Working can sometimes feel like a constant race. Deadlines, meetings, messages, and expectations can accumulate into stress and anxiety. But the good news is: you can manage your stress and anxiety at work. With the right approach, you can feel calmer, more in control, and more productive. This article explores how to manage stress and anxiety at work in depth, breaking it down into key areas you can act on today.

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Recognize What Stress and Anxiety Look Like at Work

Understanding that you’re stressed or anxious is the first step.

In many workplaces, stress comes from feeling overloaded, unsupported, or unclear about what you should do. Anxiety often shows up as worrying about things ahead of time, feeling jumpy, or being unable to concentrate.

Here are some signs to watch for:

• Feeling tired even after rest, or feeling drained by midday.
• Having trouble sleeping, or waking up thinking about work.
• Feeling tense, your muscles tight, maybe headaches or stomach aches.
• Racing thoughts: “What if I mess this up?” “I have so much to do”.
• Avoiding tasks or procrastinating even when you want to do them.
• Feeling like you’re always “on” even outside work time.

Why this matters: if you ignore these signs, stress and anxiety can build up and lead to bigger issues—like burn-out, health problems, or reduced performance. The organisation Mind says recognising the signs and causes of stress is a good place to start.

So before you try any fixes, take a moment: What exact feelings or symptoms signal you’re stressed or anxious? That awareness is your base.

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Identify What’s Causing Your Stress and Anxiety

Once you know you’re stressed, ask: What’s the trigger?

Stress and anxiety at work don’t come from nowhere—they usually have sources. These sources could be:

• A heavy workload or impossible deadline.
• Role unclear: you’re not sure what you are supposed to do.
• Lack of control: you can’t influence how you do your work.
• Poor support from colleagues or manager.
• Conflicts, or misunderstanding.
• Work‐life imbalance: too much bleed into personal time.

For example, one source explains: “Start by identifying the source of stress … take some time to reflect what aspects of your job or work environment are causing you the most stress.”
Here’s a simple exercise you can do:

• Write down recent moments at work when you felt stressed or anxious.
• For each moment: ask why did I feel this way? Was the workload too high, a colleague difficult, unclear instructions, etc.
• Note which causes happen often.

When you know your biggest triggers, you can begin to address them directly (rather than just aiming to “feel better” in general). This makes your efforts more effective.

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Time-management and Task Organisation

One major way to reduce stress is by managing how you handle your time and tasks.

Poor time use or having no clear plan is a common reason for work stress. As one guide says: “Start each day by making a to-do list of tasks … prioritise … don’t schedule too much. And build in time for interruptions.”

Here are practical tips:

• Make a daily plan: List tasks for the day. Label them (must-do vs nice-to-do).
• Break big tasks into smaller chucks: If a project feels overwhelming, split into steps. The Priory Group suggests this is useful for anxiety at work.
• Set realistic deadlines: Avoid setting “everything must finish today” if it’s impossible.
• Avoid multitasking when you can: Focus on one task at a time—it reduces mental load.
• Allow buffer time: Things will go wrong. Don’t schedule everything jam-packed.
• Learn to say no (or renegotiate): If more work is added, say: “With what I’m doing, this will affect this deadline.” Being realistic reduces stress.

By organising tasks, you give yourself clear control. You reduce the uncertain “What do I do next?” feeling, which often fuels stress. Over time, you’ll find you spend less energy worrying about how you’ll do the work, and more on doing it.

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Build Healthy Boundaries and Work-Life Balance

Working non-stop might feel like dedication, but it’s also a major stress and anxiety risk.

The more your work bleeds into your personal time, the less chance your mind has to rest. Over time, this builds anxiety. One site puts it plainly: “Set boundaries. Boundaries … go a long way to ease anxiety at work.”

Here’s how to build those boundaries:

• Define “stop time” each day: Decide when you will stop checking email or doing work.
• Use physical or mental rituals to switch off: e.g., after work, change clothes, take a walk, or do something unrelated.
• Say no when needed: If you’re asked to work overtime often, discuss it or carve some regular off-hours.
• Make time for non‐work: Hobbies, family, friends—these help you recharge.
• Disconnect from work thoughts: One Redditor wrote: “Don’t take work calls, don’t open work emails, don’t allow yourself to think about work at all. The better you get at this, the less stressed you will be.”

By having clear boundaries, you allow your brain to reset. Your productivity at work improves when you’re rested, and your anxiety drops because you’re not always “on.”

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Practice Self-Care: Physical Health and Mental Breaks

Your body and mind are deeply interconnected. Caring for your physical health supports your mental health.

Many sources point out: Healthy eating, enough sleep, regular exercise, and limiting bad habits (like excessive caffeine or alcohol) help reduce stress and anxiety.

Here’s what you can do:

• Sleep: Aim for 7+ hours. A consistent sleep schedule helps reduce anxiety. CDC
• Eat well: Choose whole grains, lean proteins, vegetables and fruits. Avoid too much sugar/caffeine.
• Move regularly: Even short walks help. Exercise reduces tension and improves mood.
• Take micro-breaks during work: Stand up, stretch, go to a window, walk to the water cooler. These reset your body and mind.
• Avoid unhealthy coping habits: Smoking, over-drinking, excessive screen time—they might feel like relief but add to stress later.

When you care for your body, you’re better equipped to handle stress. Think of it as strengthening your “stress resilience” so you bounce back faster.

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Use Relaxation and Mindfulness Techniques

When stress or anxiety hit, knowing some tools you can use right away can make a big difference.

