Workplace Stress Management: Speak Up to Change the Little Things

by Sarah (April 24, 2008)

A lot of the time, it seems like stress hits us hardest when it’s just a series of “little annoyances” that pile up, rather than one big crisis that we have to overcome. None of the little things seems like a big deal, and even as they start to bother us, we find ourselves dismissing them as petty, thinking we shouldn’t be affected and telling ourselves just to get over them - in many cases, stressing ourselves out more when we find we can’t quite just ignore the problem as much as we’d like.

The reality is that “petty” problems often have simple solutions. Contrary to the little voice inside that says that you’re being too much of a squeaky wheel or a burden when you make a request to your supervisor or co-worker, if there is a simple way to make your work easier, saying it in advance can save a lot more hassle from the burnout that may come later. If you can identify a “little thing” that tends to cause you stress, think about whether or not there’s an equally little solution that you can present when you mention the problem, or even whether there’s something you can do without consulting anyone at all.

Just as one more little thing can be all it takes to send you over the edge, it amazing how successfully changing any one little thing - your workstation layout, the time of your scheduled breaks, the volume of the radio - can make you feel like your load is a little bit easier.

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