If You Want to Reduce Stress at the Workspace? Here’s How!

Hello, Beautiful People!

I hope you guys are doing good in your life and taking good care of yourself and those around you.

Today, once again, I’ve come to you with a new post to share a few habits that have helped me create a stress-free workspace. These habits have completely changed how I deal with the challenges of the corporate world, and I hope they can help you, too.

A year ago, I used to proudly call myself a ‘workaholic’. I was like multitasking ninja – checking emails, helping my juniors with tasks which they could have easily managed (but somehow forget they had Google), jumping between different task without completing which is in front of me, and also getting caught up in office gossip on my way to the coffee machine. I was busy, alright. But productive? Eh, not so much.

I was trying hard to fit into the corporate world. I didn’t want to feel like I was missing out on something, and I definitely didn’t want to feel isolated. It was like I had to be everywhere and do everything to stay in the loop. There were times when I said “yes” to things I didn’t even want to do, just to be seen as helpful or involved. I found it hard to say “No” to any request, whether it was taking on extra tasks, joining endless meetings, or helping colleagues with things that didn’t really require my attention. I was trying to please everyone, but in the process, I ended up draining myself.

And let’s talk about meetings for a second. Half the time, I’d find myself sitting there, nodding along, while secretly replaying that Friends episode where Chandler fell asleep during a meeting and ended up having to relocate to Tulsa—or wherever it was. It got me wondering… if I take a nap, where would they send me? I don’t mind going to Osaka, Japan. I hear it’s pretty nice this time of year.🏵️✈️

I was convinced that being busy and walking in a hurry every time would make me look like the ultimate office hero and, hey, maybe they’d even put my face on a “Employee of the Month” mug.

By the end of each day, I felt like I’d run a marathon… only to realize I’d been running on a treadmill, going nowhere fast. My tasks? Half-finished. My brain? Half-baked. The only thing I was truly excelling at was looking busy.

“If the way we work is chaotic and unmindful, that vibe doesn’t just stay at the office. It seeps into everything” that’s what I started to realize.

It wasn’t just about looking productive; it was about finding a way to work that would make me feel present and fulfilled. So I had to make changes in my working style and after few experiments and research here are few habits I would like to share with you which helped me a lot.

1. Don’t check emails first thing in the morning.

Instead, start with your most important task for the day and try to finish it by 10 a.m. Emails often pull us into other people’s needs, which can push our own work aside. By starting your day with your own priorities, you stay focused on what matters most to you, not just what’s in your inbox.

2. Checking Emails 4 Times a Day

After completing your important task, check your inbox—this will be the first time of the day you check it.

I usually check my inbox around:

• 11:00 AM
• 12:30 PM (before lunch)
• 3:00 PM
• One and a half hours before leaving the office

This last check helps me finish any pending tasks and plan for the next day without surprises. If I know more requests might come in, I’ll peek at my inbox every hour. However, I try not to fall into the habit of constantly refreshing my email. If an urgent request gets missed for a few minutes? I’d rather apologize and say the network was slow than work in constant worry. I believe it’s better to focus on what truly needs to be done than to let the “what-ifs” distract you all day long.

3. Don’t say “How are you?” Instead Try “How can I help you?”

One of my favorite tricks at work is keeping my phone calls short and up to the point. Don’t
encourage small talk—get straight to why they called. It all starts with how you set the tone.
Here’s how the “old me” used to handle a call:

The Old Way (When I Got Pulled into Chit-Chat):

• Me: “Hello?”
• Caller: “Hi, is this Ray?”
• Me: “Yes, this is Ray.”
• Caller: “Hi, Ray! It’s Greg”
• Me: “Oh, hi Greg! How are you?”

Then, before I knew it, we’d be in a long chat about nothing much, and I’d be left wondering why he called in the first place.

The New Way (Getting to the Point):

• Me (friendly but focused): “This is Ray speaking.”
• John: “Hi, it’s Greg.”
• Me: “Hi, Greg! How can I help you?”

This makes it clear that I’m here to help and keeps the conversation on track. It’s not about being rude—it’s about staying focused and getting things done. If someone starts talking too long or drifts off-topic, I gently say, “Sorry to interrupt, but I have a call in five minutes. Could you email me the details?” This way, I stay on track and keep things simple and efficient for both of us.

4. Use “If… Then” Structure in Emails

Just like with phone calls, emails should be clear and to the point to avoid unnecessary back-and-forth. Instead of asking a simple question, provide options to cover all possibilities.

For example,

instead of saying, “Can you please meet at 4:00 PM?”

try:“Can you please meet at 4:00 PM? If so, here’s the meeting agenda. If not, please suggest another time that works for you.”

This approach keeps things organized and reduces the need for follow-up emails, helping everyone save time.

5. Meetings should only be held to make decisions about a predefined situation

If someone proposes that you meet with them or “set a time to talk on the phone” ask that
person to send an email with an agenda to define the purpose. The email medium forces
people to define the desired outcome of a meeting or call.

6. Try Automating Repetitive tasks

Repetitive tasks can consume a lot of energy and time without yielding significant rewards. For me, it was managing status reports—downloading datasets from databases and compiling them into presentable formats every single day.

To streamline this, I created macros and, more recently, began building my reports in Power BI tools, leveraging Power Query to automate the process and achieve results efficiently.

You don’t need to be an expert to simplify your workflow—just watch a few tutorial videos and seek help from AI tools like ChatGPT.

7. If you are Manager, empower your subordinates

One of the biggest reasons tasks were getting delayed was the lack of authority or access for my subordinates to execute decisions or gather information independently. My team constantly sought my approval for minor decisions, which left me distracted from the tasks on my own plate.

To address this, I had a conversation with my boss about empowering my team to make certain decisions on their own, and she agreed. This small shift didn’t just lighten my workload—it also boosted my team’s confidence and productivity.

Now, my work life feels completely transformed. I no longer spend my days putting out small fires or chasing my tail. Instead, I know exactly what to focus on, and I can tackle the important tasks without being bogged down by constant interruptions.

Here are a few habits I’ve adopted to make my work life more fulfilling and focused. If you’re also looking to improve your work life, give these a try and let me know your thoughts—I’d love to hear how they work for you!😊