day. But with what?

The better and faster the task is completed, the better standing you will have with your superiors, and the better you will cope with your feelings.

By carrying out such simple prevention, you prevent stressful situations not only for yourself, but also for those who are associated with you at work. Don't stay late at work and value your time with your loved ones - they are also your support in getting rid of stress.

If you want to manage stress, follow these tips.

Switch between home and work modes

Do what works for you. Perhaps it's a walk, a cup of coffee or meeting a friend. In any case, you need to try to switch between work and home modes. You'll feel significantly less pressure and your kids will thank you.

Be active

Exercising won't completely relieve you of stress, but it will help you relieve the emotional stress you feel, clear your mind, and be able to deal with your problems more calmly.

Form connections with people

A good support network of colleagues, friends and family can ease all your suffering and allow you to see the problem in a new light. What you do with friends will allow you to relax. Very often you laugh with them, and laughter is a great stress reliever.

Challenge yourself

By setting goals and challenging yourself both at work and in everyday life, such as learning a foreign language or a new sport, you can build your self-confidence. This will help you fight stress.

Work smarter, not harder

Working smarter means prioritizing, focusing on the tasks that are most important.

Eat a balanced diet

Eat a balanced diet, including as many fruits and vegetables as possible, as well as foods containing complex carbohydrates. The ideal diet has enough protein and little fat.

Go outside whenever possible

A little sunshine and physical activity can do you a world of good and improve your overall life.

Think positively

Try to counter every negative thought that comes into your mind with a positive one. Always look for the good in everything.

Set realistic goals

Don't set yourself up for failure by setting unrealistic goals. For example, if you are on a diet, you should understand that you cannot lose ten kilograms in one month. Give yourself enough time to achieve your goals and accept that you may encounter challenges along the way. If possible, avoid expectations entirely. Expectations and reality are most often two completely different things.

Take time for yourself

You should be at the top of your priority list. Take care of your needs first. When you take care of them, you will realize that you have enough time for other people. You'll enjoy helping others more when you don't feel like you're always putting other people's needs ahead of your own.

Practice good sleep habits

Make sure you always go to bed and get up at approximately the same time every day. Avoid stimulating games and take a warm shower before bed to help you fall asleep. Try to solve all problems before going to bed. If possible, solve them during the day.

Mindfulness Meditation

Try mindfulness meditation. Meditation has steadily grown in popularity in recent years, with many people practicing it to not only relax their minds, but (more importantly) also to find peace of mind. In other words, you need to concentrate on the specific moment that is happening right now.

Laughter is the best medicine

You should listen to humorous podcasts, watch comedies, or at least watch short videos at the end of the day or on your way home from work. Laughter has both short- and long-term benefits, improving both mood and immune system function. So it is recommended to laugh as often as possible.

Perhaps you're upset because you didn't get the promotion you've been waiting for, or you're worried because you're having financial problems due to an unexpected medical bill. Stress is a natural reaction in such situations. But try to stop and ask yourself, will this problem still matter a year from now? In five years? If the answer is no, then you should take a deep breath and try to move forward. If you want to combat stress, it's important to look at things from different perspectives.

Try to exercise regularly every day

Exercise is one of the best ways to combat stress because it will allow you to relieve both the physical and emotional effects of stress. You should also think about specific sports or physical activities that can achieve specific results that relieve you of stress. We are talking about activities such as yoga, tai chi, Pilates or martial arts. All of them are a great way to get rid of accumulated stress and negativity. Exercise can productively control stress hormones produced in the brain.

Stress is a common phenomenon that accompanies modern man. Its impact can significantly affect the success of work, and sometimes create a threat to safety, because the experience of negative emotions significantly weakens attention.

It is important to know how to deal with stress at work so that your work efficiency is always at its best.
In this article we will tell you what leads to stress, what the consequences may be, but most importantly, what methods exist to combat it. A few simple tips will help you cope with yourself, relieve the effects of stress and prevent its occurrence.

Why is there stress at work?

