Physicians are not immune to stress and are not always well-equipped to handle it. Although many physicians have discovered healthy, individualized methods of stress reduction, many others continue to feel overwhelmed and struggle to cope.

If this sounds like you, just remember that you’re not alone and there are numerous resources online that can help you rise above short-term and long-term stress. Below are some tips on how to handle common sources of work-related stress for physicians, such as negative coworkers and electronic health records, as well as a top-10 list for stress reduction and management techniques that you can begin today.

EHRs are frequently cited as a major source of stress and physician burnout. What was supposed to be a revolutionary and easy way to electronically store and transmit medical data has instead become a time-consuming burden that divides physicians’ attention during appointments and forces them to spend countless hours at home completing these records. However, there are ways that your organization can make electronic health records less stressful. For instance, see if your organization is willing to hire medical scribes or delegate some of the EHR responsibilities to medical assistants. Doing so would afford physicians less time on their computers and more time caring for the patient during appointments. Additionally, you can customize EHR workflow with time-saving templates and tools, such as simplifying forms that replace numerous and sometimes irrelevant text boxes with a single free-form space for notes.

Organizations may also consider new AI technologies and speech-processing tools that catch keywords in physician-patient interactions and record pertinent information. Institutions like Stanford University assert that such technology will eventually be the norm, so testing these tools now can put your organization on the cutting-edge of technological advancement and allow physicians to focus on patients during appointments while maintaining a healthier work-life balance that minimizes unnecessary “pajama time.”

Stress can be contagious – not in the clinical sense but in the sense that the poor attitude of one person can affect an entire team. While you can’t necessarily change someone else’s behavior, there are a few things you can do to help. The best first step is to simply talk to the person; they could be dealing a difficult situation at home and might appreciate someone reaching out to them. If their stress is related to work, offer to assist them or perhaps divide their tasks into smaller, more manageable components.

Before committing to help a struggling colleague, however, be certain you can follow through; don’t make promises you can’t keep or assume workloads you can’t properly manage. Remember, too, that another person’s stress is not your burden to take on; sometimes the healthiest course of action is to take breaks from stressed colleagues and counter their negativity with your own resilient and optimistic presence.

Remember: Reducing your stress level isn’t an overnight process and progress isn’t always linear. Try a variety of stress-management techniques and initiatives at work and decide what best benefits you and your organization.