Stress is one of the biggest culprits behind work-related burnout. With busy schedules and trying to juggle all responsibilities, not only at work but also at home, no one can blame you if you suddenly find yourself breaking down.
The good news is that hope is not lost. Cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT is here to help. Since the goal of CBT is to challenge a person’s dysfunctional assumptions and thoughts, CBT-based solutions for work-related stress can help. With CBT, you will notice a significant reduction in your stress levels. As a result, you will be able to deal with challenges and obstacles more efficiently and effectively.
There are several approaches used to apply CBT interventions for work-related stress, and these include the following:
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Develop Healthy Strategies to Cope with Extremely Stressful Situations
Cognitive behavioral therapy can come in handy for the development of action plans in distressing or stressful situations. An employee who has a tight deadline for a project, for example, might experience heightened levels of anxiety and pressure.
The employee can try to use maladaptive coping methods like isolating themselves or skipping sleep just so they can focus on the job. CBT can offer better management solutions and strategies. These include using relaxation methods, breaking down and organizing workload into smaller chunks, or seeking help from family and friends with everyday chores.
Monitor and Keep Tab on Moods
This is probably one of the most critical goals of cognitive behavioral therapy. This method helps clients process their feelings and emotions concerning a specific situation or event. It also encourages them to reflect on their responses to challenges and behavioral patterns.
When used in the workplace, this CBT approach can help employees improve their awareness of their underlying emotions and moods. Every time an employee feels stressed out about work-related tasks or ponders upon specific events, they can simply take a break and write down the upsetting or stressful events as well as how they feel about them.
Prioritize Workload
Cognitive behavioral therapy can also offer practical solutions for stress related to work. It can encourage employees to organize their schedules more efficiently so they will feel more relaxed about their projects and deadlines.
Reframing
This particular technique pertains to looking at specific negative situations from a different perspective. For instance, an employee who didn’t receive a work promotion and feels down because of it can try to perceive the situation as a chance to unite their skills and knowledge in their present position. This will then let the employee achieve better results soon.
Focus More on Controllable Things
This final principle is something that cognitive behavioral therapy can reinforce further. Since work can get too overwhelming at times, it is very common for employees to focus a lot on things that are out of their control. This only results in decreased well-being and anxiety. Employees can take advantage of CBT methods to shift their attention to events that are within their control.
