Managing Stress on the Job: Practical Tips That Work

Stress doesn’t just live in your head—it also takes a toll on your body. When stress is unmanaged, it can have a serious effect on your mental and physical health.

Headaches, heart disease, diabetes, depression, back pain, and many more conditions are tied to poorly managed stress.

If your work is physical, long hours bending, lifting, and twisting can leave you with sore muscles, tight joints, and constant fatigue. 

And desk workers don't have it any easier.

Long days on a computer often lead to a stiff neck, burning shoulders, aching wrists, and a mind that won’t stay focused.

Left unchecked, these stressors pile up and steal your energy, your sleep, and your productivity.

You may believe that you have to keep pushing through to do good work, but the opposite is true. 

By adding simple, science-backed techniques for stress management, you'll have more to offer at work, and feel better, too.

Stress-management strategies like breathing, movement, mindfulness, and recovery are known to work. Practiced regularly, these techniques can reset your body and your mind.

When you add stress management to your work day, you’ll notice the difference. You'll feel less tension, have sharper focus, and more energy. 

By using some (or all) of these techniques, you’ll feel stronger and more resilient. Managing stress can help you accomplish more in a day, avoid burnout, and likely live longer.

Stress Management for Manual Laborers

Hard work keeps food on the table, but the heavy lifting, long hours, and constant strain wear your body down.

Stress management isn’t just about feeling calmer—it’s about protecting your strength. You need to keep working, stay healthy, and avoid long-term injury. These stress-management tips will help.

Move Safely and Switch It Up

Your body isn’t built to work nonstop. Regularly stretching, shifting positions, or walking a few steps can keep your muscles from locking up.

Safe lifting—keeping loads in your “power zone” close to the body, bending at the knees, and avoiding awkward twisting—protects your back and shoulders.

These adjustments may feel like they slow you down, but they actually prevent injuries and help you work longer without pain.

Relieve Tension on the Spot

Toe tensing, rolling out tight spots with a ball, or taking 30 seconds for a quick neck self-massage can reset tense muscles.

These simple techniques reduce cortisol—the body’s main stress hormone—and calm your nervous system.

They may look a little odd on the jobsite, but they’re powerful. Doing a quick reset often means fewer headaches, less pain, and less time (and money) lost.

Rest, Hydrate, and Properly Fuel Your Body

Good sleep, enough water, and steady, balanced meals make you more resilient to the wear-and-tear of hard work.

Hydration keeps joints lubricated and muscles working properly.

Quality food provides the energy your body burns through in a day.

Skipping meals or pushing through on little sleep makes stress hit harder and recovery take longer. 

Good food and restful sleep are the foundations for staying strong and earning more money.

Take Breaks

Scheduled breaks aren’t wasted time—they’re how your body recharges so you can keep going.

Short rest periods help manage stress or fatigue, and are the best ways to ensure quality, productive work.

The science is clear: consistent recovery time between workloads lowers the risk of injury and improves performance.

Regular breaks protect your health, your safety, and your ability to provide for your family.

Stress Management for Desk Workers

Long hours at a computer may not feel like “hard labor,” but sitting all day takes a serious toll on your body and mind.

Stress shows up as a stiff neck, burning shoulders, sore wrists, and mental fatigue.

Managing stress isn’t just about relaxing. It’s about keeping your focus sharp, preventing chronic pain, and protecting your long-term health.

These tips will help you get through the workday feeling stronger and more focused.

Take Breaks and Reset Your Posture

Staring at a screen for hours without moving strains your muscles and eyes.

Short breaks—even just standing up, stretching, or walking for a minute—improve circulation and reduce muscle tension.

Every once in a while, it helps to check in on your ergonomics. How is your chair position? Is your monitor height and distance healthy for your eyes and neck? Are your wrists properly supported? If not, make adjustments. 

These resets tend to refresh your attention, boost productivity, and reduce mental and physical stress.

Breathe Deep and Practice Mindfulness

Stress often shows up as shallow breathing and racing thoughts.

Slow, deep breathing for five minutes can lower your heart rate, reduce cortisol, and calm your nervous system.

A guided meditation or a walk without your phone will deepen your breath and restore your concentration.

Mindful breathing and mental resets are shown to make you more focused and calm, and less stressed.

Protect Your Time and Focus

Constant notifications and multitasking overload your brain.

Time blocking—scheduling focused work sessions and limiting email or message checks—gives your mind room to do its best work.

Research shows that single-tasking improves both efficiency and accuracy. Setting these boundaries may feel uncomfortable at first, but protecting your focus protects your health, too.

Process Stress in Simple Ways

Journaling about what’s on your mind or practicing progressive muscle relaxation can take the edge off stress.

Writing clears mental clutter, while tensing and releasing muscle groups lowers physical tension and stress hormones.

You don’t need to be a “journal person”—even a few quick sentences can clear your mind, making it easier to leave work stress at work.

Chiropractic, Acupuncture, and Relaxation Therapies for Stress

Are you carrying a level of stress that just won’t let go? When your body stays tense, even small stressors can feel overwhelming. If your stress-management practices aren't quite working, we have services that can help.

We can help calm your nervous system, ease muscle tension, and reset your body’s stress response with the following therapies:

Chiropractic Care

Stress often shows up as tight shoulders, headaches, or back pain.

Chiropractic adjustments restore motion to restricted joints, relieve muscle tension, and improve nervous system function.

Many patients notice less pain, better sleep and a greater sense of ease.

Acupuncture

Research shows acupuncture reduces stress hormones, lowers blood pressure, and improves sleep quality.

Many patients find it gives them a deep sense of calm while also helping with pain and tension.

Infrared Sauna

Regular use of infrared sauna has been shown to ease pain, lower blood pressure, and support recovery.

Many people describe it as “melting away” tension—your body relaxes, and your mind follows.

Migun Thermal Massage Table

This therapy combines infrared heat, massage, and acupressure using jade massage heads that run the length of your body.

It presses, stretches, and massages from head to toe, relieving muscle tension, improving circulation, and reducing inflammation.

Hydrotherapy Table

Hydrotherapy is gentle and soothing. Warm water jets move under your body to relax tight muscles, improve circulation, and reduce inflammation.

Patients often say they leave feeling lighter, calmer, and ready to rest.

Traction Roller Table

This table stretches your back, loosens tight muscles, and promotes healthy circulation. It’s especially helpful if your stress shows up as back stiffness or tension you can’t quite shake.

We can help you figure out which therapies are best for your specific stressors and condition. 

Start managing stress at work for the sake of your health.

You can use many of the above techniques at work to manage stress before it becomes serious. Stretching, breathing, or giving yourself a quick reset all help.

These simple practices go a long way toward easing daily strain and keeping stress from causing more serious illness or injury.

But sometimes stress has been taking a toll on you for a while. That’s where we can help. 

If you’re feeling weighed down by tension that won’t let go, or you’re already dealing with stress-related pain and injuries, reach out to us.

Chiropractic, acupuncture, and our in-office therapies release heavy stress.

At Cloud Peak Chiro, we’re trained to restore your balance, and get your body moving the way it should.

Don’t keep pushing through stress—heal from it. 

Call or text to book an appointment at Cloud Peak Chiropractic. We're in Worland and Thermopolis, and we can help.