{"id":84253,"date":"2022-11-11T14:31:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-11T18:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=84253"},"modified":"2025-10-03T11:54:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T15:54:45","slug":"how-to-reduce-stress-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-reduce-stress-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Reduce Stress at Work: 2 Ways to Take the Pressure Off"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How does the brain interpret stressful situations at work? What can be done to mitigate these pressures?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work environments can be stressful. Employees can feel threatened and unsure. By taking into consideration how the brain works<\/a>, managers can take some of the pressure off. David Rock discusses two areas in particular: giving feedback in a low-stress way and establishing consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn how to reduce stress at work in these two practical ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Editor\u2019s note: This article is part of\u00a0Shortform\u2019s guide to stress<\/a>. If you like what you read here, there\u2019s plenty more to check out in the guide!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reducing Stress at Work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your productivity can be impacted by the people around you. Most careers require some level of collaboration. However, coworkers, bosses, and clients can all have varying degrees of mental energy<\/a> and emotional regulation themselves. While you can\u2019t control the emotions and actions<\/a> of others, you can understand which work situations trigger intense away <\/em>emotions (and thus drain energy) as well as methods to mitigate these situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Susan Cain argues in Quiet<\/em><\/a> that too much collaboration can hurt productivity and that in fact, learning and creativity best happen in solitude<\/strong><\/a>. Studies show that with the increased opportunity for socialization that accompanied the rise of open-office designs came a rise in interruptions, social friction, and background noise\u2014all of which deter productivity. Cain suggests an office space that provides areas to collaborate and areas to work alone.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we look at how to reduce stress at work, let’s look at the brain science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Science<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the modern world, jobs are usually tied directly to our livelihoods. Therefore, when you feel as though your job is being threatened, your brain interprets these threats as a risk to your survival<\/strong>, similar to the way our primitive ancestors would have assessed the danger of a predator. When you\u2019re in danger, adrenaline kicks your brain into a fight-or-flight response<\/a>; in the workplace, this can translate into either avoidance or intense confrontation. Either reaction can harm productivity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You feel the most threatened at work when you encounter change you weren\u2019t prepared for. Your brain functions<\/a> best when it\u2019s at equilibrium, so any change\u2014big or small\u2014puts your brain into a state of dissonance, or disorder. It takes time and energy to regain your balance. If your brain doesn\u2019t have an adequate amount of either, you\u2019re more likely to respond with unchecked emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, imagine that tomorrow is your annual review\u2014the results of which determine your bonus for the year. You run into a coworker who reminds you that they sent you an email yesterday and makes a joke about how long you take to respond. Your brain probably didn\u2019t anticipate this interaction, and most days, your brain may perceive it as friendly banter. However, with the stress of the upcoming review in which your job performance is evaluated, your brain could easily interpret the joke as a threat instead. This reaction could lead to lashing out at your coworker or being anxious during the review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For leaders, it\u2019s especially important to understand how unexpected change can cause threat responses in employees and diminish them when possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Rock\u2019s counsel to minimize threat responses at work is especially relevant to the Covid-19 pandemic\u2014surveys show that work-related stress has amplified since the virus\u2019s outbreak.<\/a> The pandemic introduced unexpected changes into people\u2019s work lives and intensified the strain of other stressors, such as anxiety over safety, job security<\/a>, and work-life balance<\/a>. Adequately preparing employees before making changes in these three areas may help reduce workers\u2019 threat response.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Use the Science<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rock points to two things that can upset the brain\u2019s equilibrium, which leaders need to be particularly aware of: feedback and irregular procedures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Measure #1: Give Feedback Wisely<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Feedback is inherently stressful. Criticism usually comes from an authority figure who has the power to make changes in your life<\/a>. Even if the criticism is intended to be constructive, an employee\u2019s brain is going to immediately prepare the body for the threat of a major change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some ways Rock recommends that leaders reduce the stress of feedback<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n