The IT world is an excellent example of how our workplaces have changed both for the better and for the worse. But these changes are inevitable. Organisations are also under great pressure. Once we understand that, we see our stress at work differently. Rationale helps us cope better. Author Wayne Dyer said: "When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out - because that's what's inside. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside."
Pressure is not bad. Look at it positively. It makes you tougher from the inside. It teaches you skills to deal with a fast-changing world. If you are challenged, it is actually an opportunity to surprise yourself by rising up to it and winning. You will see talents you never knew you had. Maybe, you did not crumble as you used will power to goad yourself to win. Like some others around you, you did not allow emotions to get the better of you and so could make decisions that were sturdier.
Concentrate on your positive traits and keep reinforcing them. Do it everyday. Skilled planning helps to deal with issues you have to handle at the workplace. Have a plan. Most of us fire fight without a plan. Lay it out, think it over and then move to execute it step by step. Working in phases helps complete a task faster and better. Ask yourself if your insecurity is stopping you from delegating. Do not take work home. Instead, stay back and finish what you have to. Many people are so obsessed that they switch on their computers the moment they reach home. I have a lot of friends who do that.
Treat office politics like the plague. Once you get involved, it will suck you in like a whirlpool till you choke and die a thousand deaths. Good professionals do not need politics to survive. Manage your time better with a timetable dovetailed to your deadlines. Keep it pinned on a wall you can see all the time. It is a reminder that will keep you on track.
Do not panic as your rationale flies out of the window. Be calm. It will give you a sense of control. Once you have that, no pressure can get to you.
Ramesh Menon is a journalist and corporate trainer