How to Manage Work Stress Without Burning Out: Five Therapist-Approved Tips
When Everything Feels Like a “Yes”
You wake up and already feel behind.
Your mind immediately starts racing with all the things that need to get done before you’ve even finished breakfast.
Your calendar is packed full, your inbox is overflowing, and yet you still find yourself saying yes to every new request that lands on your plate.
“Sure, I can help with that.”
“No problem, I’ve got it.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
Even when you're already stretched thin.
Even when it means skipping lunch, working late, or sacrificing the tiny sliver of rest you carved out for yourself.
Because the idea of saying no? That’s where the real stress starts.
What if someone’s disappointed? What if they’re upset? What if you’re seen as difficult—or worse, not capable?
If this pattern feels familiar, it’s not just about your job.
Chronic overwhelm at work can often be a symptom of something deeper, like perfectionism, people-pleasing, or old beliefs about what makes you worthy of rest.
In therapy, we’d call this a nervous system stuck in high alert.
In your body, it might just feel like constant tension, a racing mind, and a never-ending pressure to prove yourself.
But here’s the truth: managing stress in the workplace isn’t about pushing harder or doing more.
It’s about learning how to recognize the internal patterns that keep you in survival mode and building new, sustainable ways to relate to work, to others, and to yourself.
If you’re tired of feeling like everything is urgent and nothing ever gets done, these five therapist-backed tips are a starting point. They might not magically fix everything overnight, but they are powerful first steps in learning to manage work stress differently.
Let’s dive in.
Tip 1: Name What’s Really Going On
When the stress starts to rise, your first instinct might be to double down: push harder, work faster, get more organized.
But often, stress at work isn’t just about a long to-do list or looming deadlines.
It’s about the meaning you’re attaching to those things.
The unknowns in a new project?
Is it that they’re unclear, or are they triggering a fear that you’re not capable?
The tight deadlines?
Sure, they’re annoying, but maybe they’re also making you question if you can keep up or if you’re falling behind.
Clients often come into therapy saying, “I just need to get it together.”
But with a little digging, what’s underneath is something more tender:
“I’m afraid I’m not doing enough.”
“I’m worried I’ll let someone down.”
“I’m scared of failing.”
When you pause to name what’s really going on, or, in therapist-speak, “name it to tame it,” (a technique created by psychiatrist Dr. Dan Siegel) you create a new kind of clarity. One where you can start asking better questions:
What am I actually afraid will happen if this doesn’t get done?
Where have I felt this pressure before?
Whose voice is in my head right now?
From there, we can start validating what’s true (yes, there’s a lot on your plate) and gently challenge what’s not (no, it doesn’t all have to be perfect, or immediate).
Naming your stress doesn’t make it disappear. But it does make it more manageable.
And that’s a powerful place to begin.
Tip 2: Learn to Say “This Can Wait”
When everything feels urgent, it’s easy to assume that everything is urgent.
Your body kicks into overdrive. Your brain scrambles to keep up.
And without even realizing it, you’re running on autopilot, saying yes, taking on more, pushing through.
For a lot of clients I work with, that sense of urgency feels almost normal.
It’s been their default setting for so long, they don’t realize there’s another way.
But here’s the truth: not everything deserves your immediate energy.
And the more you can pause—even for a moment—the more power you have to respond instead of react.
One question I often offer is simple, but clarifying:
“Are you the only one who can do this?”
Just asking that can help break the pattern of feeling solely responsible for everything all the time.
Learning to say “this can wait” is about tuning into your own internal cues and honoring them, especially the ones that say, “I need a break,” or “I can’t take this on right now.”
That can mean taking five minutes before responding to an email.
Or choosing not to jump in during a meeting just to “be helpful.”
Or even asking for support, which, by the way, doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re human.
This shift from urgency to intentionality is a skill.
And like any skill, it gets easier with practice.
Creating boundaries between work and personal time might mean a short walk after you log off, a few deep breaths before dinner, or just naming to yourself:
“I’ve done enough today.”
Tip 3: Take a Micro-Break (Yes, Even for 30 Seconds)
Most of the clients I see love the idea of taking a break.
But in practice? It’s easy to overlook.
They tell me things like,
“I was going to step away, but then another email came in…”
or
“I don’t really have time; I just need to power through.”
Here’s what I want you to know: you don’t need an hour-long lunch or a walk in the woods to reset your system.
Sometimes, a 30-second pause is enough to start shifting out of survival mode.
Because when your body is constantly in go-go-go mode, even the smallest interruption can be powerful.
You might:
Stand up and stretch your arms overhead
Step outside and take five slow breaths
Walk to the kitchen for a glass of water
Place a hand on your chest and ask, “What do I need right now?”
These aren’t indulgences. They’re interventions.
They help your nervous system downshift so you’re not reacting from stress, but responding from intention.
And yes, things will still pop up.
But building in micro-breaks (even once or twice a day) can start to change the way your whole day feels.
Little steps add up.
Tip 4: Watch for Stress “Creeping” Outside Work Hours
Does any of this sound familiar?
You close your laptop, technically “done” for the day, but your mind keeps spinning.
You’re replaying that conversation with your boss.
Mentally rewriting tomorrow’s email or planning what you’ll say when you see them.
You’re trying to fall asleep, but your chest feels tight and your brain won’t shut off.
When stress follows you home, it doesn’t always look like more work.
Instead, it often shows up as irritability, restlessness, or exhaustion that you can’t sleep off.
These are signs that your nervous system hasn’t actually gotten the message that it’s safe to power down. And if things aren’t powering down, that’s costing you valuable energy.
When I work with clients on this, we don’t start by creating rigid routines or “solving” for balance.
We start by building awareness and offering compassion.
You are not a machine. I repeat, you are not a machine!
You’re a human—a human who needs rest, support, and permission to stop.
Creating boundaries between work and personal time might mean a short walk after you log off, a few deep breaths before dinner, or just naming to yourself:
“I’ve done enough today.”
If you’re not sure where to start, I’ve created a free guided meditation called ‘Leaving Your Work Day Behind’ that can help you transition from work to rest with more ease.
You can listen to it for free on Insight Timer or on the Meditations page of my website.
Work-life balance isn’t something you achieve and keep forever.
It’s a dynamic process—a practice of noticing when things feel out of sync and gently moving back toward the center.
And it starts by noticing when the stress has followed you home.
Tip 5: You Don’t Have to Do This Alone
If you’ve been handling job stress by pushing through, you’re not alone.
Most of the professionals I work with have spent years operating in overdrive, driven by internal pressure to prove themselves, keep up, and not let anyone down.
And one of their biggest fears about slowing down?
That they’ll somehow lose their edge.
That if they stop hustling, everything will fall apart, or they won’t achieve their goals.
But the reality is: learning how to manage work stress doesn’t mean becoming someone who doesn’t care.
You might need to read that again— learning how to manage work stress doesn’t mean becoming someone who doesn’t care.
It means becoming someone who’s connected to themselves. And becoming someone who can intentionally choose what to give their energy to, instead of being pulled in every direction.
In therapy, we’ll look at both the patterns and the pressure.
I offer actionable strategies that you can start using right away, while also helping you get to the root of what’s fueling your stress in the first place.
Together, we’ll work toward a version of work that feels sustainable, grounded, and aligned with who you are, not just what you can do.
If you’re ready to stop living in survival mode and start building something more sustainable, schedule a consultation today.
I work with professionals in NYC and across New York and offer online therapy for those navigating work stress, burnout, and anxiety.
