How to Stay Cool in a Stressful Job

I come from the PR world, where we eat stress for breakfast, lunch, and dinner — and that’s on the days when we actually have time to eat.

Stress is part of the human condition. If we face a dangerous situation, we need our adrenaline and cortisol levels to spike. Unfortunately, our bodies don’t know the difference between facing a rabid dog and an angry client who wants results yesterday!

I’m sure your job comes with its own heavy load of stress. Whether you’re a CEO or hammering away in upper management, the decisions you make directly affect the trajectory of your company, the success of your clients, and the livelihood of your employees.

It’s a whole lot to handle, but if you don’t, your physical and mental health will deteriorate, along with the success of your business.

Stress’s Impact on the Mind and Body

Your body is not built for constant stress, and it will gradually break down if you can’t figure out how to chill out. According to the Mayo Clinic, chronic stress causes health troubles, including anxiety, depression, digestive problems, heart disease, sleep disorders, and weight gain.

Stress has a fascinating impact on the brain. A study from the University of California, Berkeley found that chronic stress suppresses the brain’s ability to create new cells but that intermittent stress can actually improve your memory.

Because it’s impossible to completely eliminate stress from your life, learning how to manage it and harness it into productive habits and decision-making is your best plan of attack.

How to Keep Cool When the Kitchen Gets Hot

Here are seven stress-reducing techniques every leader needs to add to his tool belt:

1. Remind yourself: This isn’t life or death. Brain surgeons are definitely allowed to feel overwhelming amounts of stress. So are soldiers, police officers, and firefighters. They hold life and death in their hands every day, and one bad decision could have permanent implications. You may feel like lives are on the line at your job, but they’re probably not. So when stress boils up, put matters into perspective by reminding yourself of this.

2. Reflect before you react. Some jobs expect you to move at light speed while making high-level decisions. This is not a recipe for success during times of high stress. Unless you or someone else is in imminent physical danger, always consider taking a second to clear your head before making an important decision. Walk away from your computer and reflect before pressing “send” on that urgent email. Come back later with a calm mental state, reviewing the situation to make sure your initial reaction wasn’t clouded by stress.

3. Be active. Your brain is a strong muscle, but it needs a strong body to accompany it. I recommend engaging in physical activity at least three times a week, whether that’s through fitness classes, yoga, or competitive sports. Exercise is good for both the body and the mind. It stimulates feel-good chemicals in the brain, boosts energy, and helps burn off stress. Meditation, though not very active, is also a great stress-reducing tool.

4. Fuel yourself with nutritious food. If you want your brain to function at the highest level, feed your body the right stuff. I suggest adding more vegetables and complex carbohydrates to your diet and cutting down on sugary drinks and caffeine. A lot of people in stressful jobs feel the urge to mainline coffee, but too much caffeine will make you feel more stressed, more anxious, and less focused.

5. Give your misery some company. Complaining about stress at the office won’t build confidence with your team, but keeping it pent up doesn’t help, either. We all need an outlet, so sit down with a mentor or peer at least once a month to commiserate about the stressors you both face. Talking to a third party who understands the pressure you’re under will help lighten your load.

6. Organize yourself. I have never been the most organized guy — my bedrooms are always a disaster. But I’ve found that when I remove the unnecessary clutter from my life, my brain also feels uncluttered, and I feel so much lighter and in control. I think the same can be said about your desk, your wardrobe, your home, or even your briefcase. Clearing up your physical surroundings will clear up your mental spaces, too.

7. Do something nice for someone else. Stress can make our gigantic world feel awfully small. When we become consumed by tension, we forget other people are in need. Doing something good for someone else helps us refocus and see our greater purpose in the world. Some of the most meaningful moments in my life have nothing to do with work achievements: They’re when I take the time to help other people overcome difficulties, support someone else’s struggling startup, or review my little brother’s girlfriend’s résumé to help her find a job. These good deeds take us out of the business mentality and return us to our human connections.

You can’t completely avoid life’s stressors, but you can learn healthy ways to cope with them. Managing your overall stress, both inside and outside work, will enable you to become your best professional self. Widen your perspective and take care of your mind and body — you, your family, and your co-workers will all reap the benefits.

About the author

Elliot Tomaeno is the founder of ASTRSK, a PR agency based in New York City. Since 2012, ASTRSK has helped launch more than 200 startups and tech products and has worked with Squarespace, Frank & Oak, Managed by Q, HelloFresh, GoButler, ClassPass, BucketFeet, and Particle, among others. Elliot was listed as one of Business Insider’s “50 Best Public Relations People in the Tech Industry” and was named one of the “100 Most Influential Tech Agency PR Executives in the World.” Elliot was also included in Adweek’s “PR30Under30” list.

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