It doesn't matter what we do for a living. Whether we are an employee who answers back to a whole line of superiors, a manager running an entire show or an entrepreneur preparing a website for launching - there always comes a time where we begin to feel overwhelmed by the mounting pressure, the pressing deadlines and the unbearable clients. In times like these, when it all becomes just too much, our brains tend to shut down and we become highly irritable which consequently leads us to becoming inefficient and unhealthy. Work related stress is an age-old problem that just about every single working individual faces at one point or another in his or her career. Avoidable? We doubt it. Shall it get the best of us? We say no. The better we understand it and learn to view it as our body’s way of saying: “give me a break already”, the better we can learn how to overpower it. Being well acquainted with stress, ticklemybrain has broken down its elements for you. From how stress manifests itself to its consequences, here is ticklemybrain's six step explanation on how to remain cool, calm and collected:

1. where do you come from: In the current state of the economy where everybody’s job is on the line, one of the many causes of stress relates to professional instability which, coupled with a difficult workload, can make life unbearable. Imagine this scenario: Your company is going through a time of financial unease, many have been laid off leaving you to handle a workload that would have previously been divided among several colleagues. Naturally, as the pressure has increased, your ability to handle it has been compromised leaving you sensitive to stress.

2. presentation time: Studies have shown that stress can present itself through two channels: (1) external stressors: These are induced by outside factors such as poor working conditions that create tense psychological environments. (2) internal stressors - acute or chronic: Acute stressors are characterized by a prompt physical reaction to a prominent threat. Your boss walks in and tells you that you have two days to complete a task that would normally require a month. Suddenly, you notice that your heart is beating faster and it’s not because he happens to look good today. A chronic stressor consists of a problem either directly related to your work or personal life. It has been left unsolved and has been lingering for a while causing you prolonged tension. Example: You overhear your manager discussing your performance review over lunch; a situation leaving you uneasy for months and one that mounts the pressure for you to work even harder.

3. the manifestations: Stress touches you on three different levels: physical, psychological and behavioral. (1) As far as your body is concerned, you will mostly be experiencing insomnia, muscle ache and migraines. (2) On an emotional level, stress is most likely to be at the root of extreme fatigue. You perhaps feel depressed, anxious or unmotivated, but above all, apathetic. The second you stumble to this state of utter carelessness where you just can’t be bothered to care about seeing your project through, or getting through assigned tasks the way you used to, know that it’s time to take a step back and reassess your situation. (3) Stress can also induce irritability, which contributes to spreading an atmosphere of negative energy in your immediate surroundings. In terms of the behavioral symptoms it could explain why you’ve suddenly withdrawn from your social circle or why you would throw a tantrum simply because you ran out of printing paper at the office. Needless to say, your productivity becomes severely compromised, as you are no longer able to operate normally.

4. we say meditate: There are different remedies to consider. The most obvious ones being physical exercise and proper, frequent meals in order to fix the eating disorders and the muscle aches you have developed. Some of the physical exercises, back and neck stretches, can be done while at your desk. Consider aerobics and yoga as it directly affects your energy levels, ability to focus and enables you to relax on both a physical and psychological level.

5. don't quit just yet: It is absolutely normal to feel stressed at times when work begins to pile up, however this should not paralyze you and hinder your ability to function properly both at the workplace and at home. An important consideration lies in pragmatically organizing your workload by setting priorites and ranking tasks accordingly. Make yourself schedules, be sure to differentiate between things that you should do and those that you must do. It’s good to be committed to your job, however not to the expense of neglecting your personal life outside the office. If its your boss keeping you trapped within the confines of a cubicle until the late hours of the night, then stayed tuned to our next article and we'll teach you how to deal. Until then, give yourself regular breaks while at the office, step away from your desk for a few minutes and allow yourself the occasional trivial distractions - after all, your colleague did look cute today.

Sources --> Content: (1) www.helpguide.org - stress at work: how to reduce and manage workplace stress, stress management (2) www.business balls.com - stress management (3) www.stressmanagementtips.com - stress management in the work place Images: (1) www.weheartit.com - well dressed (2) www.weheartit.com - all in your head (3) www.weheartit.com - let's break up