Job stress can make your life miserable and can carry over into every other area of your life, if you let it. Reducing stress at work plays a large part in making your job – and your life – more pleasant and fulfilling.

Follow these tips to reduce your on-the-job stress and become happier and more productive:

1. Create a work environment that fosters a healthy lifestyle. Arrange the lighting to reduce eye strain. Keep your desk uncluttered. Get a comfortable chair. Go for frequent “health” breaks. All these little tweaks will make your workplace more comfortable.

2. Associate with positive people. Positive people help bring out the best in you and reduce stress. Rather than gossiping, they see the good in people. Rather than complaining, they find what’s good about the job and focus on that, which makes for an uplifting workplace.

3. Adopt a positive attitude. Let yourself be one of those people whom others enjoy being around. Uplift others and you’ll find your own spirit is lifted as well. Smile and others smile with you!

4. Set realistic goals for yourself. If a project is too big, divide it into easily achievable mini-goals. This sets you up for success every day.

5. Take a tip from Santa and make a list! Each morning, determine your tasks for the day and arrange them by priority. Keep your list where you can see it and cross off each task as you complete it. This gives you a sense of accomplishment which grows as the day goes on.

6. Delegate as much as possible to the best person for the task. This lets you concentrate on the more demanding tasks while others do the legwork. All in all, the team becomes more productive and successful.

7. Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. This is much less stressful than being unable to do something that was expected of you, and then facing the consequences of it not being done or being done incorrectly.

8. Communicate. Open, honest communication can prevent misunderstandings and hard feelings. Even if you feel upset about something, let the person know about it with the intent of resolving the issue peacefully.

9. Take frequent short breaks. Get up, shake out your muscles, and take a short walk outside. This gives your mind a rest while rejuvenating it with some fresh oxygen for mental clarity when you return.

10. Take vacations. You’re more productive and perform higher quality work when you give yourself a chance to get away for a while and relax. A vacation doesn’t have to mean a week at an exotic island. A weekend trip would serve you just as well!

11. Leave your work at the office. When your workday is done, forget about the job and concentrate on enjoying your time away from work. Make it a policy to never take work home with you. It’s much less stressful to come in a little early to get a head start on your day, instead of working all night.

12. Here are some affirmations to help you reduce job stress:
I plan my work and work my plan.
I remain calm at work.
I bring joy to my workplace.
I handle rush projects with mental clarity and efficiency.
I have patience with my co-workers.
I am a success.

1. Recognize your own path- when it comes to reaching your goals and improving your life, you need to be the leader. You are in control of what you want and your goals should come down to you and you alone. Just because your Dad wants you to be a lawyer and your Mom wants you to have 5 children does not mean this is what you have to do – it’s your life and thus, you are the boss.

2. Disassociate yourself from negativity- in the same way positive thoughts lead to positive results, negative thoughts leads to negative results. Negativity may be all around you- bitchy co-workers; unhappy neighbors; a depressing partner. Disassociate yourself from those types of people. You are in a happy, positive place- no negativity allowed.

3. Define your goals clearly- goals are what make life worth living. Think long and hard about what you want to accomplish and how you are going to get there. Make steps, include financial costs and put in as much detail as possible- the more defined your goals are, the easier they will be to achieve (and the more rewarding when you get there).

4. Push jealously aside – when you watch someone on a parallel path reaching their goals a lot sooner, it can be hard to sit back and be happy for them. But this is what you are going to have to do. Getting rid of this envy and resentment is a big hurdle in improving your self. But, once you overcome these feelings, you are a lot closer to reaching a state of Zen-like success.

5. Use visual reminders as boosters – being able to clearly see your goal can help motivate you and keep you focused on your game plan. Many people will post a picture of their ‘dream body’ on the fridge when they are trying to lose weight. Others will use their ‘dream car’ as their computer screen saver at work when those tough days get them down. A visual reminder can boost your motivation and drive to succeed.

6. See yourself at the end – as mentioned above, visualization is vital to reach your goal and improve your self. This is why it’s important to visualize yourself there. See yourself fitting into that size 10. Feel the breeze on your cheeks as you drive that sports car. Seeing is believing.

7. Use timeliness – tracking your success can help you put your goal into perspective and see how far you’ve already come. It’s important for self-improvement that you recognize your feats and be proud of what you have doing, or are planning to do.