There can be several factors causing stress in the workplace. In many ways, everything depends on the person’s perception of external influences, as well as the ability of his body to adapt to changing conditions. The type of nervous system also has a significant influence on the response to stressors.

It is most difficult for melancholic people; they often withdraw into themselves.
Cholerics can express stress through anger and irritability directed at other people.

Sanguine people are more optimistic and easy-going in social contacts and attitude towards work; it is easiest for them to relieve stress. Phlegmatic people perceive more calmly what happens to them and the people around them.

There are several common causes of stress in the workplace.

Arrival at a new place of work. A change in organization, type of activity, or position definitely causes a reaction in any person. You come to a completely new environment and are forced to get to know a team that is not always welcoming to newcomers. Adds here other rules of behavior, daily routine and the need to master skills that you do not yet possess. A new job causes stress in almost 90% of people, this is normal, however, the severity of the reaction varies.

Pressure from superiors and authoritarian leadership style. This is one of the common reasons why people not only experience stress, but also quit. An authoritarian leader does not give his subordinates the opportunity to relax and independently solve assigned tasks, demands unquestioning obedience and controls every step of the staff. Constant pressure from above feels like discomfort, and it can be quite difficult to relieve stress.

Monotonous work. Stress is caused not so much by the large amount of work as by its monotony. The human psyche is designed in such a way that a person gets tired and irritated from monotonous actions, which is why it is so important to know how to avoid stress at work.

How to reduce the likelihood of stress in professional activities

A few effective tips will help relieve tension.

1 . Create a comfortable workplace around you. This does not mean that you will have to install soft chairs and sofas. Comfort can be created using completely simple methods:

Determine the place it needs for each thing so that you don’t have to look for it for a long time;
stop throwing papers, folders and pens on the table;
remove excess if the item is not in use at the time;
install a comfortable chair, but not too soft, so as not to relax too much;
place a photo of a loved one, your favorite dog, or just a beautiful picture next to it;
if opportunities allow, then place a small indoor plant on your desktop - the green color helps relieve eye and nervous system tension;
regulate the flow of sufficient light, comfortable and safe for the eyes.

2 . Alternate work and rest. A lunch break is a must. Many commercial organizations do not include a lunch break in their schedule; this violates the law and causes employee fatigue, since a person must have food during the day. Missing lunch is bad for your physical and emotional health.

3. On weekends, don't think about work. Perhaps on your legal day off you are worried about an unsubmitted report, an unfinished project, or how your superiors will react to the result of your work. These experiences are meaningless, since it is impossible to influence work at home.

There is even a useful saying: We leave all work problems in the office, and home problems at home. . It is also not recommended to mix family and professional affairs, that is, if you are at work thinking about what is happening at home, tension will increase and work efficiency will decrease.

4 . Set intermediate goals, break the work into stages. This will help identify what needs to be done first. Structuring allows you to avoid delays, complete projects on time and survive difficult work moments.

5 . If you have subordinates, then delegate some of the work to them. You can't carry everything on yourself. Distributing tasks allows you to act much more efficiently and relieve yourself of small and unnecessary tasks.

6 . Give your nervous system a rest. For this you will need:

good sleep;
relaxation techniques - meditation;
listening to calm music;
camping.

If you have to communicate with a lot of people, then set aside a day for complete solitude. Do what you like, just enjoy life.

7. Learn to give up what you don’t like or consider unnecessary, that is, say “no.” This is not easy, but it will help you not to be distracted from your main tasks. Often colleagues ask us to do something for us. Yes, for the sake of cooperation, you can sometimes help them, but if it becomes a system, it begins to interfere with your main activity and leads to additional fatigue.

8. Learn calming breathing techniques. Counting to ten often doesn't help here. An interesting method taken from meditation is: inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds and hold your breath for two seconds. Relaxing breathing helps you master your emotions, calm your nerves, and switch to a different mode of work.

9. Meditations. Of course, it is unlikely that you will be able to meditate at your workplace, but you can do it after work or during your lunch break if you have a break room. Sometimes 20 minutes of meditation is enough to clear your thoughts and relieve stress.