Here are techniques recommended by multiple experts:

• Deep, slow breathing: It helps counter the “fight or flight” mode when you’re anxious.
• Progressive muscle relaxation: Tense a muscle group for a few seconds, then release and feel the difference.
• Mindfulness or meditation: Being in the present moment, noticing thoughts without judgement, can reduce anxiety.
• Short breaks and detachment: According to Harvard Business Review, “detach psychologically from work” and use “micro-breaks” during the day to recover.

Here’s a simple example you can do at your desk:

1. Sit comfortably, back straight but relaxed.
2. Close your eyes (or soften gaze).
3. Take a slow breath in for 4 counts, hold for 2, breathe out for 6.
4. Focus on your body: notice tension in shoulders, jaw, hands — then let it go.
5. After 2–3 minutes, open your eyes and resume work.

If you make this a regular habit—even 2-3 minutes a couple of times a day—it can prevent stress from escalating into anxiety.

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Communicate and Seek Support at Work

You don’t have to handle everything alone. Good communication and support at work play a crucial role.

Many workplace stress issues stem from misunderstandings, uncertainty about roles, or feeling unsupported. For instance, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says:

“Show empathy. Ensure workers … are not alone … they are open and receptive to discussions about employees’ work stress.”

Here’s how to use communication to manage stress:

• Talk to your manager/leader: Share when workload is too heavy, or when deadlines feel unrealistic. Instead of complaining, frame: “With current tasks, if we also do X, timeline will extend.”
• Ask for help or delegate: If you’re stuck, ask a colleague to assist or co-work, rather than doing everything yourself.
• Clarify your role and expectations: If it’s unclear what success looks like, ask: “By end of this week, I understand the goal is X, and I’ll do tasks A, B, C. Does that align with you?”
• Use peer support: Having a coworker you trust, with whom you can vent (briefly) or laugh off tension, helps. Social connection reduces stress.

Support and communication create an environment where stress is flagged early, not hidden until it overwhelms you.

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Change How You Think About Stress and Anxiety

How you perceive stress matters — not just how much you feel it.

Some research suggests that how we interpret stress or anxiety can change its effect. For example:

• If you believe “This stress will kill me”, you feel worse.
• If you believe “This stress is manageable and I can cope”, you stand a better chance of handling it.

The article from Medical News Today states: “Work with anxiety, not against it… your anxiety is real, just as real as a migraine.”

Here are actionable ways to shift your mindset:

• Re-frame stress: Instead of “I’m drowning”, think: “This is busy but I have done busy before, I’ll manage step by step.”
• Practice self-compassion: Stress or anxiety isn’t a sign you’re weak. Recognise that you’re human.
• Focus on what you can control: Worrying about things you can’t change wastes energy. Instead, ask: “What can I do right now?”
• Accept anxiety when it comes: Rather than fighting it, you observe it. This may reduce how much it overwhelms you.

By changing how you think, you reduce the extra layer of stress caused by your own fearful thoughts. It may not remove stress entirely, but will make it easier to carry.

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Build Resilience for the Long-Term

Stress and anxiety will come and go—so building your resilience helps you bounce back faster each time.

Resilience means you recover, adapt, and keep going even when under pressure. According to research on “workplace resilience”, key factors include: cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation and self-efficacy (believing you can cope).

Ways to build resilience:

• Learn from past stressful times: What helped you last time? What didn’t? Use those lessons.
• Develop new skills: Time-management, communication, mindfulness—these increase your toolkit.
• Take on small challenges intentionally: Facing smaller “stress tests” helps you build confidence; if things go well, you’ll feel more capable next time.
• Keep good relationships at work and outside: Social support is a buffer.
• Stay physically fit and mentally active: Strong body and mind = stronger resilience.

Over time, you’ll find that stressful events still happen, but you’ll recover faster, your anxiety will be less severe, and your sense of control will grow.

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When to Seek Professional Help

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, stress and anxiety become too much. Knowing when to get help is important.

Consider seeking professional support if:

• You find that anxiety or stress affects your sleep regularly for weeks.
• You feel detached or hopeless at work, or you dread going in.
• You notice physical symptoms: e.g., ongoing chest tightness, panic attacks, dizziness.
• You start relying on unhealthy coping (e.g., alcohol, avoidance) and it’s not working.
• Your performance at work is significantly impacted and you cannot manage alone.

Many organisations provide Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs) or you may consult a counselor or therapist. According to the U.S. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, “Learning to cope in a healthy way can help reduce your stress …” and they emphasise reaching out for support. CDC
Remember: seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness. It gives you additional tools and outside perspective, which can accelerate your improvement.

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Conclusion

Managing stress and anxiety at work is not about eliminating all pressure—it’s about handling it well so it doesn’t control you.
To recap:

• Recognise your stress/anxiety and the signs.
• Identify what’s triggering them.
• Get organised with your time and tasks.
• Set strong boundaries between work and life.
• Care for your body and mind.
• Use relaxation and mindfulness tools when needed.
• Communicate and seek support in your workplace.
• Shift how you think about stress and anxiety.
• Build your resilience for the long run.
• Know when to reach out for professional help.

If you work on each of these headings gradually—say pick one or two to start this week—you’ll likely start feeling a difference: clearer mind, more control, less overwhelm, and better performance.

You can manage stress and anxiety at work. It takes some intention, consistent habits, and sometimes help—but the payoff is a healthier, more sustainable work life.