By Lindsey Norris / Illustration by Hana Kim

Bryan Hiebert runs marathons, climbs mountains, writes journal articles and still makes time for family and friends. He’s the kind of guy most of us hate. Or at least envy. But you can’t deny that the University of Calgary applied psychology prof knows a few things about work-life balance. “What suits your schedule better,” he asks, “exercising for one hour a day or being dead for 24 hours a day?”

Hiebert, a “reformed type-A personality,” changed his high-stress ways once he realized the costs: type-A personalities run twice the risk of heart attack. He’s been researching stress management for more than 20 years and believes that creating a healthy workplace is the responsibility of managers and supervisors. But employees can’t wait for their bosses to make changes. “The bottom line is that you can make a large contribution to your emotional climate. You can’t count on other people to look out for you.” Here are six tips from Hiebert that can help you de-stress.

01. Create a sense of control by starting small, even with food. Do you eat a healthy lunch that energizes you, or one that leaves you drained? Most people aren’t sufficiently hydrated; get up from your desk every hour to get a glass of water. No one can tell you what to eat or when to go to the bathroom.

02. Give yourself permission to negotiate demands. If your boss piles another assignment on top of an already bulging workload, say, “What would you like me to put aside while I work on this?”

03. Don’t let others’ opinions affect your self worth. One of Hiebert’s favourite sayings, from Eleanor Roosevelt, is “No one can insult you without your permission.”

04. Give yourself permission to use your voice. Don’t wait to be asked. Go to your boss with a solution.

05. Whatever you can do to negotiate clear expectations will reduce stress.

06. Leisure activities should probably not be as competitive as the workplace. Playing squash with someone who is a level above you may not decrease your stress.

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This entry was posted on Friday, August 24th, 2007 at 3:33 pm and is filed under Career Track, First Job, Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.