Module four stress management external stressors. External stressors can often be a source of frustration, you have limited control over the things that come at you in life. When managing stress resulting from external stressors, adaptability and understanding what you can control are vital manager workspace. an uncomfortable workspace can be a constant form of stress. Sometimes the stress is obvious, not having functioning equipment for example, sometimes distress is more invisible equipment that isn't ergonomically sound. Fortunately, you do have some control over how you arrange your workspace.

Make sure that you have working and ergonomically sound equipment so that these do not interrupt your ability to be productive. It may seem innocuous, but clutter has very real and damaging effects. It will increase stress and create distractions that damage your creative process while encouraging procrastination. Simply getting rid of unnecessary clutter is enough to prevent procrastination in many instances. Create a clutter free environment by removing all non essential items from the workspace. This includes trash, old papers and You should feel free however to keep inspirational items such as art to encourage you in your own creative process.

Steps to being clutter free. remove unnecessary items. Clean up the area at the end of each work day. keep everything organized and put things back where they go. Do not allow other people to clutter up your office have space chosen for items before you bring them into your work area. Loud work environment.

Another external stressor that can affect your ability to be productive is allowed work environment. loud sounds that aren't specifically related to our tasks can serve as distractions, making it difficult to think and do your work. When handling a challenging customer. Loud noises in the background can undermine the rapport you build with your customer. Identifying the source of the disturbance is the first step toward handling a loud environment. However, when addressing it proceed respectfully, coworker relations, most of us aren't saints and it's inevitable that you will run across people with whom you clash.

However, when you are actively in conflict with someone else, this can spill over into the rest of your life. If you cannot resolve differences with co workers in a constructive way, how can you hope to handle challenging customers? When you are angry and in conflict with someone It is rare for it to be one sided. Consequently, when resolving a conflict with a co worker, it's important to be willing to meet the other person halfway. Conflict is not the sort of circumstance where you can win unless the person you're in conflict with is winning to. Here are some strategies for resolving conflicts in a way where everyone wins.

Consider anger styles. Are you the type of person who needs to squash a conflict immediately? Or are you the type of person who needs a timeout in order to understand the situation better about the person you're in conflict with? Perhaps they need time to reflect or perhaps they need an immediate acknowledgement that there is a conflict and that you are interested in resolving it, even though you need time to reflect. If you need a timeout, be sure to follow up with the other people. Watch out for distorted and negative thinking styles and yourself.

See Module Three. During conflict with another person. It's real easy to fall into the trap that they are a jerk. Impossible or selfish or any number of negative traits. Rather than labeling another person destructively, try identifying specific behaviors or incidents and focus on how you felt during these. be assertive indirect, avoid aggressive, passive aggressive or even passive behaviors.

Be aware of your nonverbal communication and avoid escalating behaviors. Be flexible and willing to meet the other person or people halfway. Listen and try to understand their point of view. reflect back empathy when you can honestly do so I can see where that might have upset you. If necessary, seek out a third party to act as a neutral arbitrator. When doing so try to involve the person with whom you are in conflict on the decision of an arbitrator.

That way you can avoid the temptation or perception that you are seeking someone to turn against the other person demanding supervisor. A demanding boss can be another powerful external source of stress. However, usually they have a load of stress on them, whether it's from their bosses or your customers who are in effect everyone's boss Not to mention whatever other stress points they have in their life. A helpful approach is to consider their needs and concerns as well as yours. Case Study, Angela supervisor Yolanda assigned a new project to Angela. Unfortunately, Angela's regular workload was so high that she didn't see any way she would be able to complete the project on time.

Her first thought was that Yolanda didn't like her and one it's a Punisher. Angela recognized the destructive labeling of the situation and countered with a specific that Yolanda might have a problem with how Angela manages her time. Even after developing a schedule, Angela still could not find time to complete her regular work and the project on time as well. She sent Yolanda an email asking if she could schedule a meeting after lunch to discuss the project and ways Angela could better manage her time. During the meeting, Yolanda told Angela that she assigned her the project because Angela is one of her best workers. Together they went over Angela schedule to find any areas where she could improve her time management.

Yolanda also reassigned one of Angela's daily tasks to another co worker