Love Your Job but Hate the Stress? Here’s What to Do

By Julie Gleeson

So many of my clients love their work and are deeply engaged in their projects and teams, yet they still often feel overwhelmed and stressed while on the job.  Some of the traits of these people (in case you need to tell if you are one!) are:

1. They move at a very fast pace, usually multi-tasking, and are annoyed by slow people.
2. Their mind is busy, and they have forgotten what it feels like to be relaxed without outside help of some sort, such as sedatives or alcohol.
3. They take work home most nights and stay up late working.
4. They know “what to say” before the person speaking is finished.
5. They overreact to small things and often take things personally.
6. They blame others and/or feel victimized by circumstances more often than they care to admit.

If you recognize some of these characteristics as yours, please keep reading.

Most of my clients have been trying to control these behaviors for years. The more they attempt to get control over their minds and lives, the worse it all seems to get.

Let’s use the metaphor of your mind as a wild bull. There are two ways to control a wild, overwrought, often dangerous (reactive) bull. One is to stake it to a very strong, short pole using a very short rope. It will not relax—in fact, it will be madder than heck!

The other is to turn it out into a huge pasture. In the pasture, the bull will buck and kick for a while, then relax as it finds nothing to fight. 

When you quit trying to control your mind, you begin to experience a sense of spaciousness that feels much like that pasture.  From there, new things will occur to you that seem like bolts of inspiration out of the blue. This is how the mind works. It likes to be allowed to roam and find the most compelling ideas. It hates constraint. 

Wisdom is always available, but when the mind is racing, finding wisdom is like trying to flick playing cards through the blades of a fan set on high. If the fan begins to slow down, a few cards begin to get through. When you really unplug—such as during a vacation, in the shower, or over a long drive in little traffic—wisdom is everywhere and fascinating. This is where new ideas come from.

The best way to initiate this process is to consciously allow for at least 3 minutes of quiet every single day. Set a timer, and let your mind do whatever it does. There should be no judgment; just practice allowing your brain to experience that gap in all the noise.

Additionally, begin to notice when your mind is busy throughout the day. During these periods, stop for a moment and just take 5 deep breaths. Doing so actually adds oxygen to your brain, making you feel instantly refreshed and smarter. 

Never wrestle with your thoughts. Take moments of worry lightly and let them go on their way. The truth is, all thought—just like all breath—is random, transient and is always being replenished.

Learn more about how to free your thoughts and gain career wisdom during our upcoming one-day workshop, “Inside Job: 8 Secrets to Loving Your Work and Thriving.” Please visit www.CareerWisdomInstitute.com for more information. You can also phone me at 925-408-8422 for a free advisory consultation.

Julie Gleeson is the Co-founder of Career Wisdom Institute and the Founder of The Art of Living, Inc. She brings over 25 years of experience as a consultant in the fields of career designing, couples mentoring and resilience, stress and overwhelm elimination. Julie also co-authored a best-selling book, “Inside Job, 8 Secrets to Loving Your Work and Thriving.” She can be reached at Gleesonj@CareerWisdomInstitute.com or 925-408-8422. Check out her website for more information: www.careerwisdominstitute.com