Are you stressed at work?
by Alan Muir
A sea of paperwork, 2,800 new emails, an upcoming presentation, and angry supervisor are no reason to panic! Stress on the job can have a major impact on health, as three-quarters of Americans say they have stressful moments at work. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a study found that constant exposure to hostile job conditions can increase cardiovascular and stroke risks. Furthermore, individuals that return to work after a heart attack are twice as likely to have a second one.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some of the most stressful jobs are inner-city high school teachers, police officers, miners, and air traffic controllers. How do you alleviate job stress that comes on a daily basis?
Take a time out: Interrupt your thoughts and breathe. Recognize places that you may be holding in tension. Release this tension by focusing and slowing down your breathing. Revert your focus to a pleasant memory or thought for a few minutes, and then return to the task at hand.
Move around: Exercise before or after your workday. Take breaks during the day to change scenery. 30 mins of aerobic exercise each day can reduce stress levels.
Balanced-Diet: Eat smaller, frequent meals to maintain blood sugar levels. A drop in blood sugar can make you feel anxious and irritable, while eating too much can make you tired.
Balanced-Schedule: Don’t over-commit yourself, as all work and no play can lead to greater stress. Don’t try to fit everything into one day. We often underestimate how long things take to complete.
Breakdown: Break a large project into a small step-by-step process. Delegate responsibility and let go of the need to oversee every step. Allow for others to help you at home, school, or on the job.
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Division of bacterial diseases. Retrieved on November 12, 2009 from http://www.cdc.gov/ulcer/myth.htm
Eboule-Aboa C, Brisson C, Maunsell E, Masse B, et al. Job strain and risk of acute recurrent coronary heart disease events. JAMA. 2007; 298:1652-1660.
