Stress Relief Articles

Dealing With Work Related Stress

Work related stress is costly, both to individuals and to employers. In recent surveys, up to 40% of people said they have a lot of work related stress, and about ¼ of them said that work is more stressful than anything else in their lives.

Work related stress causes employee illness and absence. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average lost time from a work related stress incident is 20 days. Workman's compensation awards for work related stress cost millions of dollars annually.

That's just numbers and statistics. It should motivate employers to make the workplace less stressful, but what can you and I do to deal with our own work related stress?

Stressful Factors in the Workplace

The National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) has identified six factors that affect work related stress:

Work design - how tasks are done. Repetition, breaks, the type and amount of work are all part of the work design.
Management style - Authoritative, autocratic management styles and the use of negative feedback increase work related stress.
Interpersonal relationships at work.
Work roles - This involves what you do, the people involved, the number of roles, and the expectations of the roles. Work design is how you do your work, while work roles are what you do.
Career concerns - Your body interprets threats to your career as threats to your livelihood and to your life. If you feel like you are constantly threatened, your job will be very stressful.
Environmental stress - This includes factors like noise, light, frequent interruptions and other stressors around you.

What You Can Do to Manage Work Related Stress

It is not easy to manage work related stress, because much of what goes on at work is out of your control. That's what makes it stressful. You have to earn a living, and sometimes it feels like you have to put up with a lot of stuff to do it.

NIOSH identifies three factors that can help you manage work related stress:

Keeping a good balance between work and your personal life.
Having a good support system of friends and family.
Having a relaxed, positive outlook on life.

A lot of times, we have work related stress because we don't have control over our environment, over what we do, or whom we do it with. Lack of control is very stressful for most of us.

There are probably more things at work under your control than you realize. You can control, at least to some extent, how much you work and how you balance work with your personal life. You can control whom you spend your off-work time with. You can learn good self-care and stress management and lessen the effect of work related stress by taking control of your whole life and realizing that work is just one part of it.

Heart Rate: An Anxiety Stress Symptom You Can Monitor

Discovering the Cause of Stress in You

Things That Cause Stress: Identifying and Eliminating Stress

The Devastating Effects of Chronic Stress

The Depression Stress Link: How to Survive When Life is Hard

The Dangers of Emotional Stress

Health Stress: Affects Both Body and Mind

Managing Constant Worry with Herbal Stress Relief

Dealing with Illness-Related Stress

Job Stress: Tension in the Workplace

The Anxiety of Managing Stress

Looking for Natural Stress Relief

Oxidative Stress: Prevent it for a Long and Healthy Life

Reduce Stress: It's All in the Breathing

The Key to Reducing Stress: A Healthy Lifestyle

Expert Ways for Relieving Stress

Stress and the Mind-Body Connection

Stress and Anxiety Go Together

Some Natural Ways to Deal with Stress, Anxiety, and Depression

Four Reasons to Look into Stress Anxiety Management

Learning to Fight Stress at Work

What Could You Learn from Stress Counseling?

Getting Rid of Your Stress Headache

Why Stress Management is Important

Complimentary Practical Advice: Stress Management and Relaxation

Daily Life and Stress Management Counseling

Things to Look For in a Stress Management Course

Places to Receive Good Stress Management Information

Developing an Individualized Stress Management Program

Searching for a Stress Management Technique

What's Your Favorite Stress Management Tip?

The Benefits of Stress Management Training

Aid for Anxiety: Stress Relief Music

The Very Best Stress Relief Product of All

Three Great Examples of a Stress Relief Tip that Everyone Can Do

Which is the Best Stress Vitamin?

Dealing With Work Related Stress

Finding Work Stress Relief

Daily Yoga Stress Relief and Management

legal notices and disclaimers | Alzheimer's | Fitness | resources