A moderate amount of stress can be quite beneficial. For example, research from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that moderate, short duration stress is crucial for optimal performance. However, when under prolonged periods of stress, the benefits of moderate stress deteriorate rapidly. Prolonged stress can lead to higher risks of heart disease, depression and performance impairment. Staying up and working long hours to meet a tight project deadline as a software developer is not a good way to work.

Successful people employ many different strategies to maintain their stress levels. Effectively maintaining their stress levels enable them to keep themselves at a moderate level of stress to reap its benefits but not prolonging the stress to feel its negative side-effects. Here are some of the strategies that they use to stay calm under in the face of stress.

Sleep

Sleep is good. Getting a good night’s rest can help keep you awake and energetic in the morning and provide you with the energy to tackle incoming tasks effectively.  Sleep deprivation rapidly raises stress levels. Sometimes, the best course of action is to sleep on a project and work on it later with a fresh set of eyes. Feeling refreshed and well-rested improves productivity and helps you get more done in less time compared to slaving on a project overnight.

Stay Positive

Positive thoughts help manage prolonged stress by diverting your attention to something that is stress-free. This can be very challenging when things are not going to plan and there is a lot of negativity in the air. Whenever this happens, pause and think about something positive that has happened recently, no matter how seemingly insignificant it might be in a sea of negativity. Take solace in the small victories in life and remain optimistic.

Step away

Sometimes, the best course of action when stressed is to step away for a short while. Thinking about a looming deadline or worrying about the small details of a project every minute of the day is unproductive. It is difficult to relax when you are constantly thinking about the long list of things that need to be done. Block out a portion of your time to do something you enjoy and step away from the frantic chaos of work.  A hobby, a video game or even a nap can be good ways to increase productivity by putting aside all the worries you have for a short while and just enjoying something you like.

Talk

Sometimes the stress people face comes from having to deal with issues above and beyond their own self capability. There is no shame in talking to others to seek help. Successful people tap into their support networks when they are overwhelmed to get assistance. Often, the simple act of talking your difficulties out loud can provide an outlet for stress. Other people are very good at finding solutions that you may not be able to find for yourself due to all the stress. Call up a friend and talk.

kalmmind.com

Since its launch we have been using Kalm Mind, an App that will calm your mind. Kalm Mind is a revolutionary sleep, relaxation and meditation App for people of all ages and lifestyles. It allows you to create a calm experience wherever you are and however you feel. It’s neuro-tested for those suffering insomnia, anxiety or fear and is designed with a  beautiful user interface, which makes it fun to use (give it to your toddler to see what I mean).

Recently the App received an update to help you schedule daily 5-minute breaks to calm your mind.  For example, you can set a daily reminder to notify you that it is time to take a 5 or 10 minute break to some relaxing music such as Rain, Beach Mood, Fire or Water. It’s proven that spending at least 5 minutes per day meditating can increase memory efficiency, increase empathy, compassion and resilience under stress. Meditation offers many positive benefits even with limited practice.

You can find the App for download from the Apple Store or go to kalmmind.com

There are many different strategies that successful people use to manage their stress, from simple actions like taking short breaks to using technology itself to set time aside for relaxation and meditation. Prolonged stress can add to the pressure of working in a fast-paced technology environment. Managing stress is key to avoid burnout and maintain effective productivity.

What are some of your strategies to manage stress in the work place? What was your most stressful experience and how did you manage to keep it controlled? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.