Analyze your work

It often happens that a person does not have time to do anything. He is surrounded by a lot of unnecessary things, colleagues and bosses are constantly asking for something. Systematic overtime and extra hours are especially dangerous. If you don't have time to do something, then think about why this is happening. Main reasons:

you don’t know how to refuse, and your colleagues take advantage of this;
you are unable to structure your activities, that is, everything happens spontaneously and unorganized;
you are not in the right place - and does this position correspond to your desires, needs and life goals.

The discrepancy between a position and expectations often leads to stress; this can last for many years, and the person does not even notice what the problem is. Sometimes a change of job or a transfer to another department helps to cheer up and understand what was the real cause of stress.

It’s not enough to survive stress; you have to learn to fight it and prevent it from developing. In order not to look for how to cope with stress at work, strengthen your nervous system, play sports, and have other hobbies besides professional activities that allow you to switch your attention.

Today, stress at work is a constant component of work life, and therefore it is very important to effectively manage mood. If you control emotional stress at work, then you can carry out your activities efficiently.

Which job is the most stressful? To your possible surprise, this is not the profession of a miner, race car driver or police officer. The results of the survey, in which about 2,670 specialists from companies operating in Russia - users of the HH.ru website, expressed their opinions, showed that working under stress is what insurance specialists do. About 79% of insurers noted that stressful situations in relation to them are the norm, not the exception.

Specialists in which industries also experience constant work stress? The results of the study showed that marketing and human resources specialists, accountants and purchasing employees of firms experience stress at work. The statement about the supposedly “dust-free work of sorting through pieces of paper” turned out to be erroneous. Working with people is constant stress. Listening to people, their complaints, finding an approach to each person is just as difficult, and maybe even more difficult, than investigating criminal cases.

Respondents noted: security industry employees feel most relaxed at work - only 52% of respondents are subject to stress, as well as people working in fitness centers and beauty salons (53%) and consulting specialists (55%). In this case, of course, not sociologists, but psychologists should indicate their position. Each person has his own threshold of sensitivity. It is impossible to call the mental organization of all people subtle. In a situation where a marketer starts crying, a policeman will laugh. And we are not talking here about courage, cynicism or “icy” calm, but about professional experience and skills, the habit of constantly experiencing stress at work. If a person cannot withstand stress at work, it is reasonable to change the field of activity in order to preserve nerve cells.

What causes stress at work

Stress at work and at home is common and fraught with consequences. One UN report labeled stress at work as the “plague of the 21st century.” Experts have repeatedly conducted numerous assessments and studies, the results of which have shown that at the moment the vast majority of people have mental disorders that appear as a result of acute or chronic psychological stress. Such conditions can develop into an epidemic and become one of the main social problems in modern society.

Economists believe that treating diseases caused by stress costs millions and billions of rubles. We are talking about direct treatment, compensation for employees, losses associated with absences and changes in personnel.

Let's look at the main causes of stress at work and the impact of stress on work.

Physical and hygienic working conditions:

increased or decreased ambient temperature;
increased or decreased illumination;
polluted air containing foreign substances;
increased noise or vibration;
high density in workplaces, excessive crowding of people;
isolated workplaces;
operating conditions that run counter to biological rhythms in the body (disruptions in eating and sleeping lead to stress);
monotonous work or, on the contrary, constant stress at work and “races”;
lack of intervals for rest (recuperation is extremely necessary).

Emotional factors:

increased responsibility;
inflated expectations from the employee;
dangerous working conditions in which a person risks life and health.

Information factors:

undefined job responsibilities;
fuzzy and unclear activity algorithms;
heuristic activity;
lack of training process to acquire proper skills and operate tools.

Communication factors:

working with stress in a high position;
“poisonous” and critical management style of superiors;
lack of opportunities to communicate with employees.

Stress at work in numbers

1,000,000 temporary departures from work were related to stress.

27% of respondents - employees of different companies noted that they began to experience stress precisely in connection with work.

45% of respondents noted that work-related stress is either very high or extremely high.

One third of respondents wanted to leave their job only due to stress.

