Make Use of Work Pressure

    What would you say when you are under work pressure, "stressed out andfrantic1" or "challenged and energized"? There is very littlephysiological2difference between the two, says a growingcontingent3of experts who claim works stress has an upside. These experts believe that stress can strengthen you or tear you down. In most cases, you can choose.

    Give stress a good name why recent work stress -- it's anindicator4that your career is advancing. Think of a heavy work load as an exciting opportunity to push yourself, learn new skills and show yourmettle5. Complainingdepletes6your energy; instead greet anoverloaded7day with optimism. Tell yourself, "This is a challenge i am capable of handling."

    Put it in perspective sometimes it's impossible to talk about the positive side of stress -- say your computer crashes and you lose valuable work -- but you can moderate your reaction. Rate yourdistress8on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being mild irratation and 10 extreme panic or anger. Now, rank the importance of the situation from 1 ( a notice ) to 10 ( you're fired ). If your distress ranks higher than the seriousness of the situation, ask yourself: Is this something i will remember in four years, four months, four days? Then downshift your response accordingly, saving your emotinal energy for disasters.