According to a survey done earlier this year by LinkedIn Learning, 52% of professionals are stressed in their jobs and that is a lot of stressed out people!

From my own personal experience nothing stresses the modern Man (or Woman) more than work stress. So to celebrate the last day of the International Stress Awareness Week here are my 3 tips for beating Stress at its own game.

Breathe(ing)

Last year in October the work stress got so much that I started getting panic attacks! The medical solution was to medicate. However, the answer turned out to be simpler than that: Breathe. Yup that's it.

Simply find a quiet place when stress is getting to you (your office, a break room or even the toilet) and close your eyes. Then, put all your attention on your breathing. It's difficult in the beginning to block everything out and concentrate only on your breathing, but as you do it three to four times a day it will be get easier. The best part, almost immediately after doing this, you'll feel calmer, more centered and more focused.

Get Active(er)

When stress at work was building up it was affecting my personal life and health. My friends started telling me that I wasn't fun to be around. Grumpy McCormick was in town. Stress was causing all sorts of negative emotions and energy to build up in my body. So I started running. That was the second answer.

Changing your body chemistry by becoming more active helps in thinking positive thoughts instead of wallowing in negative ones. Plus you will look good, increase your positivity in life and in turn reduce stress, creating a positive feedback loop.

Get Focus(ed)

Like a Ninja, Stress would creep up on me when I would least expect it. To beat it I started focusing my mindset on acquiring new skillsets that would help me in my career. I started learning Digital Marketing earlier this year. By focusing on learning new things, I brought new positive energy into my life, dispelling the negativity that work stress brought.

When going into a situation that causes stress like a presentation or a meeting, focus on exactly how you want to show up in that meeting: confident, informed and successful. Remember, your focus will dispel any stress you are feeling.

The Net Result

I would like everyone to consider how your life would be if you just shifted your energy positively and focused for a few minutes every day? It will make you calmer, more alert and happier. The net result: The World will resonate with You.