There has been a lot of discussion in the news lately about how hard it is or isn't to work in the White House and how much stress the employees there may be experiencing. However, if you ever have held a job, you have experienced workplace stress. It is a part of work life no matter how much you enjoy your job and work. You may have a project to complete on short notice, a demanding supervisor, or too many job demands, among other work challenges. Yet, when the demands are chronic, you can feel excessively challenged and/or overwhelmned. These demands can lead to decrements in your physical and mental health. These effects can include problems such as headache, stomachache, sleep disturbances, short temper and difficulty concentrating. Chronic stress can result in anxiety, depression, insomnia, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.
Workplace stress is common. Management studies have estimated $300 million lost to work related stress conditions per year. According to the American Psychological Association, 65% of Americans in 2012 rated their job as a major source of stress. At the same time, only 37% of those surveyed thought they were doing a good job of managing their work related stressors.
Some common workplace stressors include: unchallenging work, few opportunities for growth or advancement, excessive workloads, and lack of control over work conditions. In our book about managing your stress (I Can't Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn't Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), we discuss all aspects of this issue. The book is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. If you would like more information about the authors and book, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.
While you can not avoid entirely workplace stress, you can manage it better. There are many strategies to include the influence of diet on your brain and stress, identifying and challenging unhelpful thoughts, exercise, goal setting, time management, and progressive muscle relaxation. Here are seven tips to manage workplace stress, including from the American Psychological Association Help Center:
1. Track your stressors and your thoughts. Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which work situations create the most stress and how you respond to them. Record your thoughts, feelings and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting and how you reacted. Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.
2. Develop healthy responses. Exercise is a great stress-reliever as I have discussed in other posts. Also, you can learn to apply progressive muscle relaxation in the workplace. Make time for your hobbies and favorite activities. Set aside time for the things that bring you pleasure. Getting enough good-quality sleep is also important for effective stress management.
3. Establish boundaries. In today's world, you easily can feel obligated to be available 24 hours a day. Establish some work-life boundaries for yourself. That might mean making a rule not to check email from home in the evening, or not answering the phone during dinner. Creating some clear boundaries between work and non-work parts of your life can reduce the potential for work-life conflict and the stress that goes with it.
4. Take time to recharge. To avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and burnout, you need time to replenish and return to your pre-stress level of functioning. It's important that you disconnect from time to time, in a way that fits your needs and preferences. Don't let your vacation days go to waste. When possible, take time off to relax and unwind. You will go back to work feeling reinvigorated and ready to perform at your best.
5. Learn how to relax. Using techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, deep breathing exercises and mindfulness (a state in which you actively observe present experiences and thoughts without judging them) can help reduce stress. Start by taking a few minutes each day to focus on a simple activity like breathing, walking, or enjoying a meal. This will help you focus on a single activity without distraction.
6. Talk to your supervisor. Healthy employees are typically more productive, so your boss has an incentive to create a work environment that promotes employee well-being. Start by having an open conversation with your supervisor. The purpose of this isn't just to complain but rather to collaborate in helping you to manage the stressors you identify, such as having more control over your work and opportunities for growth for you.
7. Get some support. Accepting help from trusted co-workers, friends and family members can improve your ability to manage stress. Your employer may also have stress management resources available through an employee assistance program (EAP), including online information, available counseling and referral to mental health professionals, if needed. If you continue to feel overwhelmed by work stress, you may want to talk to a psychologist, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behavior.
If you are inclined to say that "my boss or workplace will never respond to me or give me any say in my work", be mindful that there are many actions I've discussed that you can take anyway on your own. These will help you feel better physically and emotionally, feel more in control of your life, have more energy for activities outside of work, and get along better in your social and familial relationships. As I've mentioned on multiple occasions, stress is inevitable in life. Your reaction to stress is a choice.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For additional information, go to my website at www.successandmindset.com.