Tension and anxiety are very common problems in society today and many people will suffer from symptoms of stress at some time in their lives.

As the effects of stress can be, at the very least, unpleasant, it’s useful to know how to manage and reduce stress in our lives. The stress issue is brought to our attention when we read news stories like the one I saw today, which says around a third (33%) of workers feel they work longer hours than five years ago, with many believing that technology, such as company mobile phones and remote email access, accounting for these additional hours. The survey by the Civil Service and Public Sector Membership Club, also found that although more private than public sector workers said that technology meant they remained in ‘work mode’ when they’d finished for the day, public sector employees reported a worse work-life balance overall.

The findings in the survey are very interesting so I do recommend you read it when you have the time.

There are numerous steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of being affected by stress and many of them are a matter of simple common sense.

So whether you work in the public or private sector, I hope these 5 Top Tips will help you to minimise or avoid stress:-

1.Get physical

Stressful situations increase the level of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol in your body. These are the “flight” or “fight” hormones that evolution has hard-wired into our brains to protect us from immediate bodily harm when we are under threat.

However, stress in the modern age is rarely remedied by a flight or fight response, and so physical exercise can be used as a substitute to metabolise the excessive stress hormones and restore your body and mind to a calmer more relaxed state.

When you feel stressed and tense, go for a brisk walk in fresh air.  Try to incorporate some physical activity into your daily routine, either before or after work, or at lunchtime. Regular physical activity will also improve the quality of your sleep.

2.Talk it over

Do not try to cope with problems alone. Having someone to share your problems can greatly help to “offload” the stress. You might find it useful to talk to a friend or work colleague, or talk to a line manager or employer if you are experiencing stress in the workplace.

Talking can work by either distracting you from your stressful thoughts or by releasing some of the built-up tension by discussing it.

Stress can cloud your judgement and prevent you from seeing things clearly. Talking things through with a friend, work colleague or even a trained professional, can help you find solutions to your stress and put your problems into perspective.

3.Take control

Stress can be triggered by a problem that may on the surface, seem impossible to solve.

Learning how to find solutions to your problems will help you feel more in control, thereby lowering your level of stress.

One problem-solving technique involves writing down the problem, and coming up with as many possible solutions for it as you can.

Decide on the good and bad points of each one and select the best solution.  Write down each step that you need to take as part of the solution: what will be done, how it will be done, when it will be done, who is involved, and where it will take place.

4.Manage your time

At times, we all feel overburdened by our “To Do” list and this is a common cause of stress. Accept that you cannot do everything at once and start to prioritise and diarise your tasks.

Make a list of things that you need to do and list them in order of genuine priority. Note what tasks you need to do personally and what can be delegated to others to fulfil.

Record which tasks need to be done immediately, in the next week, in the next month or when time allows. By editing what might have started out as an overwhelming and daunting task list, you can break it down into a series of smaller, manageable tasks spread out over a longer time frame, maybe with some tasks removed from the list entirely through delegation.

Don’t fill your schedule completely – allow 10% buffer time to deal with any unexpected or emergency tasks and to include time for your own relaxation and private thinking.

5.Learn to say “No”

A common cause of stress is having too much to do and too little time in which to do it.

And yet despite the situation, many people will still agree to take on additional responsibility.

Learning to say “No” to additional or unimportant requests will help to reduce your level of stress and may also help you to develop more self-confidence.

To learn to say “No” you need to understand why you find it difficult. Many people find it hard to say “No” because they want to help and are trying to be nice, and to be liked.

For others, it’s a fear of conflict, rejection or missed opportunities. Remember that these barriers to saying “No” are all self-created.

You might be reluctant to respond to a request with a straight “No” at least at first.  Instead, think of some pre-prepared phrases to let other people down more gently. Practise saying things such as:

“I’m sorry, but I can’t commit to this as I have other priories at the moment.”

“Now is not a good time as I’m in the middle of something. Why don’t you ask me again at…”

“I’d love to do this, but…”

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