Another national poll found that around one in three late work as "quite a bit" or "extremely" stressful. Although stress is a normal part of the workplace environment and can provide us with energy, motivation and challenges to make our jobs fulfilling, the danger of a chronically over-stressed workplace is a very real one.

There are many factors that can contribute to workplace stress. A person's relationships with their supervisors, colleagues, and clients matter a lot in determining their comfort level within the organization. Physical workspace, workload, deadlines, decision-making power, degree and clarity of responsibility, organizational climate, and communication methods are some other things to keep in mind when thinking about on-the-job stressors. The conflict many people feel balancing work and home life is another major contributor and has increased markedly over the past decade according to a study by the Canadian Policy Research Networks. The attitude of the organization to its employees, and the kinds of flexible supports it offers—or doesn't offer—can either ease stress, or increase it.

Because stress can be so dangerous and debilitating, it's important for us to learn how to deal effectively with it as it occurs, and ideally, prevent or reduce its occurrence in the first place.

Often, the first thing a person can do is to identify their problems. Once you know what produces stress for you, you can move towards thinking about your options, and finding active solutions that can reduce your stress level. Whether it's your workplace, career or educational path, relationships, finances, health, or home life, thinking about what you can do, what the consequences will be, and which path you want to decide on can be a difficult soul-searching process, but it is probably a better long-term way of reducing stress in your life. Sometimes, even small changes can have a lot of impact, whether it's checking your work email only once a day or delegating meal preparation to different people in your household.

There are also things you can do in the short term to reduce your stress level. The point is finding the healthy approach that works for you. For many people, talking about their problems with someone they trust is a good way to vent and release tension. Problems often sound more manageable when you speak them aloud, and the listener may even be able to offer you a different perspective and possible solutions. Many workplaces also offer Employee Assistance Programs for employees and their families to access for short-term counselling with trained professionals.

Since we're usually unable to prevent, reduce or even predict all of our stressors, management of our physical and emotional stress response is a crucial skill. Exercise, prayer or other spiritual ritual, eating and sleeping well are all different ways to take care of yourself, gain perspective and help reduce stress. In a Western culture that's a slave to the clock and to being "productive" all the time, it can be difficult but liberating to say ‘no' and take a break—whether it's a vacation, a lunch or walk break, or a babysitter watching the kids one night a week. Although twenty-first-century life can be daunting, equipping ourselves with a critical view to the sources of our stress, a positive attitude and healthy stress-relieving techniques that rejuvenate us may be the most useful skill to learn in our lifetimes.

Stress Stoppers

(published with permission in writing from:http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca)




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