When you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed at work, or that you just don’t get anything done and most of your time is spent worrying about work it may seem trite to ask - is it all in your mind?

But that is a good question to ask yourself when your head is buzzing and you feel that you are going round in circles.
I worked with a client this morning, who every time I enquired what she wanted to do in regard to a particular problem, just kept telling me all the reasons that made her not do anything.
She worked herself up to a tearful and anxious state just talking about it. This was the first time she’d revealed out loud her thoughts and fears. They frightened her! If this was they way she talked to herself no wonder then she felt stuck and unhappy.

If this sounds in anyway familiar be assured that there are ways to change for the better so you feel in control and more capable. Read on.

Take a Reality Check
From now on everyday do a mental reality check. By that I mean, every so often during the day take a moment to tune into your thoughts. Are they being helpful or critical? If they’re negative you can tame them by writing them down and then asking yourself are they really true. Most times they exaggerate the situation or omit to mention your skills and experience. Once you see them on paper you may even find them laughable.

Stop Comparing Yourself
Often when we’re in our heads berating ourselves it’s because we are unconsciously measuring our abilities or performance against others or an invisible yardstick of our own. Again check this out by asking a few pertinent questions. Does so and so always get it right? Do you have experience and abilities in other areas that you can apply to the problem at hand. Who says everything has to be perfect?

Take Action
We are usually better for acting rather than fretting. When you are stay stuck are your desk inwardly snarling about all the e-mails there are it’s easy to allow a mounting sense of frustration and powerlessness to take hold. Be on your guard. Distract yourself by taking active breaks from your desk. It could be as simple as doing a brief walkabout the office or going outside and taking some real air. Your brain will thank you and the shift in perspective will make it easier to come up with an answer or solution.

The more often you take some positive action like a break or some fresh air the more you realise you can take control of the situation or make changes to the seemingly endless work-load. Put these simple strategies to work will help you re-train your brain to look for the positive and to create solutions.

I hope you’ve begun to realise there are ways and means for you to get out of that stuck bogged-down feeling that many of us feel at work.

What kind of solutions have you used in the past or recommend others using?