Work Related Stress Tips

Why Working Long Hours Increases Stress

2008-10-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

How the British government has decided to tackle work related problems caused by overworking and work-aholic lifestyles. Includes tips on working smarter, rather than harder.

Stress Management Tip Video

2008-10-08T23:19:00.000-07:00

Being stressed in the office can be one of the most frustrating things in the world. Have a look at this video, giving you a few tips to make those stressful situations a little bit better.

20 Tips on How to Reduce Work Stress

2008-10-07T10:14:00.001-07:00

Everyone who sits in a cubicle day in day out would really love to know what’s the best way to reduce work stress? The simple answer is that there is no one specific answer, something that works for one person, may not help reduce the stress levels of another person.

In a previous post, I defined what is work stress? And it means different things to each and every one of us. So to cover as many bases as I possibly could, here’s a list of 20 ways to reduce work stress. Hopefully at least one of them will help you out.

1) Wake up smiling

If you wake up in a bad mood, chances are that you will stay in a bad mood throughout the rest of the day. So first thing in the morning, try and wake up in a good mood, with a smile on your face and a spring in your step. This is easier said than done, but one way I find helps me is the second your alarm rings, spring yourself out of bed and briskly get yourself washed up. Starting in a positive way such as this encourages your mind to follow along and be positive as well.

2) Improve the way you manage time and organization

Get a to-do list that works. If this means writing it down on a post-it, entering the list into your handphone, PDA or Blackberry or even if it means scribbling it down on your arm then do it. Having a to-do list may seem trivial, but it helps you maintain order on all the numerous activities people have to complete in a normal day. Without one, you’ll be doing things as they pop into your head, with many tasks being easily forgotten.

3) Breathe deep to help relax

If you start to get worked up, you have to consciously remember to breath a little deeper. The reason behind this is that when your body becomes stressed or when you are busy all day, you may actually start taking shallower breathes. This reduces the amount of oxygen getting to your brain, impairing your thoughts even further.

4) Get a specific job role and description

If your boss hasn’t provided you with one yet, ask them to give you a detailed roles and responsibilities document. According to some psychologists, having job responsibilities that you have negotiated with your boss helps remove any sense of powerlessness that employees often feel in their current job roles. Having a role that you expect and your boss expects is the best way to overcome this.

5) Ask for a change in roles

If you really can’t stand your job role, or it’s taking too much out of you, ask your supervisors if you can have a change in jobs. They’ll consider it much more than you think because they will understand that if they don’t give you an option, your only option may be to leave the organization. Go talk to your boss, let them know how you feel.

6) Get a new job

If points 4) and 5) don’t work out, you always have the option to resign. Of course, don’t do it irresponsibly, meaning if you have a family to care for, make sure you have a job lined up first. But it’s always an option and you have to remember that.

7) Resist the urge to be ‘perfect’

Every project could always be done better. Every presentation could look a little nicer. But you must not nit pick at every little thing on your work. Resisting this urge of perfectionism can help some people dispel stress that wasn’t even there in the first place

8) Be on time

If you are always late, why don’t you set your alarm earlier? Or wind your clock to be fast so that you reduce the chance of being late.

9) Clean up your act

If your desk, room, office is always in a mess, why don’t you try and clean up? Some people claim that this is their way of organized disorganization, but in reality, when you’re trying to find something important that you urgently need, and have to shuffle and dig through a mountain of junk, you’ll become stressed. Having what you need instantly at hand will make you a much happier and stress free person.

10) Don’t think negatively

This may sound so easy to do, but it is possibly the hardest thing on this entire list. They say that it is hard for people to change because it’s hardwired into our brains and our characters will always be as how it always has been. But this is just not true. Through proper training, such as from the ‘Conquering Stress’ e-book, anyone can change themselves into more tranquil beings.

11) Walk away

If the situation you are in is building in stress, maybe it would be better to just walk away for a while and let yourself cool down. Just excuse yourself to the toilet, or maybe go make yourself a warm drink and just let your mind and body calm down.

12) Ask for help

If you really think you’re being swamped with work but think you can do it all yourself, try asking for help. People are not as bad as you think they are and more often than not, they will help you out.

13) Laugh the stress away

It may look really strange at the office, but it you can find someway to make a meeting that is becoming more serious than it needs to be, add some humor into it. It’ll greatly improve the mood of the people and help things run smoother.

14) Take regular breaks

Taking five minute breaks every hour or so will help your mind relax a little before going back into high activity. Try and go for a short walk to loosen up the muscles before heading back into your meeting room or back to your desk.

