How do you handle work stress?

I switched jobs.

I worked as a technical writer for a software company (writing software online help, manuals, and user guides), I was transferred into technical support (so I was answering support calls with all of my existing writing responsibilities as well) huge stress, nightmares and trouble sleeping. I sent out resumes, was hired for another technical writing job at another company, way, way easy to resign from the old job. Got a big pay raise, and the new company is very low stress, and I'm back to writing all day .

Just try to keep in mind that yes, your job is a huge part of your life but it is not your whole life. I look at is like if I can get up and go to work than I am in a great place. Also working and being grateful for it while we are able is really a gift. Some with this disease can't work. I think perspective is huge.

IPoop I would love to be a tech writer but how do you write about software you don't know? I mean you can't possibly learn them all. Do you more or less edit from what tech people give you? Always curious how that works.

DMC2011 said...
IPoop I would love to be a tech writer but how do you write about software you don't know? I mean you can't possibly learn them all. Do you more or less edit from what tech people give you? Always curious how that works.

I have access to a lot of information when writing, all the developers notes and the original planning information they used to create it, I can try the change out, myself. I can ask questions to the software engineers who made it. I meet daily with the software developers, so I'm always aware of what's new or on the horizon.

The tough part is translating from engineer-speak to layman-speak lol. The end result writing has to be simple, and easy to follow. The engineers, and documents I start with are anything but that (cryptic, assume lots of prior knowledge, etc). Put on your Sherlock sleuthing hat

aguywithuc said...
"but it is not your whole life"

That is the problem. Is invades my whole life because we are onCall 24x7 for many companies financials systems which we run in our data centers. Even if I remove myself from the teams onCall rotation, as manager I am still backup onCall so my pager must be always on and with me as well as my laptop.

But it is more than that. I never knew how much talking a manager did. I get 100 emails by 9:00 am, attend meetings half the day and in between fast-talking people are talking to me at my desk to the point that relieving my bladder on a normal temp is becoming difficult without pushing people aside.

I feel that I need to leave each day at noon, just to get some personal phone calls in and do some deep breathing. Unfortunately my surgically repaired bicep is not ready for a lunch time workout and the opposite foot is not healed enough for a quick jog. In a couple months I will workout over lunch to de-stress for now I think I just need to leave over lunch. I am trying to remember to relax and breath deep when people are fire
hosing me with verbal data and stories that go on and on.

Just remember that at least by the sound of it, you are well off compared to a lot of others. Count your blessings, yeah we have a terrible disease, but by the sound for you at least you're well off and are great in other areas. I always look at it as karma and balance. We can't have it all, there's tradeoffs in life. God gave you a great gift, enjoy it, use it to your advantage.

Also, I've started doing yoga some nights (I use YouTube since my gym doesn't offer a great class. Pretty simple, can do it in your home, 30 mins max, sometimes just 15 and you won't feel embarrassed)

Keep your head up!

No matter what job you have, I think there will be stress involved. I just get up in the morning, say a prayer and hope for the best.

I do have FMLA which helps. If I feel stressed or feel sick, I take off and use the FMLA days.

I really don't trust anyone at work or anywhere else for that matter. I trust only myself (and my dog). That works for me.

IPoop thanks.
Michelle how do you use fmla for sick time?

Klonopin. I'm not entirely kidding.

(I would not have my PhD if it weren't for the stuff - seriously)

My job is very stressful (my boss is the type that thinks stress is a motivational tool, so he piles on the pressure...strangely, none of his employees handle it all that well). I do hope to move on at some point (even my gastro has suggested it), but in the meantime...

One positive to my workplace (I'm a scientist at a research university) is that so many of us are stressed-out that they've added a wellness initiative that includes stress management classes. Not only are the classes free, but we get money at the end of the year for it. At this point, I've taken 2 8-week stress management courses and a 4-week meditation class. It has helped. It doesn't help like Klonopin helps (ie, not in a short time frame when things are awful), but it has reduced my need for the stuff (from a pill 1-3x/week to once every few weeks).

