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Avoiding workplace stress

If you've got to sit at your desk all day, you may as well make it as comfortable as possible. Keep photographs on your desk of people who make you smile. Make sure your chair is comfortable. Adjust the lighting on your computer and try to avoid computer vision syndrome. Keep plenty of necessary supplies around. Clean your desk to avoid becoming ill. Make your desk comfortable, but don't forget to stand up from it every once in awhile to rest.

If you’ve got to sit at your desk all day, you may as well make it as comfortable as possible. Keep photographs on your desk of people who make you smile. Make sure your chair is comfortable. Adjust the lighting on your computer and try to avoid computer vision syndrome. Keep plenty of necessary supplies around. Clean your desk to avoid becoming ill. Make your desk comfortable, but don’t forget to stand up from it every once in awhile to rest.  (IKEA/AP File Photo)

Chicago Tribune
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According to a 2007 nationwide poll by the American Psychological Association, three-quarters of Americans list work as a significant source of stress. The APA reports that over half of the surveyors indicated that their work productivity suffered due to stress. So how can stress be eliminated on the job?

– By Shamontiel L. Vaughn, Tribune Newspapers (Sources: APA, CDC)

Use your vacation days

Besides eating right and being physically active, don’t ignore your vacation, personal or sick days. If you feel sick, don’t come into the office and spread germs to everybody else. If you need to take a personal day, use it. Otherwise you’ll spend all day stressing about why you’re not where you should’ve been. Take vacation days to recharge and come back better and ready to work.  (Marco Garcia/Getty Images)

Get some fresh air when needed

Are you slumped over your desk? Are you nodding off? Are you starting to get restless and annoyed? It’s time to take a walk. Whether you stroll around your office building, take a walk outside or just jog up a flight of stairs, take a break when needed.  (Terrence Antonio James/Chicago Tribune)

Keep in touch with friendly voices

Not communicating enough with a spouse? Do you want to see how your kids are doing? Want to tell your friend a funny story? Use your lunch break to refresh. Have a friendly conversation in a private location. Try not to work through your lunch break. And if you’re talking to someone else on his/her lunch break, then you know that that person isn’t working through a lunch break, too.  (Charles Osgood/Chicago Tribune)

Stay organized

Keep a to-do list of all the things you need to accomplish by the end of the day and what can be put off until the next. Trying to remember everything you need to do without writing it down can easily frustrate some people and lead to way too many “Now what was I supposed to do?” moments.  (James F. Quinn/Chicago Tribune)

Reevaluate how you handle stress

Overeating, smoking and drinking excessive alcohol when you’re stressed out will only lead to more stress and creep into your personal life. Consider other ways to handle your stress load.  (Julio Cortez/AP File Photo)

Keep a firm "off" switch for work

If you never turn off your phone or your computer and always check your work e-mail, when do you stop working? If the answer is “never,” you’re helping to contribute to your workplace stress. Tell family, friends and your employer when you will be unavailable and stick to it.  (William Thomas Cain/Getty Images)

Get enough sleep each night

Whether you take a nap during your lunch break is up to you, but make sure to get sufficient sleep each night so when you come to work you’re actually ready to work.  (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)

Don't be ashamed to seek medical attention

Is there something going on that a phone call with a friend, a 15-minute break or lunch date won’t fix? Are you even stressed out when you get home and dealing with personal issues, too? Consider talking to a psychologist to share your thoughts and fix the situation. (In this photo: Psychologist Roni Cohen-Sandler sits in her work session chair where she meets patients at her home office.)  (Douglas Healey/AP File Photo)

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