What would you say when you are under work pressure, "stressed out and frantic" or "challenged and energized"? There's very little physiological difference between the two, says a growing contingent of experts who claim works stress has an upside. These experts believe that stress can strengthen you or tear you down. In most eases, you can choose. The following are 8 ways to perform better under pressure suggested by the experts.

Give stress a good name Why resent work stress- it's an indicator that your career is advancing. Think of a heavy work load as an exciting oppoutunity to push youself, learn new skills and show your mettle. complaining depletes your energy; instead greet an overloaded daywith optimism. Tell yourself, "This is a challenge I am capable of handling."

Put it in perspective Sometimes it's impossible to talk about the positive side of stress-say your computer crashes and you lose valuable work-but you can moderate your reaction. Rate your distress on a scale of 1 to 10, I being mild irritation and 10 extreme panic or anger. Now ,rank the importance of the situation from 1 (a notice) to 10 (you're fired). If your distress ranks higher than the seriousness of the situation, ask yourself: Is this something I will remember in four yars, four months, four days? Then downshift your response accordingly, saving your emotional energy for disassters.

Alternate tasks Blocking out an entire day or week for a high-priority project increases your anxiety without boosting your productivity-in fact, you may lose perspective and focus. You need to create a rhythm to your work to recharge. Every 60 to 90 minutes, take a break from your primary activity and do something different for 15 minutes. If you've been reading at your desk, walk into someone's office to branistorm on another project. Don't worry about breaking your concentration. You'll return to your task refreshed and determined.

Shake a leg Regular exercise is crutical to stress management, and mini workouts during the day can release pent-up energy. Most people tend to neglect some exercise which you can actually do everyday, such as walk to your or someont's office instead of taking the elevator; stand up and stretch your back and neck muscles while you are on the phone, and so on.

Straighten up your desk Rearranging pencils may not be a form of procrastination after all. It has been proved that tiding your desk is one of the most common, and effective, ways workers calm and focus themselves. Organizing helps people reduce tension and get into a productive frame of mind.

Refuel Tempted to skip meals and pull late nights when you feel the heat at work? Both could lead to burnout. Get sic to eight hours of sleep, and go to bed at the same hour every night. Avoid big meals but much high-carbon, low-fat snacks every few hours. Lay off the alcohol, which can disturb your sleep patterns.

Tackle your fears Pressure doesn't paralyze you, fear does. Often, your stress comes from worrying rather than from the work assignment or problem you're grappling with. Itemize every element of a project that has you scared. Are you worried about a presentation because you've never spoken in front of a group of people, you don't know what to wear and the slide projector isn't working correctly? Write down these fears and methodically address each one.

Spend time with your friends During high-pressure periods, don't lock yourself in a room with your work. Socializing with friends and colleagues, getting together with people whomake you laugh and change your perspective, will revitalize and inspire you. You want positive socialsupport, so offer your frneds progress reports and ask them for feedback, solution and encouragement.