How to Deal With Stress at Work: Practical Strategies to Prevent Burnout

Is work stressing you out? Between meetings, constant notifications and a never‑ending to‑do list, it is easy for everyday pressure to build into work burnout if you do not have a plan to manage it. Learning how to deal with stress at work is not just about getting through a busy week; it’s about protecting your mental and physical health, career longevity, and overall quality of life.

Why addressing work stress matters

Recent surveys show that workplace stress and burnout from work are more common than ever. In the American Psychological Association’s Work in America survey, 77% of workers said they had experienced work‑related stress in the previous month, and 57% reported negative impacts such as emotional exhaustion, lower productivity, and even a desire to quit — all signs commonly associated with workplace burnout. Separate research summarizing burnout trends found that roughly one‑third of employees are experiencing persistent burnout, with employees who feel burned out more likely to consider leaving their jobs.

When you proactively invest in stress management, you take concrete steps to protect both your health and your career. Chronic stress has been linked to issues like headaches, trouble sleeping, decreased immune function, and a higher risk of anxiety and depression, especially when sleep is consistently disrupted. The good news is that there are practical, research‑informed strategies you can use to reduce stress, improve your work‑life balance, and prevent burnout from work before it’s too late.

Recognize the signs of burnout

Before you can change anything, it helps to know what you are looking for. Common indicators of workplace burnout include:

• Feeling emotionally or physically drained at the end of the day.
• Frequently dreading work or noticing a drop in motivation.
• Increased irritability with coworkers or customers.
• Trouble concentrating or getting organized.
• Physical symptoms like headaches, muscle tension, or difficulty sleeping.

How to Deal With Stress at Work

In recent workplace research, nearly half of workers reported feeling emotionally drained from their work, and more than half said they felt “used up” at the end of the workday. If these experiences feel familiar, it may be time to focus more intentionally on how to manage your own stress at work.

1. Identify your main sources of work stress

One of the most powerful steps in minimizing feelings of overwhelm at work is pinpointing what, exactly, is driving your stress. Because stress responses are a mix of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, this can take some honest reflection.

Try this simple exercise for a week:

• Whenever you feel tense or anxious at work, jot down what is happening, how your body feels, and how you respond.
• Look for patterns in your notes — certain times of day, types of tasks, meetings, or communication styles that consistently spike your stress.
• Ask yourself whether any of your own habits (like procrastinating, saying yes to too many things, or avoiding difficult conversations) are adding to the problem.

Mental health experts, including those from the American Psychological Association, note that tracking your experiences can help you identify recurring pressure points and create a more targeted action plan for stress management. Once you are clear on your main triggers, it becomes easier to choose work stress relief tips that will actually make a difference in your daily routine.

2. Get organized so you can act, not just react

When everything feels urgent, it is easy to slip into constant reactivity — jumping from email to email and task to task without a clear sense of your priorities. Over time, this reactive mode can make work burnout more likely because you rarely feel caught up or in control.

To shift into a more proactive mindset:

• Start your day by mapping out your top three priorities rather than diving straight into your inbox.
• Distinguish between tasks you can directly control and broader issues you can only influence.
• Align your to‑do list with your strengths and long‑term goals so your energy is focused where it matters most.

This simple organizational reset supports reduced stress at work by helping you spend more time on meaningful, high‑impact tasks and less time on scattered multitasking. Over time, acting with intention rather than reacting to every ping can make your workload feel more manageable, even when it is objectively busy.

3. Build recovery breaks into your day

Your brain is not designed to stay in “on” mode for an entire workday without rest. Short, consistent breaks are quick ways to de‑stress and give your mind the recovery time it needs to stay clear and focused.

Consider:

• Scheduling a 5‑minute movement or stretch break every 60–90 minutes.
• Taking a brief walk around the office or stepping outside for fresh air between meetings.
• Practicing a few slow, deep breaths when you notice increasing tension in your shoulders and neck.

These small, intentional moments can help interrupt the cycle of stress and help you re‑center when your day starts to feel chaotic. Whenever possible, take a real lunch break or mental rest away from your desk — even 20–30 minutes of unplugged time can support both concentration and stress management at work.

