Sound familiar? It’s Monday morning. Your coffee hasn’t even cooled down yet, and you’re already drowning in emails, deadlines, and last-minute revisions from your boss. One thought keeps running through your head: “Why is all of this happening to me?”
Psychologists say we typically respond to stress in one of three ways: run from it (avoidance), vent to someone (seeking support), or tackle it head-on (problem-solving). Of the three, the last approach is generally the healthiest.
At AdmiGram.com, we decided to explore how to stop pulling your hair out and find your zen right in the middle of the workday. Here are five practical techniques that can help save your sanity.
How to Beat Stress at Work: Psychologists’ Advice
Switch Into Slow-Motion Mode
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When a deadline is on fire, most of us start rushing around and making decisions at machine-gun speed. The result? More mistakes, more confusion, and even more stress.
What to do:
Slow down on purpose.
If emotions are running high, take a deliberate pause. Don’t fire off an angry response to a frustrated client the second their email lands in your inbox. Give yourself ten minutes to cool off.
By slowing your reaction, you regain control over your emotions and make thoughtful decisions instead of creating new problems. Sometimes the fastest way forward is to stop rushing.
Dump the Mental Clutter Onto Paper
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Have you noticed that even the simplest task can feel impossible when you’re anxious? That’s because stress overloads the part of your brain responsible for working memory.
Think of it like a computer with fifty tabs open at once.
What to do:
Use a brain dump.
Grab a notebook and write down every worry, task, frustration, and fear that’s bouncing around in your head. Don’t organize it. Just get it out.
Once the chaos exists on paper, your brain can finally relax and say, “Okay, we’ve recorded that. We don’t need to keep replaying it.”
Often, the tension starts to fade almost immediately.
Follow the “Deep and Slow” Breathing Rule
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When we’re stressed, our breathing becomes shallow and rapid. Less oxygen reaches the brain, panic increases, and logical thinking quietly leaves the building.
What to do:
Use your breath to regain control.
Before responding to a difficult coworker or opening that intimidating report, take four slow, deep breaths:
- Inhale through your nose for a count of four.
- Hold for four.
- Exhale through your mouth for four.
- Repeat four times.
This simple biological hack sends a message to your nervous system: “Everything is okay. There’s no saber-toothed tiger chasing us. We can relax.”
Let Go of What You Can’t Fix
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Many of us try to control everything: our boss’s mood, the weather, market fluctuations, customer behavior, and countless other things.
Spoiler alert: you can’t.
Trying to control the uncontrollable is one of the fastest ways to drain your energy.
What to do:
Divide your problems into two categories.
- Category one: things you can influence.
Your work, your habits, your workspace, your attitude, your response. - Category two: things you cannot influence.
Your boss’s personality, a client’s mood, company politics, or the economy.
Focus 100% of your attention on category one and allow category two to exist without constantly fighting it.
You are not responsible for everything, and that’s perfectly okay.
Open Your “Victory Album”
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When things start going wrong, it’s easy to convince yourself that you’re terrible at your job and somehow fooled everyone into hiring you in the first place. Hello, impostor syndrome. Past successes suddenly disappear from memory.
What to do:
Remind yourself who you are.
Think about the toughest project you’ve successfully completed or the most challenging client you managed to win over. Then repeat this simple anchor phrase:
“I handled difficult situations before. I can handle this one too.”
The moment you reconnect with your past achievements, fear begins to lose its grip. What once felt paralyzing can transform into motivation, confidence, and the determination to tackle the challenge ahead.
image on top: Vitaly Gariev / Unsplash
