Call Center Job Stress - Control It

With all there is in the world to be concerned about - the war, the economy, terrorism, global warming, your kids, your rent, your family, your health - it’s no wonder that people are more stressed than every. Then there’s your call center rep job, or, shall we call it your “stress center” rep job to bring your stress level to the extreme – if you let it.

Don’t let it. This article from Call Center Magazine talks about how important it is for call center reps to get control of stress levels.

I could compile a long list of tips to control stress - there are hundreds of websites now where you can get that information. After reviewing many lists, here are the top 7 tips that I believe are applicable and helpful in a call center job:

1. Keep a positive attitude – see my previous entry, “Change The Way You Think”.

2. Make the most of your break-times:

• Get up and away from your workstation.


• Don’t eat at your workstation.


• Don’t spend your breaktime with negative, gossipy co-workers – find the positive, fun co-workers to chat with.


• Don’t go sit someplace else – get up and MOVE. Try to do even just 5-10 minutes of light exercise such as walking outside or inside or going up & down a staircase.


• Don’t smoke! (more about that in a future article)

3. Stretch - when you have a lull in between phone calls, stretch your body. You can get some great stretching exercises done in either a sitting or standing pose.

4. Keep Yourself Hydrated – drink water – not coffee or caffeinated drinks. Caffeine will only increase stress levels.

5. Eat Healthy Foods - snack on fruits, vegetables and nuts. Candy, chips, cookies and other types of carbohydrates will only give you a rush up of your blood sugar level and then a quick rush down. You’ll just be more stressed out with the high blood sugar level and then crave more food when your blood sugar level plummets.

6. Breath From Your Belly – when you are stressed your breath becomes shallow and you breathe from your chest. This type of breathing raises adrenalin levels which creates more stress - plus anxiety and maybe even panic. When you feel stress coming on breathe from your belly. First inhale through your nose counting to ten and then exhale through your mouth counting to ten. As you do this, place your right hand on your belly. As you inhale, your belly should distend like a balloon. As you exhale, your belly should deflate like a balloon. Repeat this at least 6 times up to 20 times. This type of belly breathing actually massages the adrenalin gland which in turn lowers the amount of adrenalin (aka Stress) that is flowing through your body. This won’t feel natural to you at first and you will most likely have to do this in between phone calls. But if you keep practicing it to the point where it feels natural, you can even do this type of breathing while talking to a customer on the phone

7. Don’t Dwell On It Or Take It Personally - let go of that nasty, rude customer - get them out of your head. Don’t take their rude, negative manner personally. If you have trouble letting it go, try this technique that one of my reps used: draw a funny picture of what you think that nasty customer looks like then crumble it up and toss them in the waste basket.

I’d love to hear if you have other good tips for managing stress in the call center - I'm sure you do. Please take the time to share - - but only if it’s not going to stress you out. ;)