15) Learn to listen

Listening to people can really help in resolving conflicts. Rather than getting angry when someone disagrees with you, listen actively to find a win-win solution. But assertive but accepting.

16) Improve your surroundings

Clean up your desk, increase the lighting in your office, change the temperature. Do whatever it takes to put you at ease and make your environment feel comfortable to work in.

17) Don’t stress over small things

Have you ever found yourself stressing over very small things that shouldn’t really matter? You have to remember that some of these things are just not worth worrying about, while others you just can’t change. Don’t stress yourself out and waste time worrying about these things.

18) Get enough sleep

Getting enough sleep is generally good for your overall health, which is directly linked to your levels of stress. Getting sufficient sleep will leave you with higher energy levels at work and throughout the day.

19) Find someone to talk to

Is there always someone in the office who seems to be calm almost all the time? Or someone who you trust to listen to your problems? Find someone like this and ask for any tips or advice they could pass on to you.

20) Call a loved one

If you remember that you’re working for the sake of your family, work becomes a lot less exhausting, so give your wife or husband a call and talk to them for a short while. You’ll remember why you’re working so hard in the first place and remember that it’s all worth it.

Clips On Office Stress

2008-10-06T03:41:00.001-07:00

Some videos on what it's like to be stressed with work at the office. If you're reading this and you're actually in the video, read some of the related posts at the bottom of this post... you need it.

Stress at Work / Office Stress COMPILATION!!! - Click here for more blooper videos

What Is Work Related Stress?

2008-10-03T00:16:00.000-07:00

Work related stress is extremely important in the booming economies around the world in the new 21st century world. More and more people are working compared to 50 years ago and more and more time is being spent at work. This has led to an increase in stress in or around the workplace throughout the world as people are being asked to become more productive and work longer hours.

Wikipedia describes it as:

Workplace stress is the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Stress-related disorders encompass a broad array of conditions, including psychological disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder) and other types of emotional strain (e.g., dissatisfaction, fatigue, tension, etc.), maladaptive behaviors (e.g., aggression, substance abuse), and cognitive impairment (e.g., concentration and memory problems). In turn, these conditions may lead to poor work performance or even injury. Job stress is also associated with various biological reactions that may lead ultimately to compromised health, such as cardiovascular disease.

Causes of workplace stress range from disagreements between management and staff, overloaded workload or even self imposed stress.

According to CNN-Money.com, Americans spent more than $17 billion for anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs in 2002, up 10% from the year before and nearly 30% over a two year period. [Hilsorient]

This number is quite disturbing and is surely to have risen if the study had been repeated for 2007/2008.

However, there are plenty of methods of stress management for work place stress and anxiety. Medication should only be used as a last resort. Natural ways are the best, with control over your mind the key in whether these cures ultimately succeed or fail. Just be willing to learn and you'll surely be able to overcome all the emotions and stress that are caused in the office and be a happier person for it.

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Stressed? Dance On The Treadmill.

2008-10-01T01:20:00.000-07:00

If you're on the verge of pulling out all your hair, put your hands back in your pockets, have a look at the below video and give yourself a smile. You owe it to yourself...

Facing Burnout? Then Take A Break.

2008-09-29T17:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people concentrate so hard on getting things done for others that they can neglect that special someone who is so important, themselves. An executive working himself into the ground to get presentations and projects done for the boss, a housewife making sure that husband, children and family members are all taken care of are all good examples of this.

But what happens when the cycle repeats? What if they keep doing this day in day out without a break? Some people call it burnout, others call it breaking down. It’s when everything in your situation that you are used to doing suddenly becomes completely overwhelming and your mind races to try and get everything done, but you just can’t.

Burnout can have adverse effects to both your mental and physical health and should be avoided at all costs. Here are just a few ways to relax and unwind before it gets too bad.

Go To a Spa

Although this may sound like something only women may do, it can be just as beneficial to men as well. Getting a massage or aroma therapy session can do wonders for clearing your mind. A massage in particular helps loosen all the knotted up muscles in your body. Tight muscles in the back, legs, and shoulders can make you feel stiff during the working day and can tire your mind and body out faster than if the muscles were loose.

So getting that 1 hour massage once a month can help rejuvenate those tired muscles and prepare you for the rush of life again.

Go Out and Run, Swim, Boat, Bike.

For some, outdoor activities and sports are the best form of relaxation. Some people find golf the perfect cure, to others it could be white water rafting. Getting out of the office and out of the house for some fresh air and some form of activity in nature may just be enough to help your mind escape from the rush of working life and give you a recharge.

