It can be very disconcerting, whether you work with people or on your own, when feelings of isolation or marginalisation kick in.

There are things you can do to reduce the amount of negativity you experience - and help your stress levels, anxiety and feelings of helplessness subside.

• Make a plan: Decide what it is you need out of your workplace and then target two-to-three key people who you can trust to support you with fulfilling these needs. If you choose more, you run the risk of “too many cooks, spoiling the broth!” When there are too many people involved and giving advice, it can become confusing when trying to decipher what to do.

• Note these plans/decisions down and keep them close so that you can refer to them when you need motivation or when you are feeling isolated. It’s handy to have them on your computer at work and perhaps somewhere visible in your home as reminders of the direction you want to take.

• Interface with the key support people regularly to make sure that you are staying on target with your goals. This means that you need to schedule regular de-brief sessions to keep yourself ‘honest’ and focused. This in turn will give you a greater sense of ‘involvement’ with the workplace and your job. Key people act as a ‘buddy-system’ and when these people are chosen well, they can be the ‘glue that binds everything together’ even if things get stressful and seemingly out of control!

• Put in place a time frame so that you can assess how you are going with the changes you’re making to improve your workplace environment. It is essential to monitor progress in everything and your contentment with where you work is no different. This monitoring process will give you an idea of whether the strategies you have put in place are serving their purpose or not!

• Remember to reward yourself. When things are a little full on and pressured take some time to think of things to do that allow you to completely break away from the workplace. This process is very individual and different for everyone. For some it might be a holiday. For others simply taking time out to read a book or have a coffee might suffice.

Another aspect to consider when undertaking this kind of regime: Exercise! Due to the fact that you’re going to be engaging mentally during this process, it is worthwhile to invest in some exercise (that you like!) to provide you with a buffer between the workplace and home.

Find out how to get started in the 'Creating Balance' exercise.