How to Handle Stress at Work
Workplace productivity is stretched to the max - are you working harder, working longer, producing more and loving it less? Time saving or time slaving?
Ho - hum. Just another typical day in the workplace rat race where things happen now or sooner, instantly or at least overnight. Time is money! Money is measured by time. There's never enough of either - time or money. Deadlines, headlines, mergers, downsizing, downloading, computer down time. Your struggle to juggle the balls, return calls. Shift work, shift gears, shift paradigms, double quotas, retool, reboot, right size, wrong number. No time to eat. Forget about that lunchtime walk. Then fax em, FedEx it, send a courier across town. Call on the cellular. Vacation? Forget it, the work piles up. The assembly line moves ever onward. When is enough ENOUGH?
Black Monday Syndrome
More fatal heart attacks occur on Monday than on any other day of the week. Why? Stress? It's called Black Monday syndrome. How could our hearts know what day of the week it is?
You're feeling trapped - out of control, not challenged and stressed from your job. Fix these and even the phenomenon of Black Monday can be overcome, although the so - called solution to fixing stress is not that simple. Stress - causing conditions at work and at home can contribute to your overall sense of loss of control.
What is Stress?
STRESS. It's different things to different people, but it can affect the way you deal with daily events in your life. Stress, by definition, is the inability to cope with a threat (real or imagined) to your well - being, which results in a series of responses and adaptations by our bodies. You may respond to a traffic jam on the office commute with anger and frustration. Someone else may view the situation as a time to relax and get away from it all and might listen to music. A co-worker may thrive on deadlines, but maybe you think of them as "dreadlines." Therefore, stress can be good stress (eustress) or bad stress (distress).
Good stress can take place during happy, exciting times such as a marriage, a promotion, new job, or birth of a child. Most of us are familiar with the bad stress events such as death of a family member or friend, divorce, financial problems, working with and for difficult people. Being overworked, underpaid, and under - appreciated can cause anyone to become down or stressed. Many women who are trying to balance home, family, and career fall into this category. They are chronically stressed and consequently may feel overwhelmed and unhappy - Sometimes the only prescription needed is to reduce stress.
Are you Running on Empty?
You often hear that there's no room in the workplace for emotions, yet many people live in a pool of negative emotions, drowning in anger at the boss, irritation at co - workers, anxiety over downsizing, and worry about family concerns.
Ever been to a stress management class? Did it work? Not really. The reason most well - intended self - help books and stress management programs don't work is that people get a lot of information that sounds good and they know what to do to be healthy, but then they walk out the door and the 'noise' of life becomes louder than the information, and life goes back to its baseline of low - grade frustration or worry. FEELINGS - not information - change behavior. For example: Try to recall something that made you feel angry whether it was 10 minutes ago or 10 years ago. BOOM! The pumping efficiency of your heart has just DECREASED up to 10 percent. These recalled feelings of anger can produce a weakening effect on your heart. But now picture a moment when the boss unexpectedly recognizes something important you've done at a company meeting. You feel a boost of energy and clarity. Life feels good.
Shift Your Emotional Gears
When there's an angry customer on the phone or you're angry at your boss, you can't wait four hours to get to the gym to work out your anger. The key is to shift your emotional gears out of reverse and at least into neutral at the moment.
Everyone has a picture of their family or a favorite place or their pet Labrador on their desk or wall, in their locker or in their wallet or purse. Simply using that picture to recall the good feeling you associate with it can have a powerful effect. Freeze - frame the moment, push the pause button on your inner movie, and find yourself transported for a moment to a more pleasant emotional place.
Symptoms of Stress
- Fatigue or exhaustion
- Tight neck and shoulder muscles
- Feelings of anger
- Feelings of anxiety
- Insomnia
- Headaches or migraines
- Sadness or depression
- Feelings of hopelessness
- Colds or congestion
- Indigestion
- Diarrhea, spastic colon or intestinal disorder
- Symptoms of ulcers
- Sore jaw muscles
- Poor appetite
- Bronchitis, pneumonia or asthma
Stress Related Disorders
Even if you are in the BEST physical condition of your lifetime, you may still be at risk for any number of these stress related disorders.
