Tackle workplace stress maturely

It's hard to control everything in your work environment, but that doesn't mean you're helpless. Take charge of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you deal with problems. This can reduce stress to an extent

I completed BTech recently and got placed in an MNC. I am scared that I will have to go through lot of pressure and stress. I am apprehensive about adjusting to the new environment. How do I cope with workplace stress?A - Praneeth, Hyderabad

Graduation from college and landing your first job are great achievements, congratulations! But the real challenge lies in transitioning out of the student life, and adjusting successfully to the role of a professional.A Student life has a charm. Being able to sleep all day long and party all night long etc. are some of the cornerstones of the student life. There is no solid responsibility and very least is expected of a student. Professional life, on the other hand, is a different story altogether. The moment you step into the corporate world, your life takes an irreversible new turn. Here, you are a paid employee; the least that is expected is your very best and that alone can be a tall order for a fresh graduate. Unlike the university, in corporate culture it's not just the work or skill that matters, your attire, the way you carry yourself, your eagerness to work, your initiative, ability to work in a team, emotional intelligence and above all your attitude play a pivotal role in determining your success.

The transition from student life to professional life is indeed a tough challenge, but it can be easily dealt with by being positive, proactive and keeping an open mind. Here are some tips and important lessons.

Think ahead! Superior academic standing does not translate automatically into favour on the job. Practice and improve your presentation and communication skills as much as possible. Think ahead in terms of gathering information that will enhance your entry into the professional life. Evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses.

Hard work: A harsh reality Fresh college graduates get entry level jobs; and these require hard work, long working hours. But remember, hard work pays off!

Professionalism Professionalism encompasses dependability, motivation, initiative, and being a self-starter. Your first job will test your ability to be a team player, to collaborate with individuals from different cultures and backgrounds, to interact with diverse personalities, and to work on projects with strict deadlines. In the corporate world, the atmosphere is much more formal and professional as compared to university life.

Positive attitude Show yourself to be reliable, dependable, and hard working. Your superiors will judge you on your work ethic, teamwork, ability to focus, ability to learn from your mistakes, and contributions to the organisation or department. Demonstrating good work habits�along with showing a positive attitude�will go a long way in building your reputation.

Balancing work & personal life Once you step into your professional life one of the foremost challenges you will encounter will be to balance your work and personal life (family, friends etc) at the same time. So make it a priority to maintain a balance from the very start and give both personal and professional lives the due attention that they deserve.

Work place stress While workplace stress is normal, excessive stress can interfere with your productivity and impact your physical and emotional health. Your ability to deal with it can mean the difference between success and failure. You can't control everything in your work environment, but that doesn't mean you're powerless�even when you're stuck in a difficult situation. Finding ways to manage workplace stress isn't about making huge changes or rethinking career ambitions, but rather about focusing on taking charge: of your thoughts, emotions, schedule, and the way you deal with problems. Dealing with unfamiliar work pressure, adjusting to a new job can be a daunting challenge, whether you took the new job by choice or out of necessity. Pretty soon, you'll know the new people, the new work, and the new place.

Coping with work stress: The problem with workplace stress is it is often hard to identify other than a general feeling of 'being stressed'. Being able to identify the root cause of that stress means you can take steps to dry and deal with it.A Often, we experience excessive level of pressure due to difference in nature of work in new job, having too much work to do, unreasonable deadlines, poor work � personal life balance due to demands of work, cultures at workplace which result in scapegoating employees etc.

Ultimately, it leads to increased fear, uncertainty, and higher levels of stress in employees. Often hostile and bullying superior or managers make employee's life misrable. Workplaces with weak, or non-existent, human resources structures, and a lack of proper procedures for making complaints or dealing with problems, mean that employees are left to handle situations on their own. This can cause a huge amount of stress and a sense of fear and isolation. Since job and workplace stress increase in times of economic crisis, it's important to learn new and better ways of coping with the pressure.

Our 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. There are a variety of steps 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 coworkers.

(More tips to reduce workplace stress will be published next week)