Stress Management at Work
Many of us are faced with stress everyday, but we might not know how to deal with it. It is important to learn how to handle stress because it can affect our performance and relationships in our work and home. At work, stress can lead to distraction and cause an unfortunate accident. At home, stress can put a strain on family relationships. Here’s some helpful information on stress management at work.
Stress usually occurs when there are changes in our lives and we feel that we don’t have enough resources to deal with those changes and demands. Which of the follow-ing do you think causes stress: getting married, winning the lottery, or having an argu-ment? It is all of them. Stress can occur not only from negative life experiences, but also from positive ones. Peo-ple react and deal with stress differently, but common stress symptoms include upset stomach, fatigue, tight neck muscles, irritability and headaches. Some people react to stress by eating or drinking too much, losing sleep or smoking cigarettes. Stress may also make you more susceptible to illnesses, including the common cold, ulcers, and some cancers.
You can cause stress through your thoughts, feelings and expectations. Look at the list below. Which cause you stress? Can you think of other stressors? Not enough time, unexpected change, Family problems, Personality clashes, Money difficulties?
Everyone has to deal with life’s problems. A key to dealing with the big and little everyday stressors is coping with stress in a positive way.
- Acceptance- Many of us worry about things we have no control over. For example, a family illness, great deal of change at work, or finding out that your basketball team lost. One way to manage stress is to accept when things are beyond your control. It may be helpful to think positive thoughts such as, “Someday I’ll laugh about this,” or “It’s a learning experience.”
- Attitude – Try to focus on the positive side of situations. Ask yourself, “What good can come out of this?” “What can I learn from this situation?” and “How can I handle this better when it comes up again?” Solutions come easier when you focus on the positive and your stress level will be reduced.
- Perspective- We often may worry about things that never happen. Keep things in perspective by asking your-self, “How important is this situation? Can I do anything about it? In five years, will I even remember it happened?”
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