Stress has both a psychological and physiological effect. Psychologically it affects our emotions causing such things as anger, frustration, fear, burnout, anxiety and depression. Physiologically, stress increases the risk of everything from warts to cancer.

Don’t be tyrannized by your emotions.Use these tips to help you work through stress in a more clearheaded way.

Record your emotions. Keep a list of everything that causes you stress. Youcan’t eliminate the stimulus, but you can learn to calm your mind. Is there something new or different in your work life? Are certain colleagues difficult? For every item on the list ask yourself, “Is my reaction appropriate or over the top?” This step is key to understanding your emotions and finding healthier ways to deal with them.

Recognize your stressors: Don’t avoidproblems. That will make them worse.Failing to deal with a stressor increases the possibility of it getting out of your control.

Rethink your standards: Are you less than perfect and feeling guilty and frustrated? It may be time to redefine what success means. For example, if you always feel inundated with work, ask yourself if you’re spending more time on tasks than they require. Good enough may be good enough!

Reframe your situation: If weather delays your flight to an important meeting, instead of stewing about the disruption, which you can’t controlanyway, use the extra time to prepare for your presentation, read a book or catchup on sleep.

Reassess the significance of the problem: Will it matter tomorrow? Next week? A year from now? Emotion magnifies the difficulty of a problem in the moment; perspective shrinks it in the longterm. So give yourself some perspective.

Stress is all around us and we can control the way we respond. Think before you react and make a choice that will not only relieve some stress in the short run,but in the long-term as well.
(From Reducing your Stress Workshop by Dr. Mimi Hull)