Read a Book

For others all it takes to completely relax and unwind is the simplicity of a good read. For myself, a fantasy book is the best form of escapism, as it takes your mind completely out of this world into a world full of mystery and magic. Some people find the same satisfaction in a romance novel or an autobiography. The advantage of a book compared to the other solutions is that it can be read extremely often, maybe even every night.

So be it swimming, aroma therapy or the simplicity of reading a book, take some time out and pamper yourself. Give your body a break, relieve some stress and let your mind and body relax and rejuvenate.

When You Think You Have Nothing, Look Harder.

2008-09-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

There are times when you get so down that you feel completely empty inside. You begin to think to yourself, what have I got? Who’s there for me? And you begin to think that you have nothing, often overlooking a lot of things that should mean a lot to you.

At times like this, it would be easy to give in, to sink deeper into this black hole you have created for yourself. But you should NOT. At times like this, it’s like you’re wearing a pair of dark sunglasses. Things aren’t quite as clear, details are a bit duller to make out and some things you can’t see altogether. So what can you do about it?

Look harder. Strain your eyes. See details that you never saw before.

Friends and family – For some people, they will suddenly see their loved ones. Those people who have been around them all the time but whom they usually took for granted. Your closest family and friends probably have been there to help and support you just that in your low state, you’ve overlooked and forgotten this fact. Open your eyes; they’re right there in front of you. Who says you have nothing?

Faith – For others, it’s their belief in faith. Few things are as strong as the belief in one’s religion. For one, it’s not something you can really see and put your finger on, but even in a small room (or cubicle) somehow it’s still there. You can reach inside yourself and look to it as if it had never gone anywhere in the first place.

A cause – Do you participate in trying to rid the world of cancer (there are more deaths due to cancer a year than many other diseases combined), are you trying to get rid of world poverty, famine or AIDS? Need I say more? You obviously have something to live for which is much bigger than yourself. These people need your help and all you have to do is continue fighting for your cause and remember how much it affects peoples’ lives and let it fill that emptiness inside.

10 Tips For Better Communication Skills.

2008-09-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

We all know that being uncomfortable speaking in groups, or for that matter being uncomfortable speaking to anyone at all is never a good feeling. It can make the working day go by so much worse and make you dread and stress times when you will need to use your communication skills. Here are just a few ways for you to improve your communication skills, just by knowing they person closest to you: yourself.

1. Talk about what you know

Have you been to a seminar? Taught a class? Are you a subject matter expert? Finding something which you can easily relate to and pick from your mind will make the conversations so much easier for you to form and deliver.

2. Listen to what others say

Listen carefully to what others are saying so that when replying their questions, you can refer back to what they asked earlier. This shows that you are paying attention and gives you communication more credibility. Listening to your own voice can also help as it gives us confidence and helps us deliver messages with more conviction

3. Don’t be afraid of making a mistake

We all make mistakes when we talk, whether it be not knowing the meaning of a word, or even how to pronounce it. Rather than repeatedly say a word the wrong way, ask the group if you’re actually saying it properly. This way, they’ll loosen up and you won’t seem foolish for repeating a word you don’t know over and over.

4. Make a joke

Adding a little bit of humor in your talks can make the audience feel less uneasy, making you feel less uneasy. Let’s face it, it’s so easy to fall asleep in a meeting, but if someone makes a joke, those on the brink may wake up and pay attention.

5. Maintain eye contact

For those falling asleep as mentioned above, keeping eye contact with the audience will prevent them from dozing off because they feel like they’re being watched. You say alot when maintaing eye contact, making the meeting feel one on one with each person in the group, even if it’s a very large one. But don’t keep staring at the same person because they are really good looking.

6. Rapport

Rapport is the act of mimicking body language. Use this to your advantage and mingle with other people, you’ll get lots of ideas about things to talk about as well as meeting alot of new people.

7. Practice, practice, practice

Singing or practicing your speeches or even general conversation in the mirror can always be a great way of improving your communication skills. You’ll get used to hearing your own voice, as well as commit alot of what you planned to say to memory. This makes it easier to recall later when you are actually giving your presentation or discussion.

8. Smile

Keeping a smile on puts the audience at ease. Frowning or sloucihng in a gathering will only spread the negative mood that you are feeling to the rest of the group. Keeping a happy emotion on your face will keep the mood up and positive.

9. Copy good speakers

You’ve probably seen people talk before right? A celebritiy, a presidential candidate, a minister. See how they give their speech and use that to learn or even repeat in your own speeches.

10. Know what you are talking about

Don’t go into a meeting unprepared. Some people use index cards, some people write things on their hands. Whatever works for you, just make sure you are mentally prepared for your meeting and don’t do it last minute before rushing in.

