By michael - February, 5th 2014

 

Three quarters of Americans list workplace stress as one of the major sources of stress in their lives. According to the American Institute of Stress, “Numerous studies show that job stress is far and away the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades.”

Some simple steps can help you get through your day feeling lighter and happier. Here are my picks:

Close email accounts that you don’t use often. Ever since I moved all of my email accounts into one location, and labeled them clearly, I feel less stressed. Keep your desk free of clutter, too: according to studies, visual clutter sends out disturbing stimuli, causing frustration and diminished productivity.

Follow up on discussions and decisions soon after your meetings. Similarly, try to answer emails as soon as you receive them—piled-up mails add to stress. According to a new study from UC Irvine and U.S. Army researchers, …

If you're like many Americans, you've accrued vacation time that you're not sure when you'll ever use. You might feel guilty about taking time off when there's so much work to be done, or just not foresee a slower period that will allow you to get away. But taking occasional breaks from work is crucial to maintaining your quality of life, and sometimes your quality of work too, since many people burn out when they're never able to get away.

Source