70% noted that work-related stress had reduced their mental and physical health.

What can cause severe stress at work?

Circulatory system. There is some evidence of how psychological state influences the occurrence of diseases in the cardiovascular system. Constant worries, fears, and irritation lead to heart disease. As a result of stress, additional hormones are released, due to which the heart begins to contract more often, blood pressure becomes higher, and blood vessels constrict. All of the above causes the development of stroke and heart attack.

Musculoskeletal system. Stress, as well as flight-or-fight syndromes, causes muscles to become tense. It does not matter whether the threat is real or imaginary. Due to the pressure exerted by the muscles, the ligaments, joints and tendons are loaded, which leads to pain. In addition, there is a gradual weakening and fatigue of the muscles, which leads to headaches. The joints, back, neck, and shoulder blades begin to ache.

Digestive system. Severe stress at work and in life is accompanied by a cessation of saliva secretion by the salivary glands. Often, on the contrary, there is increased salivation. There is an increase in the secretion of acids in the stomach. The acidity level begins to exceed the permissible norm, which leads to heartburn, nausea, and then gastric ulcers. Another option that can be caused by stress is the appearance of diarrhea.

The immune system. Stress associated with work and life situations negatively affects the immune system. Various infections can easily penetrate the body. Thus, British scientists conducted research, the results of which became clear: cancer and severe emotional stress at work and in life (mainly fear) are closely related.

Respiratory system. Situations are common when, as a result of severe stress (a scandal with a customer, a reprimand from a boss, a quarrel with employees), asthmatic attacks occur.

We can say that stress associated with work and not only, in themselves, rarely becomes the cause of serious diseases. Stress makes the weakest parts of the body vulnerable. Unfortunately, damage to weakened organs caused by stress is irreversible.

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How workers react to stress at work and at home

Every person has their own stress response. Each reaction, according to experts, is physiological and psychological.

Physiological reactions include:

Anxiety. It can be called complex bodily and biochemical changes that reflect the body's attempts to restore normal functioning. People experiencing anxiety report fever, pain in joints and muscle tissue, decreased appetite and fatigue;
Resistance. In this case, anxiety symptoms disappear and physiological resistance increases relative to the norm in order to overcome prolonged work-related stress. At the same time, there is an increase in the secretion of various glands and a decrease in resistance to infectious diseases.
A stage called exhaustion. Occurs in case of prolonged stress. The body no longer has the strength to secrete an increased number of hormones and adapt to a prolonged stressful situation. Anxiety appears, expressed even more clearly. Exhaustion often causes emotional devastation, depersonalization, and a sense of failure. People in this state feel tired both during work and during periods free from work.

How we react to stressful situations largely depends on our perception of the world around us. Pessimists perceive work-related stress more acutely than optimistic people. Usually, certain unconscious reactions automatically appear in stressful situations, which can turn on one or another defense mechanism.

Suppression. In this case, a person clears his consciousness, eliminating unacceptable ideas and experiences.
Negation. Here the target perceives threatening objects as harmless.
Fixation. A reward of a certain type continues to be relevant after the completion of the stage where it was appropriate.
Regression. The person returns to a behavioral pattern that corresponded to an earlier period in development.
Rationalization. The person justifies unacceptable behavior by finding “compelling” reasons.
Intellectualization. Anxiety is reduced due to the fact that a person analyzes the situation emotionally and detachedly.
Projection. In this case, our unacceptable ideas and experiences are attributed to other people.
Transfer. Threatening ideas or impulses are directed towards a number of less threatening objects.
Sublimation. Socially unacceptable impulses are translated into behavioral types that are more acceptable.
Reaction. Feelings of anxiety or unpleasant tension are reduced by the fact that a person openly expresses his emotions.
Formation of reactions. A person develops conscious experiences and behavioral patterns that are the opposite of the unconscious and can cause an anxious state.

Overcoming stress at work: proper first aid

If a tense situation arises, there are certain actions you can take. Let things wait for you. Leave the room and wash with cool water. You can drink water. Switch to insignificant things - the view from the window, count trees, pedestrians, look at the flow of cars. Try doing some exercise. This “first aid” will be optimal.

