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Stress Relief – Reducing Stress in the Workplace : stress relief

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Be Stress Free In the workplace.
 
This is probably the most common cause of stress, whether you’re in a job that has you dealing with high stress situations or a job that you don’t enjoy, stress can be a factor. I read a statistic during my research that I found quite astonishing:
 
It is estimated that work-related stress is responsible for six million days of sick leave per year, with stress being linked to many major and minor illnesses.
 
For most of us, work is a significant and meaningful feature of life with the majority of us spending over 25% of our lives working. While work can provide us with structure, purpose, satisfaction, self-esteem and earning power, it can also be a place of stress and worry.
(Source: safeworkers.co.uk/DealWithStress)
 
The first, and one of the most important things to know about stress in the workplace is that a certain degree of it is necessary for us to function and perform at our job. It enables us to be more productive, focused and driven. The big problems start when we have to much of it.
 
Work related stress is usually caused by:
 
 – Excessive time pressures
 – Inflexible working hours
 – Too much or too little responsibility
 – Poor work/life balance
 – Confusion over your role and responsibilities
 – Lack of job variety and interest
 – Inadequate training
 – Difficult relationships at work
 – Uncertainty over job prospects or a change of role
 – Fear of redundancy
 
Some of the physical symptoms of work related stress include:
 
 – Headaches and muscular tension
 – Backache and neck ache
 – Increased susceptibility to colds and other infections
 – Excessive tiredness and difficulty sleeping
 – Raised heart rate
 – Increased sweating
 – Lower sex drive
 – Blurred vision
 – Skin rashes
 
Does some of that sound familiar? I know I’ve fallen foul of quite a few of them in the past.
 
To begin to deal with stress in the workplace you must first find out what triggers your stress in the first place. This is about finding an equilibrium/ balance; if you’re in a meeting and you’re doing all the talking, this could be a sign of your stress making you talk to much. Take a few breaths and let someone else do the talking. It is hard to define your stress triggers in this book because they’re potentially endless!
 
You are the best judge of what makes you stressed at work. Now that you are more aware of stress and what it does to your body, you can identify when your stress levels are increasing. When this happens, it is almost certainly one of your triggers.
 
Talk to others.
A fantastic part of working can be the social side of it. 40% of Architects marry people they have met in the workplace, that’s a pretty high percentage. If you’re struggling to cope with the demands put on you, talk to your colleagues, you’ll often find that they’ve also been suffering in silence. The old adage; a problem shared is a problem halved, applies here. Once you start to talk about the causes of your stress, you’ll begin to feel less stressed, simple!
 
Take up a hobby or exercise.
There are a few lifestyle changes that can be made to help you reduce your work related stress. Taking up a hobby can be one of them. If you work in a physically demanding environment, think about taking up a slower paced hobby that involves relaxation such as Yoga. If you sit at a desk all day, try incorporating exercise into your hobby; start running, cycling, swimming, walking, climbing, martial arts, anything.
 
Avoid destructive coping strategies.
Something that I have seen an awful lot of in my research is destructive responses to stress in the workplace. These fall into three main categories:
 
Drinking
Smoking
Caffeine
 
I’m not talking about a quick pint on a Friday night after work before you go home, I’m talking about excesses in these areas. Smoking is a quick fix to stress and is detrimental in the long run. I shouldn’t have to tell you about the danger, needless to say, it will kill you!!!!
 
Caffeine is a less well known tool for dealing with stress. Caffeine speeds up your metabolism, among other things, and makes your heart beat faster. This can make you feel better for a short period of time but it is often detrimental and leads to tiredness towards the end of the day. Any more than 3 cups of tea or coffee in one day is probably to many.
 
If you subscribe to any one of these destructive methods of stress relief then begin to think what it is doing to your body. Try and reduce your consumption and replace it with your hobby. There is tonnes of information on helping you either quit smoking or alcohol, if you think you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. 

Jamie Campbell

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Workplace Stress Relief – 4 Powerful Reasons to Conquer Job Stress Now

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Article by Caroline Selfe

Workplace stress relief is critical in today’s demanding job environment. According to The American Institute of Stress, “Job stress is by far the major source of stress for American Adults.” Lack of security, doing the jobs of many people, conflicts with coworkers or bosses and working too many hours are just a few of issues today’s workers face.

The toll workplace stress takes on well-being is widespread. It affects all areas of your life. Not feeling in control of your job adds to the mix. You can work hard, add value to your company, take work home with you and never take a day off. If your company is in transition, there is nothing you can do to secure your job.

The lack of control, tension, uncertainty and exhaustion leads to chronic stress. Workplace stress relief is crucial to stave off the wear and tear caused by these conditions. Conquering the effects of job stress can also keep them from spilling over into other areas of your life. Are you experiencing these conflicts?

