Everyone who has ever worked has, at some point, endured
work-related stress. All jobs have stressful elements, even dream jobs.
You may experience pressure to meet a deadline or to fulfill a
challenging obligation. If stress at work becomes chronic, it can become
an all-consuming debilitator. Read on to learn how to effectively deal
with stress at work so that you can maintain your peace of mind.
Coping with stress in today’s high-pressured climate
Work-related stress, if allowed to persist over time, can take a toll on your health and well being. A 2013 survey by APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence reveals that work-related stress is a serious issue. More than one-third of working Americans reported experiencing chronic work stress and just 36 percent said their organizations provide sufficient resources to help them manage that stress.
According to the CDC’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, studies have found the number of Americans who are “extremely stressed at work” range between 29 percent to 40 percent. And according to the “low stress healthy lifestyle” quiz, by stress management expert, Elizabeth Scott, MS., over half of respondents are so stressed at work that they feel close to or consumed by burnout much of the time. Because stress at work is so common, a realistic solution would be to simply adopt more effective strategies to reduce the symptoms of stress.
Start your day off well rested and energized...
According to a recent study by the CDC, more than 83.6 million Americans aged 18 and over are experiencing sleep deprivation on a regular basis. It would seem that sleep deprivation is as American as apple pie and if you’re not getting the recommended 7.5 to 9 hours of nightly sleep, then you’re already self- sabotaging yourself.
But there’s still hope. Instead of consuming multiple cups of coffee, take a lunch break nap instead. A nap will boost your memory, cognitive skills, creativity and your otherwise lacking energy levels. “Daytime naps can be one way to treat sleep deprivation,” says Sara C. Mednick, PhD, sleep expert and author of “Take A Nap! Change Your Life.” Mednick adds: “You can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping.”
Start your day off on the right foot...
Each day should start with a healthy breakfast. Think lean, green and clean as you opt for a nutrient-loaded green smoothie. Try one green smoothie, for breakfast, just for one month and you will notice a significant boost of energy. Additionally, you will likely experience fewer cravings for sugary and salty processed food, enjoy the benefits of regular digestion, improved mood, more radiant skin, and weight loss.
Starting each day well rested, and with one green smoothie (at least for 30 consecutive days) will go a long way to obliterating harmful stress levels. Just one cup of baby spinach, half a cucumber, an orange, half a stick of celery and two tablespoons of flax seed blended with one and a half cups of water just might change your life. Try it! You have nothing to lose, but unwanted stress and excess weight.
Stay organized...
Whenever possible, plan ahead. Try to leave earlier in the morning for work. Even leaving five to ten minutes earlier can make the difference between frantically rushing to your desk and having time to ease into your workday. Rushing into work only increases stress levels, on yourself and your coworkers. Staying organized begins with arriving early so that you can mentally prepare for the work day.
If you are organized stress levels will be kept to a minimum. When you are more organized others will notice in a positive way and may experience less stress as you may have become a, albeit unwitting, soothing presence. Your newfound ability to maintain a sense of self control over yourself and challenging situations at work, will often be well-received by coworkers, managers, and subordinates alike.
Are you comfortable...
Another surprising work place stressor is physical discomfort. You may not be cognizant of your posture. But if you spend a good deal of your day seated at a desk your neck, back and entire body are all-too-aware of the pitfalls of poor posture. Even seemingly innocuous things, like office noise can be distracting and stress-inducing.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) affect the muscles, blood vessels, nerves, ligaments and tendons. Workers in many different industries and occupations can be exposed to risk factors at work, such as lifting heavy items, bending, pushing and pulling heavy loads, reaching overhead, working in awkward body postures and performing the same or similar tasks repetitively throughout the work day. Work-related MSDs can be prevented. Ergonomics--fitting a job to a person--helps to lessen muscle fatigue, increases productivity and reduces the number and severity of work-related MSDs.
Go green...
Sometimes the simple act of adding a couple of plants to your office space could significantly decrease your stress levels. Plants filter out the harmful unnatural, toxin-filled air of office buildings while absorbing noise pollution. Plants in the workplace can also fight SBS (sick building syndrome), boost humidity levels, which decrease cough-inducing dry air. Rooms filled with plants were shown to have 50 to 60 percent fewer molds and bacteria in the air than rooms without any plants.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors. Tove Fjeld, a university professor in Oslo, Norway conducted a study in which plants were shown to have improved employee health in offices, schools and hospitals. Offices containing plants demonstrated a reduction of employee ailments such as sore throat, headaches, dry skin and fatigue compared to offices without plants. The offices containing plants had shown a 23 percent reduction in employee ailments. They are also aesthetically pleasing.
Get lean...
It’s no mystery that the key to looking and feeling better while enhancing your health requires a modicum of effort through regular exercise. It doesn’t take much time, as little as 30 minutes per day, to experience significant health benefits. Take a brisk walk each day and add two to three days of weight resistance exercise, per week, for incredible results.
Moderately strenuous exercise, again as little as 30 minutes per day, can lead to enormous benefits in terms of your mood, weight and overall health improvement. Go ahead! Enjoy a walking lunch break and savor substantial health benefits such as: increased cardiovascular health, greater bone density, increased concentration and elevated mood. You owe it to yourself to find your peace of mind through making and maintaining healthy life choices. So go ahead, kick stress to the curb!
