Which stress reduction technique involves identifying and avoiding overload, delegating, and negotiating unreasonable deadlines?

Which stress reduction technique involves identifying and avoiding overload, delegating, and negotiating unreasonable deadlines?

• A. Deep breathing
• B. Overload avoidance
• C. Exercise
• D. Social support

Answer: (B)

Proactive workload management reduces stress by preventing overload. It means recognizing when demands exceed what you can handle and taking steps to balance the load—delegating tasks to others and negotiating deadlines that are realistic. This approach addresses the stress at its source by shaping what gets done and when, rather than just coping with stress after it appears. Deep breathing helps you calm down but doesn’t stop overload; exercise and social support improve resilience or coping but don’t directly reduce excessive or unrealistic workloads. In practice, you’d review tasks, defer or drop nonessential items, delegate appropriately, and have a conversation with your supervisor to reset timelines to something you can meet.

Proactive workload management reduces stress by preventing overload. It means recognizing when demands exceed what you can handle and taking steps to balance the load—delegating tasks to others and negotiating deadlines that are realistic. This approach addresses the stress at its source by shaping what gets done and when, rather than just coping with stress after it appears. Deep breathing helps you calm down but doesn’t stop overload; exercise and social support improve resilience or coping but don’t directly reduce excessive or unrealistic workloads. In practice, you’d review tasks, defer or drop nonessential items, delegate appropriately, and have a conversation with your supervisor to reset timelines to something you can meet.