Of course, life and work without stress is unrealistic. Therefore, experts in the field of psychology advise you to start creating a positive “policy” for yourself, which you can use in difficult life situations.

1. As your life rule, you should use an ancient prayer, the meaning of which is to turn to the Lord to give reason and peace, to accept what you cannot change, the courage to change what you can, and the wisdom to distinguish the first from the second. Such a life credo can be used by both believers and non-believers.

Often, striving for the impossible, people find themselves in situations that cause severe stress at work. Perhaps you should re-evaluate your goals, give them substance and practicality. If you are dealing with an impossible task, dealing with work stress and those tasks becomes pointless.

2. Develop the ability to find real problems and effective solutions. Some people on a subconscious level do not notice the difficulties surrounding them. Examples include your own illnesses, conflicts in teams, low wages, boring work. Learn to be honest - there is no benefit in self-deception. Any problem must be acknowledged. Voice it, accept it, trust it to a loved one. It is necessary to solve problems with minimal losses. Don't put off the process until tomorrow - start solving problems right now.

3. Fulfill your obligations conscientiously. Do not try to be a teacher for the team and all employees in it. Get rid of constant thoughts about possible refusal, disagreement of employees, etc. All this will serve as a kind of brake on your activity. Do what you must, and then it will be as it will be.

4. Live today without looking into tomorrow. Try to avoid worrying about the future. This time has not yet come and it is unclear what will happen tomorrow. There is also no need to worry about the past - it has passed and will not return.

5. Accepting yourself as you are is very important. Maybe your photo will never grace the cover of a fashion magazine, you will never win a Nobel Prize or hear applause from stadiums. But you are a unique person with your own unique strengths. Don’t worry about the impossible; rather, focus on developing your abilities.

6. In addition to accepting yourself, accepting others is important. Don't forget - you can't change people. If a person in close proximity to you causes stress at work or irritation, be it a hairdresser at a beauty salon, an accountant or another employee, try to understand - is he really that unpleasant to you? Does this person have strengths that you can appreciate. If it becomes increasingly difficult to deal with irritation, it is certainly wiser to take measures to dismiss or resolve the conflict rather than endure a difficult situation.

If a negative environment in the workplace unsettles you, think about it: does the situation pose a threat to your health, does it cause you stress at work, irritation, or is it intolerable? If the answers to all these questions are positive, stop the activity. If she erases moments of joy from life, even the largest income will not be able to fully replace all the negativity.

7. With every new day we have a lot of new opportunities. There is no need to remember past grievances, worries and frustrations, negative experiences. Sometimes you have to be spontaneous - react to everything that happens differently, look at situations from a new perspective.

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Methods for relieving stress at work

Vladimir Puzyrev, psychotherapist, director of the “Company of Useful Adventures”

1. Positive thinking. Look for the totality of lessons, positives, and secondary benefits in all situations. Try to find advantages in your opponent.

2. Breathe evenly. Control your breathing. In a calm state, breathing is slow and deep, in a tense state it is frequent and shallow. By changing your breathing technique in the first minutes of stress, you will have the opportunity to make changes in your emotional mood. After 5-7 minutes, your condition will return to normal and you will feel noticeably freer.

3. Reaction. Show a momentary reaction - the one that you consider necessary and the one that comes from the heart (the main thing in this case is not to harm yourself and others). You can read, cry, write or draw the situation, express a complaint. After a few minutes you will feel better.

4. Switching. Switch to something that can really take your mind off stress. If you are at work, you can drink coffee, eat sweets, play music quietly, chat with employees or call your loved ones.

5. Distancing. Give yourself some time to deal with stress. Let it be 6 minutes. Keep an eye on the clock. Write down the stress on paper, replacing all pronouns with “I.” Read what you wrote several times, make adjustments, and throw it out.

Preventing stress at work

There are certain methods and ways to deal with stress at work. The use of these methods can be both organizational and individual. Most of the methods are widely known.

