THE STRESS EPIDEMIC AT WORK: MEETING THE CHALLENGE

With the changing nature of work occurring at whirlwind speed, our ability to cope with these changes can mean the difference between a healthy job and job burnout. For most employees, stress is spiralling out of control, with many in danger of completely burning out.

Negative stress has become so ingrained in our daily work activities that we seem to have embraced the early warning signs as normal and acceptable. When we continue to ignore these warning signs, the stage is set for a “perfect storm” of health challenges, especially, cardiovascular diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, psychological disorders. Sadly, those employees with the combination of chronic stress and non-communicable diseases are more at risk of early death or having a heart attack. However, this does not mean you are powerless or need to make major career changes but rather to focus on managing the one thing that is always within your control: YOU. 

Stress is not always negative though, as it can be used as a motivational tool for some employees to perform under pressure. Unfortunately for many employees, the concept of work stress is often confused with “job challenge” and in some cases just an excuse for bad management practices. Have you noticed that when you are challenged in your job, you tend to become more energized, psychologically and physically and are motivated to learn new skills and master your job? When the challenge is met, you feel relaxed and satisfied and it becomes a necessary ingredient for healthy and productive work. This is the type of challenge which people refer to when they say “a little bit of stress is good for you”. For some employees, the challenge is turned into work demands that become excessive or unmanageable and leads to job burnout. The result is that relaxation turns to exhaustion and a sense of satisfaction becomes a sense of frustration. The latter does not have to be your fate, like it was mine, if you become aware of your stressors and choose to take active steps to either eliminate the stressor or learn to manage them. In this very real and unfair world we live in-you must take responsibility for yourself and your reactions to the stressors you encounter.

If you are experiencing any of these early signs of work-related stress: poor concentration, decreased memory, constant fatigue, sleep disturbances, a weakened immune system or increased frequency of headaches, it is time to take action. I implore you ...take action NOW!

Here are a few tips to help you take back your control and manage your stress— before you manage to ruin your health!

Find the “Off” button- Have a time each night when you turn off your phones and gadgets. This will allow your body to fully “unplug” from the day’s stressors. This also means that while at lunch—just focus on eating lunch or chatting with your friends—don’t spend lunch texting or checking emails.

Build gap time into your day- This is a short break (two-minutes) where you ask yourself “How am I doing?” It’s a moment to relax, breathe and focus on how your body feels— are there any tense spots? Most people hold tension in their forehead, jaw and shoulders. Relax. Breathe was the best advice my Pilates instructor gave me to help manage potentially stressful situations….and it works!

Regular exercise is a powerful stress reliever—even though it may be the last thing you feel like doing. Exercise is not optional when it comes to rebuilding and maintaining superior levels of heath. It is highly effective in helping to lift your mood, increase energy, sharpen focus, and relaxing both the spirit, mind and body.


How much do you know about stress? visit the link below and take the simple quiz provided by the American Psychological Association to test your "stress smarts." 
                                   http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-smarts.aspx