1) Failing relationships – Everyone (at times) takes their job stress home with them. Your family is the first ones to see the depression and feel the anger you are experiencing. Coworkers and friends are also victims of your negativity and distance.

2) Failing physical health – Muscle aches, pain, headaches, digestive problems, heart conditions, insomnia and exhaustion are the major physical complaints caused by chronic stress. Inflammation, a component of arthritis, diabetes and cancer, is also a by-product of stress.

3) Failing mental health – Depression, agitation, fear and hopelessness come from experiencing workplace stress day in and day out. The accompanying fatigue makes it difficult to climb out of the pit of doom and gloom.

4) Onset of burnout – Burnout is the culmination of excessive job stress. You have reached a state of apathy. You are unmotivated and hopeless. Workplace stress relief will help get you through your workday. However, if you have reached a point of burnout, you desperately need a new job.

Workplace stress relief techniques can help to relieve the issues caused by job stress. Many techniques can be used right at your desk while you are working. You won’t have to take out your frustrations on your family, friends and coworkers. Your physical and mental health will greatly improve by lessening your workplace stress. More importantly, you will be less likely to succumb to job burnout.

About the Author

Caroline Selfe has been a passionate seeker of natural and holistic stress relief methods for the past 25 years.

Discover how to relieve workplace stress at: Workplace Stress Relief

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Natural Stress Relief Strategies for the Workplace

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Article by William Ruth

The workplace can cause stress on a regular basis.

The regular day to day interactions with coworkers, the urgency of meeting deadlines and the increasing workload that a single employee has to handle can cause real and immediate stress and anxiety on a regular basis. This repeated stress and anxiety is unhealthy and can spill over into other aspects of life, affecting personal and family relationships. This side effect, in turn, can cause a person more stress and it becomes a vicious cycle. Understanding the issues that cause stress in the workplace is the first step towards relieving the stress and anxiety most employees feel every day.

Understanding workplace stress and anxiety can help remedy it.

In order to handle the stress and anxiety associated with a job, it is necessary to identify the stressors that are unique to your situation. Only then can you employ any number of natural stress relief strategies and actually see results related to your efforts. There are several situations that can cause regular and repeated stress in the workplace. For instance, having a disagreement or a clashing of ideas with a colleague can lead to stress if a resolution to the issue is not foreseeable. Also, stress and anxiety can occur when you have the same deadline for equally important projects that must be completed. This can also be attributed to the overall fact that employees are receiving an increased workload without an increased salary and ultimately fewer resources due to the shrinking workforce in most companies. All of these scenarios can worry a person continuously, contributing to other stress-related symptoms like insomnia and even depression.

How can workplace stress and anxiety be controlled naturally?

Now that we have a good idea about what particular situations in the workplace cause a person to feel pressure and apprehension, we can work towards handling each situation in a different way, thereby relieving some of the symptoms associated with stress and anxiety. There are a several natural remedies that can be tried with little difficulty and the benefits can be felt immediately. Here are a few to consider.

Concentrate on something other than the situation that is causing stress and anxiety. If you are a spiritual person, turn your attention to your faith.
In times of immediate and extreme stress and anxiety, count to ten and concentrate on deep breathing before moving forward with a comment or a reaction that could make a bad situation worse.
Yoga techniques have proven useful in stress management and anxiety relief. Practicing Yoga relaxes the mind and body, allowing a person to refocus and rejuvenate prior to tackling any task.

What if breathing exercise and other techniques do not cure the anxiety and stress?

If the natural remedies outlined above are not working to relieve stress and anxiety, there are many others to try. With a little research, more remedies can be found and with a little luck, one will be exactly what is needed for the specific and unique situations that are associated with the workplace. However, there are other natural ways to relieve stress and anxiety. Research has shown that the right combination of certain natural herbs and vitamins can absolutely relieve the stress and anxiety related to the stressors a person normally encounters in the workplace.

Natural supplements are a healthier alternative to prescription medications for stress and anxiety relief.

There is clinically proven evidence that supplements such as St. John’s Wort, L-Theapine, B Complex Vitamins, Passion Flower Extract and Bioperine have relieved many of the unhealthy symptoms associated with stress and anxiety. In fact, finding the right combination of these natural remedies would make all the difference and relieve stress and anxiety when taken properly. Coupling a natural supplement with the natural remedies outlined above, such as Yoga breathing techniques, will undoubtedly allow for much wanted relief from stress and anxiety.

About the Author

Get advice & tips to eliminate your stress & anxiety. Ceryn-7 provides effective nutriceutical products and ongoing education for anxiety relief & stress relief. Read Dr. Jenna Flowers reviews on Ceryn-7’s anxiety and stress relief products.

Use and distribution of this article is subject to our Publisher Guidelines
whereby the original author’s information and copyright must be included.