There’s been a lot of articles lately talking about the uptick in people quitting their job when the stress becomes too overwhelming. If you feel like you’re getting to the tipping point, please read this first.

Let’s start by first assuming that you are someone who likes your job, enjoys what you do and knows your why, because I’m going to provide you with some fresh perspectives to help you re-frame stress at work. If you don’t like what you do, that’s a whole other conversation.

12 Life Domains. When someone comes to me because they feel overwhelmed at work, I start by sharing that we all have 12 Life Domains. This is important to know, because many people hyper-focus on only one or two domains. In order to feel fulfilled, content and well-rounded, this new information is good news for someone who’s feeling stressed and overwhelmed in one particular area. The 12 Life Domains are:

1. Health
2. Career
3. Education
4. Community
5. Romance
6. Finance
7. Self
8. Friends
9. Family
10. Leisure
11. Spirituality
12. Parenting

I ask them to rate their level of engagement in each, and decide on where they’d like to spend more, loving energy.

Segmenting. Next, we talk about what I call segmenting. A huge part of feeling stressed and overwhelmed is that people tend to multi-task and allow distraction and disruption to ruin their flow state. A brain under these conditions will rebel, making someone feel irritable, foggy and stuck. A phenomenon of this is called “attention residual,” which means they’ve allowed themselves to be distracted by something else. Being distracted, even for a couple minutes, means their full attention has been broken and subconsciously they will be “stuck” on that other task/distraction for a period of time. “Attention residue” hinders work performance and efficiency. Segmenting means remaining focused on the task at hand until done, or when it’s time to move on to something else. When they’re moving on, they practice a segmenting strategy. They take a micro meditation moment including some breathwork, briefly recap their work and make notes of anything else that needs to get done and then move on to the next task feeling cleared and reset. I also ask them to be very mindful of their devices. This is the biggest distraction and culprit of “attention residual.”

CPR Moment. Then we talk about a strategy I call taking a CPR moment, which stand for Compassionate Pause and Refresh. If they’ve been emotionally triggered by something at work, I teach them how to identify the trigger and consciously move from a stressed state (sympathetic) and into a rest and restored state (parasympathetic). I teach them about their nervous system and how to quickly regulate it, in order to get the mental reset they’re craving. The CPR method includes coming back to the body and the senses. I ask them to choose an essential oil that can be their “go-to” aroma that brings them back to their desired feeling state. They learn that their sense of smell is a powerful ally in helping them feel more quickly relaxed, because it’s connected to the part of the brain that’s reactive. Using an essential oil that triggers a desired emotional state, can reset the brain’s reactivity. I also teach them how to tone their Vagus nerve, which will give them long-term relief.

Awareness is the precursor to change. Becoming more self-aware can empower transformational changes in your life.

If you want more strategies to outsmart stress, call me at 510-914-8245. I’m dedicated to helping people make positive, lasting changes.