Today is STRESS AWARENESS DAY, which is an annual campaign that aims to promote awareness of the particular challenges of modern day life, and to aid individuals and businesses in changing behaviours and lifestyles that may lead to excessive stress.
Stress affects everyone at some point in their lives and is one of the biggest causes of sickness absence from work in the UK. The effects of stress can cause severe psychological and physical damage as the adrenaline and hormones build up in our system with no way to dispel which can result in illness or at worst, a mental breakdown.
The workplace is right up there at the top of ‘stressful environments’ due to the pressures that are put on employee’s to perform and achieve targets. Redundancy is rife in many organisations and this inevitably leads to a lot of worry arising where people wonder how they’ll get by or provide for their families if they were to get the chop. Couple this with the challenges that may arise in our personal lives and it’s no wonder we all find life quite hard at times.
Stress can lead to depression so it’s important to recognise the symptoms that indicate you could be suffering from stress. Here are a few psychological, emotional and physical signs to look out for;
PSYCHOLOGICAL SIGNS
- Inability to concentrate or make simple decisions
- Easily distracted
- Less intuitive & creative
- Worrying & negative thinking
- Depression & anxiety
EMOTIONAL SIGNS
- Tearful
- Mood swings
- Extra sensitive to criticism
- Defensive
- Feeling out of control
- Lack of motivation
- Frustrated
- Lack of confidence
PHYSICAL SIGNS
- Aches/pains & muscle tension/grinding teeth
- Frequent colds/infections
- Constipation/diarrhoea/ IBS
- Weight loss or gain
- Dizziness/palpitations
- Panic attacks/nausea
- Physical tiredness
COMBATING STRESS AT WORK
Some workplace stress is normal however excessive stress can impact on your ability to do your job effectively, which will affect your productivity and motivation. You can’t control everything in your work environment but by referring back to the symptoms list above you can manage your working day better to avoid stress overtaking you.
Here are a few tips to help you manage your stress levels at work;
- Time management – leave 10 minutes earlier in the morning to give yourself enough time to make it to the office without rushing around like a mad thing. Arriving at your desk feeling calm and chilled is a good way for you to start your day.
- Work/Play Balance – All work and no play is a recipe for disaster as we all need some downtime to enjoy living. Try to set yourself an achievable list of jobs that can realistically be completed in your working day. Then when you leave to go home you know that you’ve been productive and can relax and enjoy your evening knowing there’s not a mountain of paperwork waiting for you at the office the next day.
- Communicate – Find time to talk and laugh with your colleagues and peers at work. Talk through projects that your working on and bounce ideas around amongst each other as this can help hugely if you’re experiencing a momentary mind block.
- Take a break – The human brain can only focus for a certain amount of time before it shuts down. Overloading it with too much information in a short space of time will cause your concentration levels to drop, which will affect your productivity. It is therefore important to schedule short, regular breaks into your day to recharge your mind. You only need to take two minutes out, but by doing so you will come back with a fresh perspective which will enable you to complete your jobs to the best of your ability.
- Flip your negative thinking – If you see the downside of every situation and interaction, you’ll find yourself drained of energy and motivation. Try to think positively about your work, avoid negative-thinking co-workers, and pat yourself on the back about small accomplishments.
- Eat right and sleep well – Tiredness affects our concentration levels as does hunger or eating the wrong foods. It is recommended that an adult should have 8 hours sleep of an evening although we all know that this isn’t realistic, therefore 6 hours should be your absolute minimum. Start the day with a protein rich breakfast with some form of carbohydrate, poached eggs on toast is a great choice. Not eating enough can lower your blood sugar, which affects your mood making you feel irritable and anxious and eating to much makes you feel lethargic and sluggish. You should therefore aim to eat little and often throughout the day to maintain an even level of blood sugar and keep your energy levels up so you remain motivated and focused.
For more information about Stress and how to manage it, visit the International Stress Management Association website.
