We all need
some pressure in our lives - it makes our work satisfying and helps us meet
deadlines. But it's all about striking the right balance. Too much pressure
without having the chance to recover causes stress, which can be damaging to our
health.
Workplace
stress is different for everyone - what is stressful for one person may not be
stressful for another. It can depend on your personality type and how you have
learned to respond to pressure.
Symptoms
Work-related
stress can cause both physical and emotional health problems. It can cause you
to be more prone to physical symptoms such as:
- tiredness and sleep problems
- digestive problems
- a raised heart rate
- skin rashes
- sweating
- blurred vision
You may also be
prone to psychological symptoms such as:
- a lower sex drive (libido)
- feeling that you can't cope
- irritability and mood swings
- disturbed eating patterns
- finding it hard to concentrate
- feeling less motivated
How do you know
if you have work-related stress?
You may have
already noticed some factors contributing to the way you feel. For example, you
may feel that you:
- often rush about, trying to be in too many places at once
- miss breaks and take work home with you
- don't have enough time for exercise, relaxation or spending time with your family
According to a
study by The Work Foundation, nearly a third of working men say that the demands
of their job interfere with their private life and nearly a quarter feel that
their work has caused them to neglect their children.
Causes
Work-related
stress is also one of the biggest causes of sick leave.
There are a
number of factors that can make you feel stressed at work, including:
- poor working conditions
- long working hours
- relationships with colleagues
- lack of job security
- difficult journeys to and from work
- the way the company is managed
- mismatch between the requirements of the job and your own capabilities and needs
- inflexible working hours
- too much or too little responsibility
However, often
there is no single cause of work-related stress. Although it can be triggered by
sudden, unexpected pressures, it's often the result of a combination of
stressful factors that build up over time.
Stress management
Self-help
It's impossible
to escape pressure at work altogether, so you need to learn how to manage stress
effectively. There are a number of ways you can reduce the negative impact of
stress. Most of these involve taking a good look at how you function at work.
One of the most
important factors in reducing stress levels is managing your time more
effectively. Prioritize tasks, delegate where you can and make sure you don't
take on more work than you can handle. Make sure you take regular breaks at work
and try to finish one task before you begin another. Here are some other things
that you can do yourself.
- Make sure your work environment is comfortable. If it isn't, ask for help from your organization’s health and safety officer.
- If possible, don't work long hours - sometimes projects need extra time, but working long hours over many weeks or months does not generally lead to more or better results at work.
- Take a look at your relationships with your colleagues - do you treat each other with respect and consideration?
- Find out if your organisation offers flexible working hours.
It's in
everyone's interest to keep the workplace as stress-free as possible, and
generally, organisations want to keep their employees happy and healthy. If
companies have good work-life policies, employees are likely to be healthier and
happier and so less likely to take time off work.
If you are
suffering from work-related stress, it's important to talk directly to your
manager about it. Your manager has a duty to take reasonable steps to try to
resolve the problem. Explain how you are feeling and discuss your workload. If
you find talking about your concerns difficult, it may help to make notes during
your discussion.
It's worth
asking if your organisation has any policies on harassment, bullying or racism.
What does your company consider acceptable? Find out how to challenge these
policies from your human resources department and make sure you know what
support there is for you if you decide to do this.
There are
things you can do outside of work to help reduce your stress levels. These
include the following.
- Get enough exercise - this is known to reduce stress and can help you feel better. It's recommended that you do 30 minutes of exercise each day. Choose an activity you enjoy - a brisk walk is ideal.
- Learn relaxation techniques - this can help you sleep better and relieve stress-related physical pains such as stomach pains and headaches. Ask your GP or your local library for details of classes where you can learn helpful techniques.
- Talk about your stress with a friend or member of the family - this is a good way to get your worries off your chest. It can give you a fresh perspective and help to make stressful situations more manageable.
- Don't drink too much alcohol or caffeine, or smoke. Instead of helping, these stimulants will increase your stress levels.
- Eat regular meals and a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.
- At the end of each day, reflect on what you've achieved rather than worrying about future work. Don't be too hard on yourself and remember to take each day as it comes.
Our solution
Our Ultra shoulder wrap fits
perfectly around the neck and shoulders and offers a moist penetrating heat and
the weight helps relieve the stress in the muscles. This can be worn around the
house or as some companies now have these available for employees to use at
their workstation at work.
Worksafe BC incorporated the use of our Ultra Shoulder wraps for their employees to use to relieve stress or tension at work.
- Emma Chritensen their corporate ergonomist found that individuals using the wraps had a more relaxed posture while working at their workstations, their shoulders were lower, not hunched up around the ears and productivity increased.
We have also put together a few of our most popular products as a “Stress relieving first aid kit” at a special price.
www.wildflowersaromatherapy.com
