Workplace Stress - Is Your Job Performance Paying The Price?

Friday 19 September 2008 @ 4:55 pm

Workplace stress is as inevitable as death and taxes. Most people will experience stress in the work place on a regular basis. Some occupations have high levels of stress associated with them. Health care and law enforcement workers, for example, experience daily stress as a part of their everyday working life. Workplace stress can be reduced by identifying those situations which trigger it and reducing your exposure to those situations.

Common workplace stress triggers include:

Co-workers with bad attitudes

An unprofessional, tactless, or rude co-worker can cause a lot of stress in your working environment. Considering the number of people that we are required to interact with on a daily basis to perform the duties of our jobs it is guaranteed that a clash of personalities will eventually occur. The key is not to let an aggravating co-worker affect your work performance.

There are a few ways to handle this kind of situation. First of all, decide if it’s something that really bothers you or not. Sometimes just ignoring them is all you need to do your job effectively.

Some co-workers take annoying too far. Some are downright rude or offensive. When ignoring the co-worker doesn’t work try confrontation. In a polite, but firm tone explain what behaviors are bothering you, why the bother you, and give suggestions for how the co-worker might improve. It is possible that the offender does not know they are upsetting you. Saying it out loud will help reduce the stress and anxiety surrounding the situation.

If that doesn’t help, you’ll have to go to your boss and tell them what’s going on and that it’s been affecting your work. Sometimes they’ll take ahold of the situation themselves in order for things to run smoothly.

Poor Management

Maybe it’s not a rude co-worker you’re dealing with, but a mean boss. Putting up with a boss that makes you miserable can be very stressful. You’ll want to try talking with them first to see if that helps the situation.

|If direct discussion with your supervisor proves ineffective, the next step is to approach the next level of management. Document the inappropriate behavior you have witnessed or personally experienced and report it to someone in human resources or follow the appropriate channels for your company.

Suffering silently with a management problem is not a good idea. It will make you miserable and anxious and eventually cause your productivity to decline. Most places of business want to hear about these types of situations and will do what they can to correct them.

Assignment Overload

Having more work than you can handle can make stress inevitable. Take on only what you can handle at one time. Ask for help from others and be willing to reciprocate and help them when they need it. A lot of things can be accomplished with teamwork.

Stress in the workplace can come from many other sources as well. Learn what causes your stress and find out how to work through it. Your workplace can be a stressful environment, but don’t let that stress get the best of you.

Get Josh Murphy’s latest free report ‘Self-Care Boot Camp’ - jam-packed with more great stress relief information at StressReliefTipsWeekly.com. Check out the site for more great info on topis like symptoms of stress as well as a free weekly newsletter that subscribers are raving about!

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Are You Displaying These Symptoms of Stress More Than You Realise?

Wednesday 17 September 2008 @ 9:25 pm

Stress is an integral part of our lives. It heightens our awareness, sharpens our focus, and enables us to stay alert and focused. Stress helps motivate us into action and helps to maintain a healthy balance of hormones and chemicals in the brain. However, abnormally high amounts of stress can result in anxiety attacks.

At first, anxiety attacks may occur suddenly and seem like a normal part of being stressed out. If they are not recognized and dealt with, they may continue and worsen over time.

Recognizing indicators for an anxiety attack is an important first step to treatment. Though everyone reacts to stress differently some common indicators of unhealthy anxiety include difficulty concentrating, racing or uncontrollable thoughts, loss of memory, and feelings of confusion. In order to recognize the indicators for an anxiety attack, you have to understand the symptoms of stress first.

Physical symptoms often accompany anxiety attacks. During an anxiety attack you might experience trembling, shaking, stomach aches, hot or cold flashes, noticeably increased heart rhythm, nausea, or shortness of breath. These symptoms can be very disturbing and can interfere with your daily routine.

During the height of an anxiety attack the physical symptoms can be so overwhelming that that they are upsetting. People often report feeling “out of control” of their body or as if they are “dying.” The first time a person experiences an anxiety attack they are unlikely to identify the symptoms of those of anxiety and are more likely to feel that they are experience a heart attack, stroke, or serious medical emergency.

There may be times when a friend or loved one recognizes the signs of anxiety and points them out. After you have experienced even one anxiety attack, it’s important to see your doctor to make sure your diagnosis is correct and to rule out other medical problems.

When the physician rules out anything medical and determines that they are anxiety attacks, he may start them on some type of medication to help relieve them of some of the symptoms and encourage the patient to seek a counselor.

A therapist will gather information about your past and present life and work with you to figure out the major sources of your stress. Once you understand what’s causing the attacks, you can work with your doctor and counselor to determine your plan of action. A therapist is trained to help you learn to cope with your stress in healthy ways.

Several websites are available that describe different ways to relax under duress and breathe through your anxiety, improving oxygen levels and slowing your racing heartbeat.

Normal amounts of stress are vital for keeping the body and mind healthy, but persistent unmanageable stress is not beneficial. You do not have to settle for overwhelming physical and emotional symptoms of stress and anxiety. Take the necessary steps to reduce or alleviate excess stress and anxiety in your life before your anxiety interferes with your daily activities. Learning to combat stress is a valuable tool for maintaining and improving your physical and mental health.

Get Josh Murphy’s latest free report ‘Self-Care Boot Camp’ - jam-packed with more great stress relief information at StressReliefTipsWeekly.com. Check out the site for more great info on topis like ways to relieve stress as well as a free weekly newsletter that subscribers can’t get enough of!

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