As for individual methods, we are talking about:

regular active recreation;
relaxation (yoga, meditation, auto-training);
training to develop skills that help control behavior;
time planning;
sufficient and long sleep;
cognitive therapy.

Foreign companies often use effective methods, making the prevention of stress at work successful. For example, an employee’s benefits package includes payment for visits to the pool and gym. Some organizations strive to ensure that employees are aware of simple methods that help overcome constant stress at work. For example, BBC bosses published an expensive booklet containing information for staff about sitting correctly in a chair, folding paper airplanes, inhaling the scent of lavender and other ways to deal with stress at work. In other words, the 57-page brochure contained information about reducing stress in various ways. The booklet contained useful and valuable information to help deal with difficult situations.

But applying all these measures does not mean ensuring the proper result. The solution to the problem must be comprehensive so that employees not only know how to deal with stress at work and what follows such situations, but also know how to prevent them.

There are also organizational ways:

General prevention. Dealing with stress and preventing stressful situations is, for example, regular physical activity. Sports help relieve stress, increase immunity, and develop resistance to difficult situations. Yoga remains relevant to this day, as well as a number of techniques and breathing techniques aimed at finding and revealing internal resources and maintaining balance.

All methods that allow you to feel like you are not at work help restore the body and relieve the stress on the nervous system. Here we can talk about any activity related to the search for new pleasant experiences, replenishment of strength for life (in corporate practice they often use team-building training in the fresh air, sports competitions), creative activities, hobbies, reading, walks, etc.

Behavior analysis. This method of dealing with stressful situations is the most effective. Stress arises precisely in connection with what is of personal value to the employee. Thanks to correct and competent analysis, the value can be reduced by overcoming the problem. To correctly analyze the state of affairs, it is worth using the help of specialists - these can be both psychologists and coaches. By contacting them, you can quickly solve problems, talk about the situation and understand how constant stress at work is formed.

Working with coaches. When attracting them, the “anchor” technique is often used. By modeling emotionally significant situations, a person comes to anchoring, that is, a conventional tactile sign is superimposed on emotions. Thus, a certain object becomes attached to a particular sensation. In this regard, a person begins to experience similar emotions (for example, positive), which makes it possible to cope with stress.

Method of introspection. To solve the problem positively, you should look for the real cause of stress at work. It is equally important to be aware of the needs that cause a number of corresponding reactions. Using introspection, it is possible to learn about the current state of affairs and identify ways to solve the problem.

Exercise “Analysis of the causes of stress”

It is useful to ask yourself: “What emotions accompany me?”, “What occupies my thoughts?”, “How do I feel physically?”

Ask yourself questions: “For what reasons am I experiencing emotional stress at work?”, “What does this reaction mean?”, “Is it possible to benefit from these emotions?” Answer and record your thoughts in writing. Next, ask yourself a series of these questions again to identify why stress occurred at work.

It is necessary to find out about the benefit in relation to yourself: “What benefit will follow from this situation?”, “What can I lose, are losses possible?”, “What do I really want to get from this situation, behavior?”

A structural analysis of the stress process at work. To better understand the process, you should study a number of elements: behavior (learn about reactions to the situation), prerequisites and consequences (what causes the reaction), triggers (mechanisms that trigger the stress process). It is necessary to create a table with a structural analysis of the stress process and begin working with its components. It is necessary to find out why these triggers influence the start of the process, and whether it is possible to search for workarounds or supporting resources to help overcome the consequences.

Dissociation. To reduce the subjective value of stress, you can use appropriate approaches: change the framework of the situation or temporary stressors at work. You should leave the situation, go beyond and look at it from a distance. Ask yourself: “What does this situation mean in the activity as a whole?”, “What can change if I don’t solve the problem?” Next, understand what will happen if you do not resolve the situation, what may change. A number of problems seem important and complex only under the current circumstances. When considering the issue globally, the level of value decreases.