Practice these 10 things and your stress levels in discussions, meeting and presentations will slowly drop, help you keep a confident and positive stance throughout.

Use Stress Balls To Relieve Stress

2008-09-27T08:06:00.000-07:00

So you’re stressed at home? Well some people like using stress balls to calm down. Try these different stress balls out and see if it works for you:

The Normal Stress Ball

Just grab one in your hand and start squeezing the life out of it, slowly releasing the tension from your body and into the ball. Can fit in your work bag as it is very small, bring one to work and whip it out when the need arises.

Chinese Stress Balls

Put both balls into the palm of your hand. Begin slowly squeezing them together until they start to move in a circular motion. Keep this motion going, you’ll get used to it eventually. The combination of the squeezing action, metal surface and weights in the balls result in a slow relaxing of the mind and body. Very meditative device.

Again, it is small and can be brought to work.

But if you think that releasing stress involves some sort of aggressive/ physical exertion, then try this ball to relieve stress:

Source: Fitsugar

Would be pretty funny seeing someone squeezing that in between their arms at work huh?

Stress Relieving Images

2008-09-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

Feeling stressed at work in your small office cubicle? How about adding one of these wallpapers to your computer desktop background?

So that the next time you feel stressed, just close all your windows, zone out, stare at the ocean or forest and let your mind relax a little.

(Best Viewed at 1024x768 resolution - Click picture for full size version. Then right click, select 'set as background image'.)

Source: Freewallpapers.net

Laugh a Little and Relax.

2008-09-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

A baby's laugh is always so contagious isn't it? And laughter is probably one of the best medicines for work related stress.

So go ahead and laugh... You know you want to.

5 Tips to Destress at Work

2008-09-20T08:09:00.000-07:00

Is your boss chasing you up for that presentation or report? Are your colleagues frustrating you by doing things so slowly or just doing it completely wrong? Are you getting stressed up?

Well then try these tips to manage your anger and relax a bit when it seems like the walls are closing in on you.

1) Breathe

When people are in a hurry to finish off something or are feeling the pressure from their boss, they tend to focus completely on the task at hand, sometimes forgetting everthing else. This includes your breathing.

At times like this, what happens is that the mind is concentrating so hard on finishing the job that you start to take shallow breaths, hence not getting enough oxygen to the brain, making your thoughts less clear and your mind less relaxed.

Concentrate on taking deeper breaths and you should feel more calm and focused.

2) Take A Timeout

Sometimes you get stuck in one of those meetings where you disagree with everything that is being discussed on the agenda. You don't agree with what your boss is saying and you're trying to press your point.

Your boss says his idea is better (as they usually do) and at this point you start to raise your voice, you start to get a bit flushed and you can feel your frustration building up.

Now's a good time to take a timeout. Make an excuse, any excuse. You need to go to the toilet, you need to get a drink of water, your phone is ringing and you need to take the call.

Whatever it is, leave the room, breathe in breathe out, focus your thoughts and tell yourself, 'He's not going to change his mind for now, so instead of getting into a shouting match, I'll go back in, calmly layout my point of view and if he accepts it, so be it. If not, I'll try again another day'.

3) Have Something To Look Forward To

A working week can seem quite long, especially if you're reading this article on a Monday and the weekend can seem so very far away.

You're tired, unmotivated and you can feel it affecting your productivity at work. You start to question, why am I doing this? I don't want to be here.

That's when you need to have something to look forward to during the weekend, or even during the working week. It could be seeing your girlfriend/ spouse after work, watching a movie on Thursday or even watching your favourite football team (Manchester United) play on the weekend.

Keep that thought in your mind and you'll find that the positive feelings it generates helps you get by during the week. It helps your mind distress and you can do your work in a more relaxed state.

4) Ask For Help

Your desk seems like a mountain of work, with papers stacked up high to the ceiling. No sooner have you finished one report, that another comes into your inbox.

You try and tackle everything yourself, speeding up on each page, typing as fast as you possibly can.

But did you know you can ask for help? It may be hard for you to believe, some of your colleagues may actually help you out with your workload. Or something that you were meant to give to them, they'll give you an extension on.

Not all of them will say, 'Do it yourself, it's not my job', although some might.

But you'll never know till you ask, so open your mouth and ask.

5) Smile

The power of positive thinking is completely underrated to most people. The mantra, you are what you think holds stronger than you would imagine.

So try and keep in a positive state of mind during the working week, no matter how stressed out you might be with management at any one time. If going online to read a joke every now and again does it for you, then I suggest you read the joke, remember it and tell it to colleagues.

Spreading the joy can't hurt productivity that much.