Once again, CareerCast has put out its Most Stressful Jobs list and its Worst Jobs list, and the rankings continue to be grim for those of us employed as PR executives and journalists.

Newspaper reporters and broadcasters ranked no. 1 on the Worst Jobs of 2017 list (so, congrats?), which is based on criteria such as income, outlook, environmental factors, stress and physical demands. Surprisingly, reporters outranked jobs that included enlisted military personnel, pest control workers and firefighters when it came to having the worst jobs.

“Both of these industries [broadcasting and newspapers] have felt the years-long squeeze of diminishing job prospects, due to declining advertising revenue that has impacted the newspaper, radio and television industries,” said Kyle Kensing, online content editor for CareerCast.

Then there are the PR executives who are consistently ranked on the Most Stressful Jobs list because we tend to manage crises in the public eye and under extreme deadlines or pressure.

There are countless stress management tips I could offer, but thriving (not just surviving) in a stressful field like PR or journalism requires more than just attention to work-life balance, or a positive attitude. It requires a keen and realistic sense of perspective about your role as a team member, a manager, and a strategic advisor to your clients.

For example, below are some do’s and don’ts about keeping perspective in PR (and many of the other stressful jobs identified by CareerCast):

Do accept that you can’t control everything.

There are so many factors outside of our control that make PR stressful. The reality is that you can’t plan for every scenario. Competitors scoop your big story. Reporters choose not to include your client in an article. Your CEO goes off-message – way off message – in an interview. Your much-anticipated product launch falls short of expectations.

The good news is that you can – and should – plan ahead. Have a plan in place both for major campaigns and for worst-case crisis scenarios, and make sure that the key stakeholders have reviewed and signed off on them. Have messaging and talking points available for a variety of situations “just in case.” And go in knowing that, in a crisis or stressful situation, there are going to be areas you can’t control.

Do realize that you can’t do everything all at once.

In a stressful situation – whether it’s a full-blown crisis or just a giant stack of deadlines – break down your tasks into smaller, manageable pieces. If your head is spinning and you’re not sure where to begin, prioritize your tasks and set deadlines accordingly. What can you do by the end of the day, or by noon today, or in the next hour, or in the next 15 minutes? Each interval makes it more time-sensitive and also limits what can be accomplished in each block of time.

Don’t lose sight of the big picture.

Especially for PR executives, where our main role is one of a strategic advisor around communications, stop and consider whether your actions – both immediate and long-term – align with the overall business goals and objectives for your client or company. It’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture in the effort to diffuse a crisis or tense situation. Make sure that messaging, strategies and tactics all support the broader objectives, and whether those broader objectives need to be updated from time-to-time.

Don’t forget that, while PR is often not life or death, it can be in a crisis

This one I hear (and say) a lot, and it’s a good reminder that, unlike other jobs on the Most Stressful list (enlisted military personnel, firefighters, police officers, etc.), for the most part with PR, there aren’t actual lives at stake. As an important side note: This isn’t always true for reporters and broadcasters, by the way, and 115 journalists did lose their lives doing their jobs in 2016.

The key here is that while the majority of PR executives (knock on wood) may not have to manage a massive crisis scenario, there clearly are situations where people have died, been severely injured, or have had their livelihoods impacted unexpectedly.

A true PR crisis can cost a company billions of dollars or disrupt an entire industry. This isn’t meant to scare off PR executives necessarily, but it should emphasize the importance of advanced planning, acting as a strategic advisor, managing deadlines efficiently and keeping a healthy perspective day-to-day.

What other “Do’s and Don’t’s” would you share to help PR executives and journalists manage their stressful jobs? Do you agree that a newspaper reporter deserves the no. 1 Worst Job of 2017? Tell us why or why not in the comments below!