Dealing with moments of stress

[DieScum]

I frequently have stressful moments at work. Generally when systems that I am responsible for fail or I get tasked to do things that just don't work out or I have to deal with conflicts with other people.

I suppose over a typical work month that maybe accounts for 5% of my working time. A small percentage anyway.

The other 95% is stuff that I'm generally happy to get on with although can be a bit dull sometimes.

Sometimes I do just think about chucking it all in just to get away from that 5% though. It doesn't take up a huge amount of time but it pollutes everything else. I worry about stuff in bed at night. I develop ulcers.

Does anyone having coping strategies for that? Some kind of psychological trick? Can you deal with stuff and then just switch off and not let it affect anything else?

[sasguru]

Yes. Stop thinking that you matter at all. You are an insignificant little speck and not much you do (or don't) will make more difference than a gnat's fart.

Happy now?

[EternalOptimist]

I frequently have stressful moments at work. Generally when systems that I am responsible for fail or I get tasked to do things that just don't work out or I have to deal with conflicts with other people.

I suppose over a typical work month that maybe accounts for 5% of my working time. A small percentage anyway.

The other 95% is stuff that I'm generally happy to get on with although can be a bit dull sometimes.

Sometimes I do just think about chucking it all in just to get away from that 5% though. It doesn't take up a huge amount of time but it pollutes everything else. I worry about stuff in bed at night. I develop ulcers.

Does anyone having coping strategies for that? Some kind of psychological trick? Can you deal with stuff and then just switch off and not let it affect anything else?

I cant (switch off), but I have met a few people who can do it. My coping strategy is to make it into a challenge, like 'no one could solve these problems as well as I can, cos I am fkng ace'

in my mind, if you dont worry you dont care, if you dont care you are sh 1 te. if you are sh 1 te , pack it in and become a destitute

[beercohol]

Gtdf

Getting Things Done Fast by David Allen. Google it. It represents the 0.00000001% of self-help books that actually work.

[Zippy]

Does anyone having coping strategies for that? Some kind of psychological trick? Can you deal with stuff and then just switch off and not let it affect anything else?

Assuming you are not working on safety critical systems just keep saying "it's only a fffing job, we're not curing cancer here" to yourself. Seriously, it's not worth it.
Hope you feel better soon.

[minestrone]

I have to stop and make a list of the issues, when I get stressed I lose my ability to know what to do or how to do it. Making a list gives me time to lower the stress levels so I can work again.

[sasguru]

Assuming you are not working on safety critical systems just keep saying "it's only a fffing job, we're not curing cancer here" to yourself. Seriously, it's not worth it.
Hope you feel better soon.

That's what I said. Except I thought I put it better.

[Moscow Mule]

I have to stop and make a list of the issues, when I get stressed I lose my ability to know what to do or how to do it. Making a list gives me time to lower the stress levels so I can work again.

You've just captured the essence of GTD (Getting Things Done).

As soon as you've written something down, it's not at the forefront of your mind any more (causing you stress). Having a list of things to do, and managing that list effectively helps me out a lot.

[BrilloPad]

Stress is caused by suppressing the desire to choke the living sh1t out of somebody who deserves it.

If that doesn't fail join tpd. It is very theraputic.

HTH

[jmo21]

Assuming you are not working on safety critical systems just keep saying "it's only a fffing job, we're not curing cancer here" to yourself. Seriously, it's not worth it.
Hope you feel better soon.

exactly what I was going to say. what is it you work on?

I've seen folk in corporate IT departments going absolutely looney over minor issues. yes, work hard and get them fixed, but don't lose the plot!

There is a difference between a bit of worry about something and being stressed out by something, and people take stress to ll manner of, in my eyes, crazy levels.

for example, saying that 5% of your working month is enough to make you think of quitting. Say a 40 hour week, that's 2 hours of a whole week!!

Doctors and nurses have stressful jobs, firemen, ambulance workers, police.
If it's coming down to losing your house, or your wife, feeding your kids - yep, get stressed at that.

As a famous philosopher once said:
You think anyone in Rwanda's got a fuc king lactose intolerance?

(it sorta fits!)