Managing Stress - Stress in the Workplace Part I

I recently read an article that reached me both on a personal and professional level.  The article can be found on the Business Insider website if you go to Why Americans Are Stressed Out at Work.   In the news article, it reported a statistic from the American Psychological Association that more than 8 in 10 Americans are “stressed out” by their jobs.  If this statistic is even close to being true, that’s a staggering figure!

The article goes on to discuss some of the top reasons why people are stressed at work:

• low pay
  
  
• increase workload
  
  
• work-place bullying
  
  
• long commutes
  
  

How stress affects us:

• physical health
  
  
• mental health
  
  
• increased social isolation
  
  
• conflict with family /spouse / friends
  
  

Physical manifestations of stress:

• headaches
  
  
• appetite fluctuations
  
  
• fatigue
  
  
• muscle tension
  
  
• upset stomach
  
  
• change in sex drive
  
  
• teeth grinding
  
  

Release of Stress Hormones that impact our general physical health

• There are three stress hormones,  adrenaline,  cortisol and norepinephrine, that are responsible for our fight/flight/freeze response when faced with a perceived threat.  These hormones play a critical function at appropriate times and are released into the bloodstream to increase our heart rate and energy level.  However, if these hormones are present over long and chronic periods of time, the potential for hypertension and cardiovascular disease increases.  The damaging effects to  the heart and cardiovascular system are increased even more when you consider that many people respond to stress by smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, both of which have been shown to have significant negative health implications. Stress even interferes with our immune system making us more susceptible to illness and disease.  
  
  

Recognizing Stress in the Workplace

• Irritability
  
  
• Lack of interest in work
  
  
• Feeling overwhelmed
  
  
• Perceived lack of control over workload
  
  
• Avoiding peers or supervisors
  
  
• Anxiety and/or depression
  
  

What you can do to manage stress in the workplace

• Evaluate your career goals in relation to where you are in your current job.  Do they match?  Do you enjoy what you do?  Do you believe you are fairly compensated for what you do?  Are you able to take reasonable time off for family, leisure, vacation?  The answers to these questions can help guide you to decisions that may help you with managing work related stress.  
  
  
• Take care of yourself.  If you haven’t done so already, please read my blog on 10 Things You Can Do (right now) to Maintain Good Mental Health
  
  
• Take your lunch break
  
  
• Avoid over committing yourself.  Be realistic about what you can accomplish in the time allotted for work.  When you can, delegate or ask for assistance with large projects.  

• Take large projects and break them down into smaller manageable steps to help with a sense of progress and completion. 

• Think before you act.  Avoid those impulsive, in-the-heat-of-the-moment knee-jerk reactions to demands, ultimatums, or stressful situations.  Take a day or two if necessary.  Talk with a peer or supervisor before saying or doing something that might have long term career implications.  

• Reward yourself for a job well done.  Take the time to recognize your own accomplishments and take pride in your work.  It can go a long way in improving a negative disposition in the workplace.  

While many would agree that their work environment is stressful, it certainly isn't the only thing that is stressful in our lives;  financial obligations, work/family balance, increasing and competing demands on our time, relationship difficulties, and personal loss are just a few things that are challenging to many.  

The way one responds to stress varies widely from individual to individual. Let’s face it, stress is inevitable.  Everybody experiences it.  I can recall many times in recent memory where I've had to step outside myself and think, “You really could have handled that better than you did.”  Sometimes we aren't even aware that we are stressed.   In these instances it usually takes someone close to us may bring it to our awareness. .  Even then,  often enough pretend that everything is “fine”, that we aren't troubled, and that if we just “push through”, the troubling situation will eventually pass.  We often become very good at this and the stress, which really hasn't gone away by the way, becomes something that we get used to and ignore.  Yet the body is aware, and frequently lets us know.  We simply dismiss those sleepless nights, worrying and ruminating thoughts, frequent headaches, fatigue, and muscle cramps and chalk it up to, “that’s just the way it is right now,”  & “it will pass.”  

While we all experience stress, there are many individuals who cope well and are successful in learning to adapt and change in response to stressful situations, rather than letting it overtake their lives.   Stress can actually be a good thing in a way in that it can serve as an indicator or alert that something in our immediate environment is not right and change needs to occur.  I believe that the difference for those individuals who are expert stress managers is that they are more self-aware and recognize the healthy changes that need to take place and are able to make these changes as needed.  Furthermore I believe these individuals are able to re-frame a stressful situation and avoid the negative self-talk that is so often the culprit of poor self care and poor choices.  These individuals are better able to take control of a situation rather than letting that situation take control of them.  If you are interested in learning more about individuals who cope well with stress, you can find more information in the article in Psychology Today titled, 10 Traits of Emotionally Resilient People.   


  Check back next week for Part II of Managing Stress