Managing Workplace Stress

Is worry and stress really such bad things? Or are we just making a big deal out of a normal state of mind and feeling? Some worry and stress is a necessary and important part of our lives, but in today's fast-paced work world, these natural human responses often spiral out of control and become toxic to our productivity, our peace of mind, and our health. Just see what some experts have to say:

• " According to a University of Chicago survey, more than 40% of Americans suffer stress in the workplace ." NPR, Morning Edition, 16 October 2000
• " Job stress today accounts for more than 50% of the 550 million workdays lost annually because of absenteeism ." K. R. S. Edstrom
• " Information anxiety is a chronic malaise, a pervasive fear that we're about to be overwhelmed by the very material we need to master in order to function in this world ." Richard Sa ul Wurman, "Overload"
• According to the World Health Organization, " job stress [is] a world-wide epidemic ."
• " What were once considered crisis-mode workloads have now become business as usual ." Jennifer Laabs, Workforce

Outline

• Overload and Toxic Worry
• Positive Stress and Productive Worry
• Assessing Your Stress Level
• Taking Charge: Strategies That Work
• The Rational Solution: Turning Worry into Action
• The Connection Approach: Reversing the Basic Worry Equation
• The Physical Path: Letting Your Body Help
• Practice Good Stress Habits

Tips

• Tips for Managing Worry
• Tips for Setting Stress-Reducing Goals
• Tips for Coping with Difficult Coworkers
• Tips for Listening Effectively to a Worried Colleague

Tools & Forms

• Life Changes as Stressors Checklist
• Worry Self-Assessment
• Workplace Stress Assessment

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