How to respond to stressful situations at work

1. Rewrite your behavioral scenarios

Over time, we all develop mental scenarios that run in our heads under certain circumstances. These scenarios dictate to us everything down to the point of speaking and how to act in various situations. To become a truly determined person who manages stress, rewrite them.

Remember the crisis situation that you have recently experienced. How did you react, and what prevented you from responding more effectively? Write out this script and call it "unsuccessful."

Next, write a more effective and convincing mental script that you would like to follow next time. This will be a “decisive scenario” that you will use instead of your unsuccessful course of action.

Put your notes in such a way that they can be easily removed and repeated when you encounter stress or a feeling of great anxiety. Periodic repetition will ultimately completely rewrite your scripts and allow you to react to the situation only in an effective way.
2. Highlight actions that have a calming effect on you.

Take the trouble to find for yourself personal methods that have a calming effect on you. Know about them and apply according to the situation.
3. See the root of the situation

Anxiety is mainly associated with uncertainty. Therefore, in stress, the first thing to do is to reduce this very uncertainty. As much as possible. Look for a context that gives an idea of ​​the real state of things. Imagine the facts as they are, without emotional colors. Perhaps already at this stage, anxiety will recede. If not, then ...
4. Recognize Anxiety

A study by Harvard Business School professor Alison Wood Brooks suggests that stress needs to be recognized, not suppressed. Instead of repeating the mantra “I am completely cold-blooded,” it’s better to put up with my anxious state and say to myself: “Yes, I’m worried.” Then any anxiety can be translated into energy.

By the way, those who view excitement as an ally are less tired and exhausted.
5. But do not take the situation at your own expense

Do not take any stressful situation as a personal, persistent, inevitable or global problem. Any stress should be perceived as an impersonal, unstable situation that can be solved, or else avoided. To stop blaming yourself for any obscure situation, stop the internal conversation with yourself in time.
6. Look at yourself from the side

Any stress is a change. If you do not expect changes naturally, you sometimes need to look at what is happening from the side, and it is better to do it regularly enough. Even if you did not examine yourself in a calm situation, be sure to practice in an anxious one.

Go from an unconscious reaction to a meaningful choice. Ask yourself:

    What / who triggers a feeling of stress in me and how beneficial is it to me?
    What feeling will be more useful for me now, and what my actions will help launch it?

Think about what needs to be changed to get rid of stress, and act.
7. Test your decisions made in a stressful situation on someone calm

Stress is the most studied neurological condition. So, studies say that under the pressure of anxiety, the right, rational decisions may not be made. Therefore, if it seems to you that you are still making a choice in stress, it never hurts to hear a different opinion.


And remember that anxiety, like calm, is transmitted, and paralyzing anxiety and confidence are mutually exclusive emotions. Work.ua wishes you to find within you the bowels of confidence and charge your colleagues only with calm and pleasant emotions.