How to Avoid Stress Caused by Arguments with Clients

1. An employee must have self-confidence, not be arrogant, and talk to clients without ingratiating themselves.

2. You can talk about feelings with indignant customers. If the client loses his temper, talk to him, telling him that you understand his feelings and the situation he is in. Say something like: “I understand your anger, you are outraged.” Next, ask the person what exactly caused his indignation, and suggest methods to solve the problem. In the end, come to an agreement and agree on the implementation of the chosen solution or start looking for a compromise.

3. Do not forget about good manners and politeness. Always say “please”, “thank you for your call” - this is a minimum set of phrases.

4. Be positive. Try not to use the particle “not” in your speech.

5. Use a paraphrase. Active listening is useful when a specialist speaks to a client using the phrases “yes”, “that’s right” and others, as well as a paraphrase in which the customer conveys information to the administrator, and the latter uses phrases such as: “You specify that...”, “Do you know...”, “Did I understand you correctly that...”. This technique allows you to achieve a positive result in communication. The client feels understood and heard, as he can agree with the phrase you say or give a reasoned refusal. If you ignore this point, you will not be able to demonstrate to the customer that you want to know his requirements, and you will miss the chance to make cooperation trusting.

6. Understand the client, listen to him, intelligently ask logical questions.

7. Establish effective feedback with the client.

8. You must be able to adapt to the visitor. Speaking about adjustment (rapport), we can draw an analogy with putting children to bed. The child listens to fairy tales, mom or dad catches his rhythms. As the child begins to go to sleep, the narrator slows down the pace and lowers the decibels of his voice. Using rapport allows you to understand the client, gives him the opportunity to be heard, to include him in a single system where there is a single rhythm and behavioral pattern. For example, during a telephone conversation, the administrator has the opportunity to catch the client’s speech tempo. If the latter speaks at a slow pace, the administrator should conduct the dialogue in the same format.

Causes of conflicts in the salon between employees and with clients

Test to assess stress resistance

This stress tolerance test was developed by a psychologist working at the University Medical Center in Boston. You need to give answers to the questions based on the correctness of these statements in relation to you. You need to give answers on all points, even if the thesis is not relevant to you. So, to understand whether stress at work can affect you, you should take the test as honestly as possible.

Are you susceptible to stress?

Do you prefer at least one hot dish in your daily diet?
You get 7-8 hours of sleep, at least 4 days a week.
You feel warmth and love from the people around you and share these feelings with them.
You have at least one person who can support you, and he lives no further than 50 km from you.
You do intense physical activity or fitness at least 3 times in 7 days.
You can smoke less than half a pack of cigarettes in a day.
You drink no more than 5 glasses of alcohol per week.
The ratio of your height and weight is normal.
Your income level allows you to talk about meeting your basic needs.
You rely on your faith.
You enjoy social or club activities and are constantly involved in them.
You have friends and acquaintances in large numbers.
You can rely on one or two friends and have absolute trust in them.
You have no health problems.
You can easily talk openly about your concerns, explaining why emotional stress occurred at work or in life.
You are constantly discussing problems with the people you live with.
At least once every 7 days you do something for fun.
You know how to organize your time effectively.
You drink no more than 3 cups of coffee or other caffeinated drinks per day.
You can dedicate time to yourself every day, even just a little.

Answer the questions and calculate your points.

For the “almost always” option, add 1 point to yourself;
“Often” - 2;
“Sometimes” - 3;
“Almost never” - 4;
“Never” - 5.

Subtract 20 points from the total. If the resulting number is less than 10, congratulations! If you gave honest answers to the questions, then you have excellent stress resistance, and there is no reason to worry.

If the result is above 30, work-related stress is affecting you quite strongly. You haven’t yet learned how to eradicate stress at work, and you don’t know how to deal with it.

If your score is more than 50 points, think about it: maybe it’s worth changing something? You are very vulnerable to stressful situations.

You can take another look at the test questions. If you answered a score of 3 or more on any item, consider your behavior in accordance with that statement. Try to reduce stress at work and your level of vulnerability to such situations. For example, if you count 4 points as point 19, try to drink coffee per day in the amount minus one cup from the usual amount.

Take a close look at yourself at this moment, and not later, when time is lost.

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