I came across an article, Tips for Much Less Stress in Your Workplace, by Michael Mercer, Ph.D., who is a testing expert, conference speaker, and founder of The Mercer Group, Inc. in Barrington, Illinois. Dr. Mercer created the "Abilities & Behavior Forecaster Tests. He authored five books, including "Hire the Best -- & Avoid the Rest."  I take the liberty to excerpt a portion of that article listing the 10 ways he suggests to create a lower stress work environment, as follows:

1. Get along with people.
Low-stress employees usually create smooth working relationships with practically everyone. To do this, find things you have in common and act friendly with absolutely everybody – from the president down to the janitors.

2. Always be diplomatic and tactful.
Never act impatient or angry – regardless of how you feel Expressing anger in your workplace results in direct or subtle retaliation, which surely increases stress.

3. Learn what is expected of you.
Find out exactly what is expected from you by the two most important people: Your (a) boss and (b) boss's boss. These two people will make or break your career, and greatly affect your stress level. When you meet their expectations you simultaneously can get ahead plus decrease a possible cause of stress.

4. Be a team player with your boss and co-workers.
Team players express gratitude to others, and receive less grief than employees who seem rebellious or act like loners.

5. Give 3 compliments each day at work.
People love receiving compliments, and they will make your life easier. Reason: You made them feel good with a compliment. They will remember your compliment when you ask for a favor.

6. Set goals for yourself – both personal and work-related.
High-stress people rarely take actions to accomplish their goals. Low-stress people, on the other hand, spend more than half their time doing actions that help them achieve their short-term or long-term goals.

Here is a revealing exercise to discover how much time you really devote to achieving your goals. First, write down everything you did in the last seven days. Second, on a separate piece of paper, list your (a) three short-term goals – to achieve in the next three months and (b) three long-term goals – to achieve in three years. Third, look at your seven-day activity list, and note any actions you did that helped you accomplish short-term or long-term goals.

Typically, people spend less than five percent of their time doing activities that will achieve their goals. And people feel more frustrated – and stressed – when they do not accomplish their short-term and long-term goals.

7. Write a daily "to-do" list.
Each day before leaving work, write a list of what you need to do the next work day. That quick organizing helps prevent you feeling overwhelmed by tasks you need to do.

8. Keep a neat desk or work space.
You do not need obsessive-compulsive neatness. For example, my desk is covered with a lot of papers. But, I keep a 2-foot X 2-foot space to use only for work I am doing at that moment.

9. Exercise at least a little every day.
Any movement or exercise helps. Even a 10-minute walk helps. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park at the far end of the parking lot. People bottle-up emotional tension in their muscles. By exercising a little, you release emotional and physical stress. Then, you will feel more clear-headed when you encounter a stressful situation.

10. De-employ yourself – consider changing jobs.
If the above nine tips do not help you, then you might want to find a new job. Remember the wise saying: "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." 

You know on his last point I have talked to many, many people about what motivated them to seek a Riverside County job.  One fellow I spoke to who had recently joined the County, in an Information Technology position, stands out in my mind. 

This fellow explained that he had left a position with a major railroad company’s IT department where the management style was to put all of the employees under a great deal of stress daily.  In the course of our conversation he seemed to me to be a strong willed, hard working, dedicated type of individual, but he said he had young children and it was really taking its toll on his family life. 

In comparison, a friend of his described what it was like at his County job in the IT section of the Department of Public Social Services.  How they were constantly busy serving such a large department, but that they got to see their work through to completion in a competent manner, and the overall fealing in his work group was a sense of professional pride. 

He also told him that he got to use state of the art hardware and software, and that he received ongoing training opportunities.  Well, this sold the young man I was talking to, and after a few months of working with his buddy in the same section, he had found his bliss. 

If you can’t grow and thrive where you are now… we are accepting desert transplants.