8. Reward yourself on the way – be happy with your progress. Whether your goal will take you twenty days or twenty years doesn’t matter- the important thing is that you are doing it. You are getting there. To keep yourself motivated every step of the way, you need to reward yourself with small treats. Be proud of how far you have come and prepare for the journey ahead.

9. Look for role models – look to those who are on the same path as you for inspiration. Perhaps this is a CEO of the company,  perhaps your father. Get a coach or mentor, or maybe two.  Try to immerse yourself in their life and ask questions. Their positive energy may just rub off on you. And, if not, at least you are learning from the experts how to get where you want to go.

10. Make room for failure – it can’t be a smooth road all the time- there has to be plenty of bumps along the way. In fact, it is these bumps that make the road worth traveling. Failure is a big part of our lives and we need to learn to live,  love and laugh at failure rather than give in to it. Henry Ford once said that every failed attempt is just another opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. Failure is experience and experience is power.

1. Ask questions- in order to get ahead, you need to know what you are doing and what you can do differently. You need to take control of your career and ask the right questions. Talk to your co-workers and your bosses about moving up and gaining control of your job.

2. Determine your skills- when it comes to self-improvement in the work place, you need to determine what makes you a good worker. What thrills you? What interests you? What are you good at? Perhaps you are a good writer; perhaps you are a great salesperson. You need to find dig deep within yourself and determine your strengths, which will lead to a successful dream career.

3. Prioritize- at work it’s important to prioritize what needs to be done now and later. It can be easy to do the simple tasks first and push the harder tasks to another day. However, this is going to just bring you more stress in the end. To improve your work schedule, you need to set deadlines and meet these.

4. Keep a schedule- many people carry around a diary or a calendar of their meetings and things that need to be done. This is one of the most important things you can do to keep control of your tasks and make the day run smoother. Do not just schedule work-related events; keep one step ahead of all your daily chores and errands. If you see what needs to be done, the workload can be a lot less overwhelming. Just take it one step at a time.

5. Make a To Do list- at home and on the job, To-do lists are one of the most effective ways to get things done. Make a list of everything, from cleaning the house and laundry, to writing that report and making the presentation at work. One of the best things about To-Do lists is that you get to check off each item once it is finished. Seeing what you have accomplished throughout the day with checked To-Do lists is liberating and therapeutic. It can improve your self-confidence and your stimulate motivation to successfully get the job done.

6. Accept your weaknesses and work towards strengthening them- everyone has weakness. While some people cannot spell without a computer spell check, others are terrified of public speaking. Accept your weaknesses and then work towards strengthening them. You may need to attend a course, put in extra hours and ask for help from your superiors, but all of these things can improve your self-esteem and break the barriers of your weaknesses.

7. Stay away from those distractions- Attention Facebook, MySpace, and MSN users- step away from the social networking! For those who work in an office environment where you are constantly on the computer (and internet), it can be a challenge to stay away from fun distractions such as games and chatting to friends. You need to block these sites to stop yourself from using them at work. This is not good for your self-improvement, and, if your employer catches you, it also won’t be good for your career. Other distractions come from gossipy co-workers and text messages. Steer clear of these distractions to improve your work ethics. There’s a time and a place for distractions- it’s called ‘after work.’

8. Take baby steps- big projects are hard to tackle. However, the hardest part is always starting it. If you have to tackle a big project, break it up into smaller sections. A book is really only several different chapters. Think about this when you need to tackle your next big project. This can make the project a lot less overwhelming and greatly increases your chance of success.

9. Relax, once in a while- it’s okay to take a few minutes during the day for yourself, as long as it is not stopping your productivity. Many people can motor through a 10 hour working day without a break; most people, however, cannot. Use your breaks to their full potential but relaxing and recharging.

10. Take advantage of your peak time- everyone has a certain time during the day that they get the most work done. For many, this is in the morning. For others, this may be after lunch. Take advantage of your peak time by working through the hard tasks then.

11. Stop procrastinating- it’s sooooo easy to procrastinate. But it’s also sooooo bad for your work ethics to do so. Setting daily goals, using ‘To Do’ lists and small rewards for a job well done can all beat procrastination before it beats you.

12. Never stop learning- you are never too old to continue your education. Many people assume that they chose one career path and are stuck with this choice. Not true, especially not anymore. There are so many different ways to increase your education including online courses, distance education and night classes. Book clubs and other clubs can also increase your brainpower and help with self-improvement.