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Tips on Relieving Stress Caused by Colleagues 
1. If possible, work as a team; collaborate and to share the burden of tasks. Delegate or share duties when possible.
2. Team members can be cross-trained so that if someone is out, another co-worker can possibly take care of some tasks or meetings that need to be handled.
3. Laugh, play games, participate in employee engagement activities, maybe do something together outside of work to get to know each other on more of a personal level.
4. Bring a sense of humor to the team to relieve stress or challenges.
5. If there are conflicts or policy breeches, it may be necessary to look into the company policy as to how to handle employee disagreements. In some cases, your manager or Human Resources (HR) may need to intervene or advise.
6. Learn how to work with people who are negative. Some people will not think positively and are Negative Nellys or Doubting Debbies. Learn more about how to handle negative people and situations here.

How to Overcome Stress Caused by Our Boss (or Client)

1. What leverage do you have to negotiate timelines or deadlines? Can you have an open dialogue with stakeholders about what is causing stress?
2. Prepare ahead of time for meetings with the boss or the client. This will help you especially in negotiation or critical talks to be ready for some of the conversation to come.
3. Take a deep breath or a break in between client or customer calls to help the mind switch gears and take a break. This will help you handle situations with irate customers better.
4. Do you have leverage to convince someone of your standpoint? What does he or she want that you have? What can he or she do for you to make your life easier? What information do you have that he or she doesn’t have?

General Tips To Overcome Workplace Stressors

1. Try not to personalize work-related problems.
2. Learn conflict resolution skills and apply them appropriately.
3. Find a healthy way to take out stress outside of work (not on family or spouse).
4. Have rituals to separate work from home (even it’s as simple as a change of clothes). This really helps with work-life balance.
5. Get enough sleep, eat well, and go to sleep and wake up on a regular schedule.
6. Get exercise or have some physical activity in your life.
7. See if there are ways to integrate fun into work everyday or at least on special days (holiday or cultural programs, birthdays, annual days, or other company related events).
8. Don’t worry about things you don’t have control over. Try to do what you can in your own capacity, delegate the rest.
9. Don’t brood and loose sleep (when possible!).
10. Have hobbies outside of work to distract and relax the mind.
11. Have a set of friends outside of work that aren’t colleagues so that all conversations don’t go back to work-related topics.
12. Have a good support system- someone you can talk to about work or work-related issues. But, don’t talk to that person about only work all the time!
13. Keep a list of inspirational quotes or mantras or prayers.
14. Don’t forget to drink water and reduce caffeine intake. Try to eat healthy and on a regular schedule.
15. Step away from the situation if possible to clear your head.
16. Be nice. Treat others like you like to be treated. Show empathy.
17. Take a step back from the situation and see if our own fears or responses are realistic or warranted. Sometimes we can be too close to the situation, take it too personally or blow it out of proportion.
18. Set aside time for worry. Don’t worry during other times.
19. Learn how to give feedback that inspires conversation rather than shut down.
20. Listen more. Talk less.
21. Place pictures of loved ones on your desk or on your phone or computer. Look at them to calm down. Pictures of religious symbols, saints or god(s) can also help.
22. Have toys, stress relief balls or some gadgets on your desk or in your work area you can use to reduce stress, like a stress ball (pictured, right).
23. Visualize a good outcome. Have positive thoughts. Take a break. Meditate.
24. Try to understand what you can and can’t tolerate. If everything is a stressor it’s like the boy that cried wolf… when it comes time for a real stressor to rear it’s ugly head, no one will believe the person who says everything stresses them out.

Is There a Cure for Work Related Stress? 
There is probably not a one-size fits all cure, nor would stress magically vanish. We all have different thresh-holds for stress. What makes one stressed out may not even phase another person. Maybe we can learn from each other in these cases. In some cases, stress can be a motivator helping us to stay focused or on task. Some agree that stress will always be a part of work (and of life) and rather than try to avoid or deny it, we must find ways to handle and overcome it.

A Stress-Relief Plan? 
I have worked with some professionals on a stress-relief plan. We would outline a few situations that cause stress on the job and a few solutions or ideas to reduce the stress. Maybe creating a stress-relief plan may be useful for you as well. If you need assistance with that, that is one of the services provided through Authentic Journeys personalized coaching services.

Do you have any other strategies or advice on dealing with office-place stress? Share your thoughts in the comments section below or in this Facebook thread.

Jennifer Kumar, blog author is a coach and facilitator. If you are looking for a coach to help you overcome challenges in your career, get in touch.

Related Posts:
How to create a culture shock relief plan
Finding Peace with a Difficult Situation

Images of Positive thoughts: Jennifer Kumar (blog author)
Photo credit for woman holding head in hands: energepic.com at pexels