11/10/2025

Seven Ways to Manage Stress at Work

Apply the science of behavioral therapy

At its best, work can be energizing, creative and meaningful. It can also be emotionally exhausting and stressful. Even in healthy organizations, we all deal with interpersonal tension, stinging feedback, impossible deadlines and the constant pressure to over-perform. Add in the rapid pace of change and a steady diet of uncertainty, and it is no wonder many of us feel perpetually on edge.

Stress isn't just a sign that something is wrong—it is a signal that something matters. Emotions like frustration, anxiety and excitement all contain useful data about what's important to us, what we value and what we need. Yet in most workplaces, we are trained to treat emotions as distractions from rational thought rather than as essential information that guides it. When we ignore or misread that emotional data, we lose access to one of our most valuable internal resources.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), originally developed by psychologist Marsha Linehan to help individuals struggling with chronic emotion dysregulation, offers a powerful framework for understanding and responding to emotions effectively. DBT isn't about suppressing or indulging emotions—it is about interpreting them accurately and acting wisely in response. The same skills that help people navigate crises and build healthier relationships can help you stay centered in a difficult meeting, receive feedback without spiraling and recover from professional setbacks with greater resilience.

Please select this link to read the complete article from Fast Company.