Articles & Research
Stemming the Tide of Work-Related Stress: It’s Not Rocket Science, It’s Neuroscience
This article explores how modern work practices inadvertently trigger the brain’s primal survival mechanisms, leading to stress. It offers practical, neuroscience-based strategies to align workplace practices with biological processes to reduce stress and enhance performance.
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A Mini-Review of Work Stress and Mindfulness: A Neuropsychological Point of View
This review examines how work-related stress affects brain areas like the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and amygdala. It discusses the neuropsychological benefits of mindfulness-based interventions in mitigating stress and promoting cognitive functions essential for workplace performance.
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Learning To Be Calm: The Neuroscience Behind Workplace Stress
This article discusses how chronic tension impacts the brain and offers strategies to cultivate calmness, such as mindfulness practices, prioritizing tasks, taking breaks, regular exercise, setting boundaries, seeking support, and creating a pleasant work environment.
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Neurological Underpinnings to Understanding and Dealing with Stress at Work
This paper explores the neurobiological mechanisms underlying stress at work and discusses how mindfulness and meditation can promote neuroplasticity and resilience, aiding in stress management.
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The Influence of Work-Related Chronic Stress on the Regulation of Emotion and on Functional Connectivity in the Brain
This study investigates how chronic work-related stress affects emotional regulation and functional connectivity in the brain, highlighting the impact on cognitive functions and the potential for therapeutic interventions.
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“How to Make Stress Your Friend” by Kelly McGonigal
McGonigal explores how changing our mindset about stress can improve our health and performance.
Strategies to Overcome Work-Related Stress
- Master Stress Management With These 7 Neuroscience-Based Techniques
This article outlines seven neuroscience-backed techniques for stress management, including reframing perspectives, practicing mindfulness, engaging in physical activity, and improving sleep hygiene.
Read more - Neuroscience Reveals 3 Simple Habits to Reduce Stress, Curb Anger, and Boost Your Performance
This piece discusses how directing attention, practicing mindfulness, and maintaining a growth mindset can regulate emotions and enhance performance in high-pressure situations.
Read more - Relaxation Response for Reversing Stress
This article explains how inducing the relaxation response through techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga can counteract the body’s stress response and promote well-being.
Read more - Breathwork Can Help Your Mental Fog
This article explores how mindful breathing practices can regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and enhance mental clarity, offering practical tips for incorporating breathwork into daily routines.
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Time Management Techniques
1. Pomodoro Technique
How it works:
- Work for 25 minutes (one Pomodoro)
- Take a 5-minute break
- After 4 Pomodoros, take a 15-30 minute break
Best for: Staying focused and reducing burnout during repetitive or mentally demanding tasks.
Try using Pomofocus to implement it.
2. Eisenhower Matrix (Urgent-Important Matrix)
How it works:
Categorize tasks into 4 quadrants:
- Urgent & Important: Do immediately
- Important, Not Urgent: Schedule
- Urgent, Not Important: Delegate
- Not Urgent & Not Important: Eliminate
Best for: Prioritizing tasks and reducing busy work.
Use this interactive tool to organize your to-do list.
3. Time Blocking
How it works:
Divide your day into blocks of time dedicated to specific tasks or types of work. Stick to the blocks strictly.
Best for: Deep work and avoiding multitasking.
🗓 Tools like Google Calendar or Clockwise are helpful.
4. Getting Things Done (GTD) by David Allen
How it works:
- Capture everything in a system
- Clarify what each task is and what action is required
- Organize into categories
- Reflect frequently
- Engage in tasks appropriately
Best for: People managing lots of projects and incoming tasks.
Learn more at GettingThingsDone.com
5. The 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle)
How it works:
Identify the 20% of tasks that bring 80% of your results. Focus your energy on those.
Best for: Increasing effectiveness and identifying high-impact activities.
💡 Tip: Review weekly to adjust focus areas.
6. ABCDE Method
How it works:
- Label tasks: A = very important, B = should do, C = nice to do, D = delegate, E = eliminate
- Always complete “A” tasks before moving to “B” or “C”
Best for: Making fast prioritization decisions.
Use on paper or to organize your daily planner.
7. Eat That Frog (by Brian Tracy)
How it works:
Do your hardest or most important task (your “frog”) first thing in the day.
Best for: Avoiding procrastination and jumpstarting productivity.
Book: Eat That Frog!
8. Task Batching
How it works:
Group similar tasks together and do them during designated time blocks.
Best for: Reducing context switching (e.g., answering emails, making calls).
Combine with Time Blocking for max results.
9. Parkinson’s Law
How it works:
Work expands to fill the time allotted. Set shorter deadlines to increase urgency.
Best for: Combatting perfectionism and speeding up decision-making.
Tip: Challenge yourself with micro-deadlines.
10. The Ivy Lee Method
How it works:
- At the end of each day, write down 6 important tasks for the next day
- Rank them in order of importance
- Work through them one by one, only moving on when the previous is complete
Best for: Maintaining daily focus with minimal stress.
Tip: Keep it simple—paper or a basic task app works great.
Combine These Techniques
Most professionals find success in combining two or three techniques. For example:
- Use the Ivy Lee Method + Time Blocking
- Pair GTD with the Pomodoro Technique