The Four A's of Dealing with Stress at Work
Posted on September 28, 2021 by Tom Moore, One of Thousands of Executive Coaches on Noomii.
Here's an easy approach to dealing with stress at work.
What is Stress?
Stress is just about any change, real or perceived, that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. It’s your body’s response to anything that requires attention or action. What causes stress in one person may be of little concern to another, but everyone experiences stress to some degree. The way you respond to stress, however, makes a big difference to your overall well-being.
Stress can affect many aspects of your life, including your emotions, behaviors, cognitive ability, and physical health. Symptoms of stress vary in degree, and there are far too many to list all here, but some of the more common symptoms include:
• Becoming easily agitated, frustrated, and moody
• Feeling overwhelmed like you are losing control or need to take control
• Difficulty relaxing and quieting your mind
• Low energy
• Headaches, aches, pains, and tense muscles
• Insomnia
• Constant worrying
• Racing thoughts or inability to focus
• Forgetfulness and disorganization
• Changes in appetite — either not eating or eating too much
• Procrastinating and avoiding responsibilities
• Nervous behaviors, such as nail-biting, fidgeting, and pacing
We typically think of stress as a negative thing (distress), but there is positive stress (eustress) as well.
“Eustress” means stress with a positive effect. Psychologist Richard Lazarus coined it in 1974. How can stress be positive, you ask? Think of the emotional strain caused by these positive events:
Getting a promotion
Being a new parent
Riding a rollercoaster
Watching a scary movie
In these similar examples, the physical, mental, or emotional strain produces positive emotions rather than the negative ones usually associated with stress. So, there is positive and negative stress in everyone’s life. The trick is to accentuate the positive stress by minimizing the negative. To help you reduce negative stress, I’m providing a four-option method for addressing any stressful situation.
The 4 A’s
While I’m not sure who developed the four A’s or when the approaches appeared in literature, I know that the Mayo Clinic recommends them to manage negative stress. So here are the four ways to approach distress.
Avoid
Yes, you can choose just to avoid stressful situations and surroundings by planning ahead and rearranging your environment. Although, in general, avoiding problems isn’t the recommended approach, there may be situations when it just makes sense. For example, if a regular occurrence causes stress, discover if it’s something you can avoid, e.g., leaving for work earlier to avoid traffic.
You can also learn to say “no” occasionally. For example, when you find yourself volunteering for extra work, consider what it’s doing to your stress level.
Another avoidance strategy is to quit sweating the small stuff on really hectic days. Sometimes it’s okay to jettison the low priority items on your to-do list. Don’t let busy work drag you down.
Alter
Sometimes avoiding a stressful situation is not an option, but there may be an opportunity to alter it. For example, if a co-worker or your boss is driving you crazy, let them know respectfully. Unfortunately, many people are not sensitive enough to know when they’re getting on other’s nerves.
If some of your work is stressful by nature, perhaps you can alter when and where you accomplish it. Check out my article on Attention Management.
Accept
Sometimes situations are stressful, and there’s not much you can do about it. Often it’s our resistance to a problem that creates stress. The best practice here is to identify the things you can control and those you cannot and decide not to stress over things that fall in the latter category, e.g., the weather or traffic jams.
If you can’t control a stressful situation, perhaps you can learn from it. Consider developing a growth mindset and view the situation as a development opportunity. Then, with a bit of knowledge, you may avoid the stressor in the future.
Along the lines of learning from a stressful situation is the need to let things go once you’re through it.
Adapt
Akin to accepting a stressful situation is the ability to adapt to it. If you can’t change a situation, perhaps you can change yourself. For example, sometimes, the limits and standards we place on ourselves and our environment are inappropriate for the given conditions. By changing your expectations and standards to something more suitable, you can reduce stress levels. For example:
• In many cases, you can recognize that perfection isn’t necessary, and striving for it can create frustration and guilt.
• You can reframe many situations by looking at them from different viewpoints. Of course, not every cloud has a silver lining, but many do.
• You can take a broader perspective. For example, is the stressor going to matter in a year, in five?
Stress at work is something always present for most of us. However, if you don’t actively manage it, you may be overcome by it. Good and bad stressors are a part of the work environment. While using the 4 A’s will not eliminate your stress applying them can help create some balance. And with a bit of practice, I do not doubt that you’ll have a less stressful workday. Try it!
