How to manage stress at work: A guide for employees and managers

Stress is a real challenge you may face in the workplace. Learn what you can do to identify, prevent, and reduce stress to ensure your wellbeing.

Spot the symptoms of stress 

Not all stress is bad, and small amounts can even contribute to higher performance! However, persistent stress that’s unaddressed is harmful to our overall health, productivity, and motivation.

That’s why it’s important to be able to identify the symptoms when they first show up. While stress can manifest in different ways for different people, there are a few common signs, such as:

• Feelings of irritation, anger, anxiety, or depression
• Lack of motivation or confidence
• Insomnia and headaches
• Constant exhaustion or fatigue
• Loss of interest at work
• Trouble concentrating

Common sources of work stress

While there are many reasons why you may be stressed, some of the most common sources in the workplace are related to: 

• Workload
• Working with others
• Work-life balance
• Job security

Below, we share recommendations to help you reduce the stress that’s related to each cause.

Workload Stress

Clarify your goals

Ambiguity can contribute to stress and anxiety. If you find that the expectations around your projects, goals, or role are unclear, don’t hesitate to ask your manager for additional clarification.

Try this: At your next 1-1, make sure you and your manager are aligned on your goals for the next month. 

Ask for more control over your work

Demanding jobs that give you little control over what you’re working on, who you’re working with, or when you’re working have been found to be more stressful. To avoid this, ask your manager for greater autonomy and decision-making authority.

Try this: Let your manager know what you need to be successful in your work—whether that’s being allowed to work during specific hours or following a process that works well for you. 

Reframe how you view challenges

Reactions to stress are often a matter of perception. When you can reframe stressful situations as a challenge, you may feel more motivated. But when you view those same stressors as a hindrance, your performance is likely to suffer. 

Try this: Take time to reflect on your current stressors and find ways to reframe them as an opportunity to grow, develop, and help others. 

Working with others

Identify your micro-stressors

Much of our stress from working with others is due to micro-stressors, which are minor stresses that stem from how we communicate and collaborate with others. They tend to fall into three buckets:

Micro-stressors that drain our capacity. These stressors generate additional work or reduce our ability to do what we already have on our plates. Examples include:

• When others don’t deliver reliably
• Poor communication norms
• A surge in responsibilities or workload

 Micro-stressors that deplete our emotional reserves. This can include:

• Tough conversations
• Managing others and feeling responsible for their wellbeing
• Others who spread a lot of stress

Micro-stressors that challenge our identity and values. Examples of these stressors include: 

• When someone undermines your sense of self-worth
• The pressure to pursue goals that don’t align with your values

Try this: The next time you feel stressed, take a step back and try to identify what kind of micro-stress it is. Once you understand the cause, you can take action to directly address the source—whether that’s by asking your manager for support or setting clearer boundaries with colleagues.  

Work-life balance

Set clear boundaries

When you don’t identify and communicate the boundaries between your work life and home life, they may merge in unhealthy ways. So establish your boundaries early and clearly.

Try this: Set boundaries in visible ways. For example, if you don’t want to attend meetings after 4 p.m., block that time off on your work calendar so your team can see. Similarly, you can turn on the “Do Not Disturb” function on Slack to let people know when you’re inactive. 

Take time off

Be intentional about taking time off regularly. Remember that you don’t always need to commit to taking a two-week vacation. Sometimes, just taking a day off to address your mental health can be enough to recharge you. 

Try this: Just as you set goals for yourself at work, set goals for your personal life too. This can be something as simple as blocking off an hour a day to exercise or committing to taking at least a few days off work every quarter. 

Job security

Focus on what you can control

At the end of the day, nobody’s job security is 100% guaranteed—no matter how strong your performance is. That’s why it’s better for your mental health to focus on the aspects of your job that you can control.

Try this: Take a step back and make a list of things you can control and a list of things you can’t control regarding your job security. Clearly distinguishing between the two can help you focus on the right things and reduce stress.