Achieving Happiness at Work - 10 Practical Methods to Beat Stress in the Workplace -- [Stress Management] By Mr Danai Chanchaochai (Thailand)

Here are 10 suggestions as a practical guide in dealing with stress in the workplace from a Buddhist perspective.

1. Cast yourself as a coach, adviser or cheerleader rather than a judge. Avoiding the role of stakeholder in every situation will help to eliminate stress. Most people fall immediately into the trap of trying to judge everyone and every situation. Stress will inevitably be the result as we can never guarantee an outcome that's 100 percent successful. If, however, we are an observer or coach, we can look at the situation from the "macro" viewpoint, and can apply wisdom to solve the problems.

2.Always give everyone 10 out of 10. Regardless of how careless, imperfect or inactive they are, everyone should be given opportunities to make a fresh start. We ourselves have had one, and there should be no exceptions for others.

3.Don't focus too much on the goal or final stage of everything. Do the opposite: focus on the process. Concentrate on what you're doing rather than heading tirelessly to the result. Be content with the result you achieve, no matter whether it's good or bad. It exists because you have done your best.

4.Remember that all things are transitory and exist only for a time. Things change and pass, according to the Rule of Nature. Not even our body or our breathing can remain stable, and our feelings and emotions cannot be managed. They exist - then vanish. Whether they are positive or negative, feelings like happiness, sadness, hunger and satisfaction are all temporary, continually coming and going. They quickly pass; we cannot hold onto them!

5. Practice mindfulness meditation regularly in your daily life. Whether you're walking, lying down, standing, sitting down, in a meeting room - whatever you're doing, every action, every movement, every job is just a hobby. Your principal duty is to observe and acknowledge your breathing and your feelings.

Once your mind is conditioned, you will gain strength by being mindful, and whatever mental factor that may appear, your mind will detect automatically. When you are mindful you can solve any problem that occurs in your daily life, and you'll find that stress will disappear. Without mindfulness you will be submerged in the world of thought. There is a saying related to this you might have heard: "Careless thoughts bring suffering to the thinker."

6. "Work is Dhamma in practice". The most important claim on our attention is the task at hand. Whatever task we may be engaged in, we must be mindful of it and keep at it little by little. It may be immense, it may seem overpowering but we shall achieve it eventually when we apply the Four Paths of Accomplishment to it.

To accomplish anything, we need willpower and resolution; but more importantly we need mindfulness and happiness in what we're doing. We should be happy with every task we do, not just the ones we enjoy. And please understand that we should not wait for the happiness of a task completed, because events may not come out as we expect. This is the truth. Enjoy all the work you do, and don't do only the work you like!

7.Don't make yourself the centre of the universe. It's better to focus on performance and collaborative effort and empowering everyone to take part as much as possible. When the spotlight is directed on those who are at the backstage, there will be an overwhelming flow of energy that will accomplish the work without any stress at all. When everyone has the sense of ownership and direction, there will be a tremendous surge of on-going support, and less involvement will be required from you.

8.Remember that every obstacle is a lesson that makes us stronger. The higher the position you attain, the more difficult will be the problems you face. You will therefore need all your abilities, wisdom and the power of the right side of your brain to handle those problems. If you see every problem as a welcome challenge, how can it be a source of stress? Success, compliments and admiration, on the other hand, can spoil you and lull you into enjoying them so much that you become reckless. Rather than listening to sweet words, a wise executive should listen to the problem and take time to understand it.

9.Comparisons can cause stress and unhappiness. Benchmarking or comparing one's business with the market leader has always been a part of managing a business. But a wise person will not be distressed when compared with others because he or she knows that the conditions of each business are different. Indeed, highlights are important and must be identified and featured so that we can differentiate ourselves from those around us. So instead of comparing, competing and sizing up, think of the abundance of opportunities that exist in the world.

10.Bear in mind that you have the right to say "No". Unhappiness will exist if you don't know how to refuse, decline or disagree. Are you going to be Mr Yes Man or Madam OK because you are afraid you won't be accepted by the people around you? If you agree or comply with everything others ask of you, you'll be adding more burdens to your life, and you will find you have no time to be on your own, or to be yourself.

Be yourself. Live the way you want to be -- not the way in which you want to be seen! This will help you not only to eliminate stress from your life, but also to build harmony, clarity and happiness in the workplace.

Extracted from 5th Global Conference on Buddhism, 2007. Edited by Benny Liow, Vijaya Samarawickrama and Tan Yang Wah. Published by Buddhist Gem Fellowship, Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia, Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia, June 2008, Malaysia

Mr Danai Chanchaochai will be speaking on "The Priceless Nature of Happiness - Why Money Cannot Buy Happiness" at Buddhist Conference 2554 on 23rd October 2010. Drawing from his vast experience of balancing spirituality and corporate work, Mr Chanchaochai will share in his lecture how we all can achieve and maintain happiness in the work setting, and how true happiness cannot be bought, but can be achieved through the small habits we adopt every day in our endeavours to find spiritual joy.

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