SEVERAL WAYS TO MANAGE STRESS ON THE JOB

If you have too much to do and too little time in which to do it; find that the demands of others for your time are in conflict; or spend much of your time fighting "fires," you are probably experiencing excessive stress.

Managers ranked these three situations as the top job-related stressful situations across the country in a study conducted by John Adams, a Washington, D.C., consultant specializing in stress.

The right amount of stress can be a productive source of energy for getting things done, but finding

the right balance is often difficult.

Stress can cause us to "burn out" in a high-pressure job, but "rusting out" in a boring, stagnant one can be just as stressful.

According to some recent research, the stress we experience daily can have a more disastrous, cumulative effect on our health and productivity than an occasional but extremely stressful situation like a death in the family or losing your job.

"But I don't have time to manage stress!" "My stress comes from factors I can't control, so there's nothing I can do about it!"

Sound familiar? It's not surprising.

Most people think that stress management has to involve a large scale lifestyle or job change. (Indeed, in some cases it may be necessary.) But there are little things ail of us can do to relieve the daily stress we must live with.

Managers studied by Adams and others, who have successfully managed their own stress levels, have found several coping strategies that work for them. None of the following techniques takes a great deal of time, but they all require a strong, personal commitment. Decide for yourself.