I also do yoga most mornings. If I were up for it, I would also be running - there is nothing quite like strenuous aerobic exercise to burn off stress.

My work anxiety is under better control than my disease anxiety (the bathroom is over a block away from my lab bench, and only has two stalls...NOT good), to be honest. That never entirely goes away, even when I'm in remission.

I let it go in one ear and out the other. I Don't let stuff get to me. it's not worth getting sick over and getting stressed never made me get anything done faster or better. I just move at my pace, and if I fail, oh well. If you have to fire me over it, so be it. The company I work for is really understanding but I've only failed once in years so I try not to worry about failure or missing deadlines. You can only do your best, being stressed doesn't provide any benefit.

turtlepower said...
Simple question and I know a lot of us suffer from it which at times makes our UC worse. I am feeling a lot of stress and lack of motivation, not to mention anxiety every morning I wake up. So much to do and so little time to do it...

How do you get through it all? I am seriously considering talking to either my Primary Care doctor or GI about coping, at least with the anxiety.

I don't want to sound like a jerk but you start this off by saying "simple question" but I think it could be a very complex question, with or without a solution and it's probably not a simple solution.

What type of stress? Is internal business stuff (bosses, coworkers, resources), external stress (like competition, economy, industry stuff, regulations, etc...) or is it self-made stress like how you judge yourself, how you see things at work and pressure that you put on yourself.

Is this stress recent or has it been there since you started this job?

Bull101 said...

Just remember that at least by the sound of it, you are well off compared to a lot of others. Count your blessings, yeah we have a terrible disease, but by the sound for you at least you're well off and are great in other areas. I always look at it as karma and balance. We can't have it all, there's tradeoffs in life. God gave you a great gift, enjoy it, use it to your advantage.

Also, I've started doing yoga some nights (I use YouTube since my gym doesn't offer a great class. Pretty simple, can do it in your home, 30 mins max, sometimes just 15 and you won't feel embarrassed)

Keep your head up!

That is good advice. Tough times right now. Daughter battling teenage acne and every contact lens she tries dries her eyes ( or is the meds ? ) but she has to look great doing competitive cheer/gymnastics so we are running out of things to try.

For me I need to continue delegating to my team. Having my arm surgically reattached was a blessing in disguise as I was forced to send one guy to the east coast and handoff work in our local hosting facility to the remainder.

What I really need is 1-Ability to 'disconnect' on weekends even though I still have to watch the pager for emergencies I need to mentally checkout. That is the hardest part because home/move is no retreat. 2-Hot Yoga at new home when they finish building it in Aug/Sept, may setup steam room in basement if I get a windfall of cash.

Adding to the work stress is all this packing and moving. Found our home buyer walking on my property yesterday - we need to get out of here ASAP.

Problems I have been battling since the house sold a couple months ago :

1-Severe Anemia ( 2 iron infusions resolved this )
2-Severe Pan UC ( low energy on tail end of lingering pred taper )
3-Bicep complete tear from forearm ( surgically repaired but 12 weeks of non use )
4-Opposite foot planter fasciatis and severe ankle sprain - unresolved
5-No cartilage remains in basal thumb joint, removing bone in 2nd half of year with new procedure

So with 100 emails by noon every day just from people and not counting the ones from machines its hectic and running to meetings is a terrific way to kill a persons productivity.

Then I get home and I cannot run around like a mouse on methamphetamine ( like I was with high dose prednisone in Jan/Feb ) to pack us up and get us out of here, I already threw out several tons of unwanted junk.

I think the home hot-yoga concept is a good thing to think about until I can actually build it, do some meditation and think about it in new home up on the hill with the back facing the rockies, make sure I have that view from walk-out basement while doing hot yoga.

To calm down I ordered 3, 16-foot PODS and a 26-foot U-haul since we are doing the 'double move'. I also contracted a 2-man mover crew for all day at both ends. The guy is 6'4" and can handle my 100 lb plates and workout equipment. I just need to get all the tables and machines in the house broken down and toss all the old stuff.