For workers everywhere, the troubled economy may feel like an emotional roller coaster. "Lay-offs" and "budget cuts" have become bywords in the workplace, and the result is increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress.

Since job and workplace stress grow in times of economic crisis, it's important to learn new and better ways of coping with the pressure. The ability to manage stress in the workplace can make the difference between success or failure on the job.

Your emotions are contagious, and stress has an impact on the quality of your interactions with others. The better you are at managing your own stress, the more you'll positively affect those around you and the less other people's stress will negatively affect you.

Learning how to manage stress

There are a variety of steps you can take to reduce both your overall stress levels and the stress you find on the job and in the workplace.

These include:

• Taking responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well-being.

• Avoiding pitfalls by identifying knee-jerk habits and negative attitudes that add to the stress you experience at work.

• Learning better communication skills to ease and improve your relationships with management and co-workers.

Warning signs

When people feel overwhelmed, they lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less rewarding. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended, they can lead to bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic or intense stress can also lead to physical and emotional health problems.

Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress include feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed; apathy, loss of interest in work; problems sleeping; fatigue; trouble concentrating; social withdrawal and using drugs or alcohol to cope.

Physical symptoms may include muscle tension or headaches, stomach problems and loss of sex drive.

Common causes of excessive workplace stress include fear of lay-offs, increased demands for overtime due to staff cutbacks; pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in job satisfaction and pressure to work at optimum levels ¿ all the time!

Reducing job stress by taking care of yourself

When stress on the job is interfering with your ability to work, care for yourself, or manage your personal life, it's time to take action. Start by paying attention to your physical and emotional health. When your own needs are taken care of, you're stronger and more resilient to stress.

The better you feel, the better equipped you'll be to manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed. Taking care of yourself doesn't require a total lifestyle overhaul. Even small things can lift your mood, increase your energy, and make you feel like you're back in the driver's seat.

Take things one step at a time, and as you make more positive lifestyle choices, you'll soon notice a noticeable difference in your stress level, both at home at work.

• Get moving. Aerobic exercise ¿ perspiring — is an effective anti-anxiety treatment lifting mood, increasing energy, sharpening focus and relaxing mind and body. For maximum stress relief, try to get at least 30 minutes of heart-pounding activity on most days, but activity can be broken up into two or three short segments.

• Make food choices that keep you going and make you feel good. Eating small, but frequent, meals throughout the day maintains an even level of blood sugar in your body. Low blood sugar makes you feel anxious and irritable. On the other hand, eating too much can make you lethargic.

• Drink alcohol in moderation and avoid nicotine. Alcohol temporarily reduces anxiety and worry, but too much can cause anxiety as it wears off. Drinking to relieve job stress can also start you on a path to alcohol abuse and dependence. Similarly, smoking when you're feeling stressed and overwhelmed may seem calming, but nicotine is a powerful stimulant ¿ leading to higher, not lower, levels of anxiety.

• Get enough sleep. Stress and worry can cause insomnia. But lack of sleep also leaves you vulnerable to stress. When you're sleep deprived, your ability to handle stress is compromised. When you're well-rested, it's much easier to keep your emotional balance, a key factor in coping with job and workplace stress.

Reducing job stress by prioritising and organising

When job and workplace stress surrounds you, you can't ignore it, but there are simple steps you can take to regain control over yourself and the situation. Your growing sense of self-control will also be perceived by others as the strength it is, leading to better relationships at work. Here are some suggestions for reducing job stress by prioritising and organising your responsibilities.

Time management tips for reducing job stress

l Create a balanced schedule. Analyse your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime.

• Don't over-commit yourself. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate how long things will take. If you've got too much on your plate, distinguish between the "shoulds" and the "musts." Drop tasks that aren't truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them.

• Try to leave earlier in the morning. Even 10-15 minutes can make the difference between frantically rushing to your desk and having time to ease into your day. Don't add to your stress levels by running late.

• Plan regular breaks. Make sure to take short breaks throughout the day to sit back and clear your mind. Also try to get away from your desk for lunch. Stepping away from work to briefly relax and recharge will help you be more, not less, productive.

Task management tips for reducing job stress

• Prioritise tasks. Make a list of tasks you have to do, and tackle them in order of importance. Do the high-priority items first. If you have something particularly unpleasant to do, get it over with early. The rest of your day will be more pleasant as a result. Break projects into small steps. If a large project seems overwhelming, make a step-by-step plan. Focus on one manageable step at a time, rather than taking on everything at once.

l Delegate responsibility. You don't have to do it all yourself, whether at home, school, or on the job. If other people can take care of the task, why not let them? Let go of the desire to control or oversee every little step. You'll be letting go of unnecessary stress in the process.

Reducing workplace stress by breaking bad habits

As you learn to manage your job stress and improve your work relationships, you'll have more control over your ability to think clearly and act appropriately. You will be able to break habits that add to your stress at work ¿ and you'll even be able to change negative ways of thinking about things that only add to your stress.

Eliminate self-defeating behaviours

Many of us make job stress worse with patterns of thought or behaviour that keep us from relieving pressure on ourselves. If you can turn around these self-defeating habits, you'll find employer-imposed stress easier to handle.

• Resist perfectionism. No project, situation, or decision is ever perfect, and you put undue stress on yourself by trying to do everything perfectly. When you set unrealistic goals for yourself or try to do too much, you're setting yourself up to fall short. Do your best, and you'll do fine.

l Clean up your act. If you're always running late, set your clocks and watches fast and give yourself extra time. If your desk is a mess, file and throw away the clutter; just knowing where everything is saves time and cuts stress. Make to-do lists and cross off items as you accomplish them. Plan your day and stick to the schedule — you'll feel less overwhelmed.

• Flip your negative thinking. If you see the downside of every situation and interaction, you'll find yourself drained of energy and motivation. Try to think positively about your work, avoid negative-thinking co-workers, and pat yourself on the back about small accomplishments, even if no one else does.

Source: Helpguide.org, a non-profit organisation and source of advice.