- One million people in the united states are absent from work each day because of stress related disorders. Disabling stress has doubled over the last six years.
- 72% of Americans experience frequent stress related physical or mental conditions. (most common symptoms of stress outlined above).
- The top causes of stress in the workplace, according to a survey, are job insecurity, understaffing, personality conflicts, external competitive pressures and changing technology.
- Unmanaged stress (or your reaction to stress) is a higher risk factor for cancer and heart disease than either cigarette smoking or high cholesterol foods.
- If you have little or no control over your work OR low levels or no levels of support, you are nearly twice as likely to develop heart disease.
- Up to 44% of women and 36% of men want to quit their jobs because of workplace stress.
Stress, an Emotional Virus
Stress is not a disease. It's the result of an emotional virus. Some of the symptoms of the infection within a workplace that cause stress include:
- Caustic humor, constant stream of complaints
- Defeatism
- Resentment
- "US vs. THEM" mentality
- Judgmental
- Suspicious
- Chronic anxiety, fear, intolerance, resignation, antagonism, despair
All these symptoms can be seen, heard, and felt in lunchrooms, by the water cooler or copier, in mail rooms and board rooms, at happy hour and other 'just us' conversations. If these are present - and it may take some honest questions to find out - the organization has a responsibility to get healthy.
The virus has a serious price tag, but its effects can be neutralized without tools reinforced in the organizational setting, it takes a true warrior, saint, or superman to work in some of these rigid, toxic environments and maintain a consistently high level of mental and emotional stability and flexibility. Many of our brightest and best are saying they've simply had enough.
The goal of stress management, then, is NOT to get rid of stress - but, TO MANAGE IT.
Acton Steps to Manage Stress
Talk Freely With One Another
With all the talk about quality, sometimes you need to present your supervisor with the idea that a team approach to problem solving may actually work. Encourage your employer to create an environment in which you and your co - workers may talk freely with one another, AND with their managers, without fear of repercussions; that also means that management must listen and follow through on ideas that are clearly improvements. Working in teams can reduce stress. Talk with your spouse, your friends, your kids. Keep lines of communication open.
Reduce Personal Conflicts
There's nothing worse than not knowing what's expected of you on the job. Make sure you have clearly defined job duties and that your manager has expressed, often in writing, his or her expectations for you. There's no reason for you to be "steamed" with no recourse. Attend training sessions offered to you and keep open communication. Learn to defuse your emotions in the moment - remember the tranquil place or photo of your kids, and BE there. The same applies at home.
Get Control Over Your Schedule
In the era of downsizing when companies are trying to do more with less money and fewer employees, you may often be pressured into more overtime with higher expectations from management. Blue - collar workers, who are never sure which shift they'll be working next and might be "on call" during off hours, experience a very different kind of job stress. Reduce overtime when possible. Work with management on scheduling issues. Are you over - committed outside the workplace? Take control of your calendar. Just saying NO sometimes to meetings or other demands on your time can free up time in your schedule and reduce stress.
Use Wellness Benefits
A comprehensive wellness program is a major step toward helping employees make life - saving, lifestyle choices and should be part of every company's employee benefits package. If you don't have flextime, ask your supervisor to consider it, especially if you need 15 minutes or more of flexibility in your schedule to get the kids to school or activities or to fit in a workout during the workday. Check your human resource center for other helpful benefits that can reduce your stress.
Use Personal Leave or Vacation Benefits
Take your scheduled vacations. Or go on a mini - vacation during the workday (such as a meditation room, a quiet room away from office chatter and lunchroom). Use this time to recharge and relax. A long soak in the bathtub before bed can be the ultimate stress reliever.
Use Available Support Options
Use your employee assistance program, local mental health providers, or hospital - based family and mental health counselors to learn coping strategies. Most EAP programs are confidential and off - site. Alcohol and substance abuse problems and marital problems can be devastating and certainly stress producing. Seek help for yourself or your family members, to help reduce stress.
TAKE ACTION
The goal of stress management is NOT to get rid of stress - but, TO MANAGE IT!
|
