Cold Sore Triggers: Stress at Work and How to Manage It

It’s hardly a surprise that work can be a top cause of stress in our lives. But no job should be so challenging as to cause a cold sore outbreak. Here’s how to keep work challenges in perspective and diminish their emotional impact.

Recognize the warning signs

Are you feeling overwhelmed at work? Losing confidence? Becoming irritable or withdrawn? Are you feeling less productive or finding your work less rewarding? Once you recognize these signs, you can take steps to minimize the emotional effect work is having on your life.

Pay attention to your emotions

Whether you like it or not, emotions do play a role in decision-making, thoughts, and actions. Ignoring your emotions can make it difficult to understand what your motivations and needs are at work and to communicate them well.

Laugh it off

Not everything is in your control and you are likely to be thrown any number of challenges throughout your day. By developing the ability to share a laugh with a colleague about an unexpected challenge, you can reduce related stress.

Learn the impact of nonverbal cues and body language

Knowing how to read body language and to share the right message with your own body language is extremely important because it can minimize misunderstandings, making life at work much easier.

Give up on perfection

While it is okay to have high expectations, don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do too much and then fearing that you will fall short. Set realistic goals, work hard at what you are doing and perform the best you can.

Create a time and place for worrying

It should be the same time and place and should be well before bedtime. During this time, you can worry about everything that you can think of. If a worry should come up during the day, write it down and plan to worry about it during your worry-time.

Don’t overcommit

At the end of each day, review your schedule and accomplishments. Then think about what you have to do tomorrow. Account for daily downtime and avoid scheduling things one after another or squeezing in too much in one day.

Plan breaks

When you make your schedule, plan breaks so you can get your blood flowing and let your mind rest. Take a walk or get more vigorous exercise midday—just 10 minutes of exercise can improve your mood, make you more focused, increase your energy, and relax your body and mind.