🔒Better ways to manage work-induced stress

“HBR Guide to Managing Stress at Work” (Harvard Business Review Press, $19.99).

Who doesn’t feel stressed at work these days? Do more with less. Priorities and deadlines rearranged. Voicemail. Email. Reports. Meetings. Add the unknown what’s-next effect of COVID-19 to the list. The information in these 14 HBR essays won’t help you eliminate stress but will help you understand its triggers and mitigate its effects. Here are highlights:

All of us are susceptible to attention deficit trait (ADT). The more we’re expected to do, the more overwhelmed we feel. Interruptions exacerbate the ADT problem. We operate in a constant state of stop-that-do-this, especially when we are working at home. Creativity and the ability to think through problems and potential solutions diminish.

What to do? Interact with those who have positive attitudes. Their do-it approach reduces negative thoughts. Use them as how-to sounding boards. Positivity wakes up the brain’s “executive center responsible for decision making, planning and information prioritizing.”

Organize ADT workarounds. Write down everything in front of you at the beginning of each day including meetings/scheduled calls. Then employ OHIO (Only Handle It Once) to whittle down your list. Decide what must be done (act, save for later, throw away). Prioritize the acts.

Time segment your calendar. Use 35-minute segments to work on each of your “acts.” Send calls to voicemail, turn off the email ping and literally put a “do not disturb” sign on the entrance to your workspace to minimize interruptions. Use a 10-minute break after completing an act to think about the next act. At day’s end deal with voicemail, return calls and respond to emails.

To recharge your brain and relax, leave work behind by going outside for your lunch break. If you have lunch with colleagues, steer clear of work topics.

Takeaway: Organization, prioritization and “hitting pause” reduce stress.