Research has demonstrated that a number of psychological strategies can be effective at managing workplace stress.

Cognitive strategies

• Recognising and challenging unhelpful thoughts and attitudes is a highly effective strategy for managing occupational stress.^1,2 This strategy involves the client working with the psychologist to identify a specific situation causing stress (e.g., “I haven’t completed the project by the deadline”).
• Gently noticing thoughts about the stressful situation (e.g., “I’m terrible at my job”) and the effect of these thoughts on how one feels (e.g., anxious, worried).
• Developing objective alternatives to combat these thoughts (e.g., “I’ve faced deadlines like this before and everything turned out alright”)
• Reviewing the alternative, more helpful and realistic thoughts to focus one’s attention on instead, and observing changes in the experience of stress during this process.
• Developing a strategy to notice the warning signs of stress in future situations, and rehearse the process of challenging and changing negative and unhelpful self-talk.
• Taking note of the positive role that exposure to moderately stressful events may make to our personal development across time, including the “lessons learned” from difficult challenges.

Improving time management

When combined with the use of positive self-talk, time management techniques can have a lasting impact on work-related stress.³ Some skills for time management include:

Seeking support from others

Support from others in the work environment can help individuals to feel more confident about their stress-management abilities.⁴ This support can take a number of forms:

• Instrumental support, such as adequate equipment, staff, and funding to complete the work.
• Emotional support, such as a colleague, supervisor, friend or family member who makes time to listen, gives reassurance, or shares humour.
• Informational support, such as accessing advice from a subject matter expert or seeking out career mentoring.

Practising assertive communication and problem-solving approaches

Problem-solving communication strategies for conflict management can buffer the effects of occupational stress.⁵ These skills support individuals to:

• manage conflict in a positive and timely manner rather than avoiding individuals or tasks
• stay focused on their own tasks and outcomes
• express their needs and opinions clearly and respectfully
• be aware of the priorities and preferences of colleagues and work towards mutually beneficial outcomes
• accept compromise when it is feasible and appropriate to do so.

Changing lifestyle behaviours

Studies have shown that the following activities are effective in reducing work-related stress:

• relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises, guided imagery, or progressive muscle relaxation²
• meditation
• physical exercise⁶
• spending more time outdoors⁷
• quitting or reducing smoking⁸
• reducing alcohol and drug use.^9​

^​The Head To Health website lists a number of evidence-based resources such as apps and online training courses which people can use to help learn skills such as mindfulness and meditation.

Tips for managing workplace stress

The responsibility of limiting the experience of stress in the workplace lies with both individuals (employees) and organisations (employers). While organisations should have a policy for the management of employee mental health, best results will be achieved in settings where there is genuine collaboration between the two.

Employees can:

• Learn to identify the physical, psychological and behavioural signs of stress and use this awareness to interrupt behavioural patterns which exacerbate stress.
• Develop skills such as relaxation, assertiveness, communication, physical fitness, and time management. These skills should be developed under low-stress conditions so as to maximise early success, self-confidence and motivation.
• Seek social support at work. This enables individuals to acquire information on how to manage stress, while benefiting from the support and encouragement of colleagues.
• Use counselling services offered by employee assistance programs wherever possible.
• Take frequent, brief breaks from work.
• Pair up with a workmate to monitor one another’s stress.
• Drink plenty of water and maintain a healthy diet.
• Engage in self-care activities which can buffer against stress (e.g., exercise, adequate sleep).

Actions Employers can take:

• Implement clear organisational structures and practices.
• Practice appropriate staff selection, training and development. It is important that staff knowledge, skills and abilities are matched as closely as possible to the needs of each job.
• Develop clear job descriptions.
• Clearly communicate expectations.
• Redistribute work tasks and clearly explain these changes wherever necessary.
• Encourage a social environment which facilitates commitment and work productivity.
• Regularly monitor staff satisfaction and health.
• Clearly inform employees about the channels of communication should problems arise.
• Use ergonomics to optimise job performance and decrease fatigue.
• Change the source of problems (e.g., reducing noise and dust, maintain a comfortable temperature, use PPE where needed).

References

1. Richardson, K. M., & Rothstein, H. R. (2008). Effects of occupational stress management intervention programs: A meta-analysis.Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 13(1), 69-93. doi: 10.1037/1076-8998.13.1.69
2. Van der Klink, J. J., Blonk, R. W., Schene, A. H., & van Dijk, F. J. (2001). The benefits of interventions for work-related stress.American Journal of Public Health, 91(2), 270-276.
3. Jones, M. C., & Johnston, D. W. (2000). Evaluating the impact of a worksite stress management programme for distressed student nurses: A randomised controlled trial.Psychology and Health, 15, 689-706.
4. Heaney, C. A., Price, R. H., & Rafferty, J. (1995). Increasing coping resources at work: A field experiment to increase social support, improve work team functioning, and enhance employee mental health.Journal of Organizational Behavior, 16(4), 335-352.
5. Dijkstra, M. T. M., Beersma, B., & Evers, A. (2011). Reducing conflict-related employee strain: The benefits of an internal locus of control and a problem-solving conflict management strategy.Work & Stress, 25(2), 167-184. doi: 10.1080/02678373.2011.593344
6. Conn, V. S., Hafdahl, A. R., Cooper, P. S., Brown, L. M., & Lusk, S. L. (2009). Meta-analysis of workplace physical activity interventions.American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 37(4), 330-339. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2009.06.008
7. Korpela, K., & Kinnunen, U. (2011). How is leisure time interacting with nature related to the need for recovery from work demands? Testing multiple mediators.Leisure Sciences, 33, 1-14. doi: 10.1080/01490400.2011.533103
8. Westman, M., Eden, D., & Shirom, A. (1985). Job stress, cigarette smoking, and cessation: The conditioning effects of peer support.Social Science and Medicine, 20(6), 637-644.
9. Koeske, G. F., Kirk, S. A., & Koeske, R. D. (1993). Coping with job stress: Which strategies work best?Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 66, 319-335.