Coping with stress in today’s high-pressured climate
Work-related stress, if allowed to persist over time, can take a toll on your health and well being. A 2013 survey by APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence reveals that work-related stress is a serious issue. More than one-third of working Americans reported experiencing chronic work stress and just 36 percent said their organizations provide sufficient resources to help them manage that stress.
According to the CDC’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, studies have found the number of Americans who are “extremely stressed at work” range between 29 percent to 40 percent. And according to the “low stress healthy lifestyle” quiz, by stress management expert, Elizabeth Scott, MS., over half of respondents are so stressed at work that they feel close to or consumed by burnout much of the time. Because stress at work is so common, a realistic solution would be to simply adopt more effective strategies to reduce the symptoms of stress.
Start your day off well rested and energized...
According to a recent study by the CDC, more than 83.6 million Americans aged 18 and over are experiencing sleep deprivation on a regular basis. It would seem that sleep deprivation is as American as apple pie and if you’re not getting the recommended 7.5 to 9 hours of nightly sleep, then you’re already self- sabotaging yourself.
But there’s still hope. Instead of consuming multiple cups of coffee, take a lunch break nap instead. A nap will boost your memory, cognitive skills, creativity and your otherwise lacking energy levels. “Daytime naps can be one way to treat sleep deprivation,” says Sara C. Mednick, PhD, sleep expert and author of “Take A Nap! Change Your Life.” Mednick adds: “You can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping.”
Start your day off on the right foot...
Each day should start with a healthy breakfast. Think lean, green and clean as you opt for a nutrient-loaded green smoothie. Try one green smoothie, for breakfast, just for one month and you will notice a significant boost of energy. Additionally, you will likely experience fewer cravings for sugary and salty processed food, enjoy the benefits of regular digestion, improved mood, more radiant skin, and weight loss.
Starting each day well rested, and with one green smoothie (at least for 30 consecutive days) will go a long way to obliterating harmful stress levels. Just one cup of baby spinach, half a cucumber, an orange, half a stick of celery and two tablespoons of flax seed blended with one and a half cups of water just might change your life. Try it! You have nothing to lose, but unwanted stress and excess weight.
Stay organized...
Whenever possible, plan ahead. Try to leave earlier in the morning for work. Even leaving five to ten minutes earlier can make the difference between frantically rushing to your desk and having time to ease into your workday. Rushing into work only increases stress levels, on yourself and your coworkers. Staying organized begins with arriving early so that you can mentally prepare for the work day.
If you are organized stress levels will be kept to a minimum. When you are more organized others will notice in a positive way and may experience less stress as you may have become a, albeit unwitting, soothing presence. Your newfound ability to maintain a sense of self control over yourself and challenging situations at work, will often be well-received by coworkers, managers, and subordinates alike.
Are you comfortable...
Another surprising work place stressor is physical discomfort. You may not be cognizant of your posture. But if you spend a good deal of your day seated at a desk your neck, back and entire body are all-too-aware of the pitfalls of poor posture. Even seemingly innocuous things, like office noise can be distracting and stress-inducing.
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) affect the muscles, blood vessels, nerves, ligaments and tendons. Workers in many different industries and occupations can be exposed to risk factors at work, such as lifting heavy items, bending, pushing and pulling heavy loads, reaching overhead, working in awkward body postures and performing the same or similar tasks repetitively throughout the work day. Work-related MSDs can be prevented. Ergonomics--fitting a job to a person--helps to lessen muscle fatigue, increases productivity and reduces the number and severity of work-related MSDs.
Go green...
Sometimes the simple act of adding a couple of plants to your office space could significantly decrease your stress levels. Plants filter out the harmful unnatural, toxin-filled air of office buildings while absorbing noise pollution. Plants in the workplace can also fight SBS (sick building syndrome), boost humidity levels, which decrease cough-inducing dry air. Rooms filled with plants were shown to have 50 to 60 percent fewer molds and bacteria in the air than rooms without any plants.
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that Americans spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors. Tove Fjeld, a university professor in Oslo, Norway conducted a study in which plants were shown to have improved employee health in offices, schools and hospitals. Offices containing plants demonstrated a reduction of employee ailments such as sore throat, headaches, dry skin and fatigue compared to offices without plants. The offices containing plants had shown a 23 percent reduction in employee ailments. They are also aesthetically pleasing.
Get lean...
It’s no mystery that the key to looking and feeling better while enhancing your health requires a modicum of effort through regular exercise. It doesn’t take much time, as little as 30 minutes per day, to experience significant health benefits. Take a brisk walk each day and add two to three days of weight resistance exercise, per week, for incredible results.
Moderately strenuous exercise, again as little as 30 minutes per day, can lead to enormous benefits in terms of your mood, weight and overall health improvement. Go ahead! Enjoy a walking lunch break and savor substantial health benefits such as: increased cardiovascular health, greater bone density, increased concentration and elevated mood. You owe it to yourself to find your peace of mind through making and maintaining healthy life choices. So go ahead, kick stress to the curb!
Jayne Leh
