Earlier today Randall Davidson from AudioTranscription.org posted '10 Ways to Manage Stress at the Office' at Jobacle.com. Randall's post is a good, quick reminder of things you can do to manage workplace stress while you are still at the office. If you have trouble remembering these hints when you are in the midst of a stressful day, you can print his post and tack it to your cubicle wall as a quick reminder to manage your stress throughout the day. For example, a quick glance at his list might remind you to take a deep breath and relax (see my previous post on Abdominal Breathing for more on this).

As Randall points out, it is important to acknowledge the stressor. A lot of people have a difficult time acknowledging that they are stressed, or they wait too long before doing something about it. You need to acknowledge that you are stressed and let it all out. As Sean Stephensen points out so well in his video 4 Ways to Deal with Stress, you should strive to be the green balloon and let the bad air out as it happens. You don't want to be the red balloon and wait until you're ready to burst. A extended build-up of stress can lead to disaster.

Randall also suggests taking a break, making yourself laugh, and getting some exercise at lunch time as some good ways to deal with stress while you are at the office. The key is to find something that works for you and that you find fun. Someone once told me to find something that you really enjoy doing, that makes you feel good and that you look forward to doing all morning. You will be more motivated to make time to do your thing, so that you can temporarily drop the stress at the office, center yourself, and re-invigorate yourself for the rest of the day. This could be a yoga class, a meditation session, a run in the park, a walk around the block, reading a book, or visiting an art gallery. Whatever calms you and makes you feel good, that's the key.

There is one thing I felt could be on Randall's list that he neglected.

Sit up straight. When we're stressed, the physical tension in our muscles can lead to poor posture and make us hurt more. It's common to hunch over as we stare at our monitors especially when we're under pressure to meet a deadline or solving a complex problem under time pressure. We lean forward, our shoulders tense up, stretching the muscles in our back and contracting the muscles in our chest. This can lead to muscle strain in the neck and a headache. If you can maintain proper posture, with your feet planted on the floor, your knees slightly above your hips and your back supported firmly by your chair, you will feel less physical fatigue by the end of a stressful day.

At the end of the day, you need to take some responsibility for the pain that workplace stress is causing you. You should have the freedom to manage stress while you are on the job. And if your employer has put up roadblocks to stress management, you need to address those obstacles with your manager as well.

Good luck!