4. Care for your body to support your mind

Your physical habits and your experience of stress are closely linked. When you are not sleeping well, skipping movement, or relying on quick, less‑nutritious snacks to get through the day, you may find it harder to cope with normal work demands. Recent polling shows that more than half of U.S. adults say they would feel better if they could get more sleep, and those who are most sleep‑deprived are also the most likely to report frequent stress.

You can support stress management at work by:

• Prioritizing consistent sleep: Aim for a regular bedtime routine and limit late‑night screen time that can disrupt rest.
• Moving your body: Short walks, stretching, or more structured exercise all help reduce muscle tension and can elevate your mood.
• Choosing nourishing fuel: Keep simple, energizing snacks on hand to avoid the afternoon crash.

These habits are foundational for long‑term stress management that can help you live longer and stay healthier, both in and out of the workplace.

5. Set boundaries with technology and time

Digital tools can make your job easier, but they can also blur the line between work and personal time — especially if you feel pressure to be “always on.” Without clear boundaries, that constant connectivity can make it tough to truly unwind and can contribute to burnout.

Practical ways to create better work-life balance:

• Turning off nonessential notifications during focus time and outside standard work hours.
• Setting expectations with your manager and teammates about when you are available and how quickly you typically respond.
• Avoiding the habit of checking email late at night or during family time unless it is truly necessary.

Studies of workplace stress emphasize that unmanageable workloads and unreasonable time pressure are major contributors to work burnout, especially when employees feel they have little control over their schedules. By setting and communicating healthy boundaries, you create more mental space for recovery.

6. Strengthen your support system at work and beyond

Trying to carry every responsibility alone can magnify stress and make you feel isolated. In fact, strong relationships and psychological safety at work are associated with lower stress and better overall well‑being.

To leverage your support system:

• Look for opportunities to share workloads or collaborate instead of trying to solve every problem on your own.
• Reach out to trusted coworkers, supervisors, friends, or family members when you are feeling overwhelmed.
• Take advantage of any formal supports your organization offers, such as employee assistance programs, mental health benefits, or professional development and training.

At University of Massachusetts Global, for example, students can lean on enrollment coaches and academic advisers to help them juggle school, work and life responsibilities — a model that reflects how structured support can make big goals feel more manageable. Similarly, many professionals benefit from mentors, peer networks, or training opportunities that make it easier to navigate stress and prevent burnout over time.

7. Practice mindfulness and acceptance for what you cannot control

Not every source of stress at work can be changed. Organizational shifts, market conditions, or broader life events may remain outside your control, even when they affect you directly. In these cases, mindfulness and acceptance‑based coping can help you respond in healthier ways.

You might:

• Pause to notice your thoughts and physical responses without immediately acting on them.
• Remind yourself not to try to control the uncontrollable, and instead, focus on your next constructive step.
• Look for the upside where you can, share your feelings with someone you trust, and practice forgiveness — both toward yourself and others.

Stress management experts emphasize that accepting some stress as a normal part of life, rather than a sign of failure, can reduce the added strain of self‑criticism and help you move forward more effectively. Over time, these practices can make it easier to stay grounded even when your external circumstances remain demanding.

Create a personal action plan to prevent burnout

Thinking about all these strategies at once can feel like a lot, but you do not have to implement everything overnight. To support reduced stress at work and prevent burnout, try choosing just one or two areas to focus on for the next month:

• Week 1–2: Track your main sources of stress and adjust your daily priorities.
• Week 3: Add two short movement breaks and one mindful breathing pause to each workday.
• Week 4: Set one new boundary around technology or after‑hours communication and communicate it clearly.

As you refine your approach, consider tools like wellness apps, fitness trackers, or digital planners to help you monitor your sleep, movement, and mood. Many people find this helps them stay accountable to their goals.

How UMass Global supports students’ work‑life balance

If you are balancing school on top of job and family responsibilities, having the right support can make all the difference in managing stress and avoiding burnout from work and life. At University of Massachusetts Global, students have access to support resources like enrollment coaches and academic advisers who help them map out realistic course loads, plan around busy seasons at work, and stay on track toward graduation while honoring personal commitments. This kind of structured, personalized support is designed to help you create a healthier work‑life‑school balance so that furthering your education becomes a source of momentum, not another major stressor.

If you are curious about where you stand right now, you can take a brief quiz to reflect on your current habits and challenges: Find out where you fall on the work/life balance spectrum by taking this quiz.