Stress seems to be part of every job description. But that doesn’t mean it gets to take over your life. When handled correctly, stress can be contained, minimized and conquered.
Consider these
1. Face it head on. If the source of the stress is something that’s being ignored, deal with directly, like Jeff Bezos.
“Stress primarily comes from not taking action over something that you can have some control over,” the Amazon CEO saidin an interview with Academy of Achievement. “I find as soon as I identify it, and make the first phone call, or send off the first e-mail message, or whatever it is that we’re going to do to start to address that situation — even if it’s not solved — the mere fact that we’re addressing it dramatically reduces any stress that might come from it.”
2. Find a quiet place. When feeling the heat, retreat … to the bathroom? Hey, it works for Oprah Winfrey.
“Some days, I want to scream out loud when dealing with the complexities of getting good shows on the air. But one thing I know for sure: I’m not a screamer. I can count on one hand the number of times when I’ve actually raised my voice at someone,” the media mogul wrote in her book, What I Know for Sure. “I usually go to a quiet place. A bathroom cubicle works wonders. I close my eyes, turn inward, and breathe.”
3. Take a break. Sometimes, stepping away is the best strategy for effectively jumping in. “I think it’s really important to take time off,” YouTube CEO Susan Wojicki told Today. “And I’ve also found that sometimes you get really good insights by taking time off, too.”
4. Get more sleep. An effective day at work actually begins the night before, according to Arianna Huffington, somake sleep a priority.
“There is that special glow after a good night’s sleep when you feel really in the zone,” she said in a 2013 interview. “You feel like, ‘Bring it on — you know I can handle anything!'”
5. Move away from the desk. Take a page from Jack Dorsey and incorporatemorning workouts and out-of-office walks into your daily routine. The co-founder of Twitter and Square wakes up at 5:30 a.m. for meditation and a six-mile jog, and takes breaks during office hours to stroll outside.
6. Sweat it out. Give stress a physical release through exercise, as Michelle Obama does.
“Exercise is really important to me — it’s therapeutic,” the First Lady told Marie Claire. “If I’m ever feeling tense or stressed or like I’m about to have a meltdown, I’ll put on my iPod and head to the gym or out on a bike ride along Lake Michigan with the girls.”
7. Play games. Remember the toys you used to play with in childhood? Try recasting a stressful problem as a Lego project, and take it one brick and a time. Hey, it works for Brad Pitt.
“If I have something that I’m dealing with that’s causing me a lot of stress, my mind goes to architecture. I walk around the yard and start thinking about what I need to do to the house structurally,” the actor and producer told Parade. “It’s similar to puzzles in that way, like a crossword puzzle or anything else I can put my mind into. It’s a relief for me.”
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SOURCE: FORTUNE
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