Stress at Work

Stress is caused by stressors. A stressor is our reaction to negative situations or events in our lives. In some instances, happy events, like winning the lottery, or getting married, can be a cause of great stress.

Everybody reacts to stressors differently, at different times in their lives, what we found stressful in college, would get a different reaction from us at a later age.

Not all people or cultures respond to the same stressors, a situation that could be perceived as extremely upsetting to one person, could be a minor problem, or irritation to another, it is our reaction and how we perceive the event that makes the difference.

For instance you are about to go to work in the morning and drive your car out of the driveway onto the street, when a car comes out of nowhere, cuts you off and speeds away, your blood pressure immediately goes up ,while you curse the guy to kingdom come, you get to work still annoyed and stressed out.
One week later you find out that it is was one of your neighbors, who lives a couple of blocks down the street that cut you off, and the reason was, that his wife was in extreme pain due to pregnancy complications, he was scared for her life and the baby, and was rushing to the hospital, being polite and letting you go first was not a priority for him at the time.
Having all the facts before letting ourselves get stressed is important, and even if we can't always know all the facts, be aware that there might be a possible reason behind an undesirable event, action or behavior.

Stress is a part of life, it is unavoidable, and that is why it is important for us to learn how to deal with it, continuous stress at work or at home, without some kind of copping mechanism, or reprieve can have many negative physical, and psychological effect on us . Stress is considered a silent killer, responsible for many illnesses.

Getting a job that fits your character is important in a work environment, if you put an unmotivated person in a high paced, competitive work situation, it will be stressful and hard for them to cope with.
Similarly, If you have a highly motivated person and give them a mundane, unchallenging job, it will eventually cause stress and even depression.

Having a healthy, happy life outside of work makes a big difference in the ability to deal with stress.

• A happy and healthy relationship

• Playing sports or working out regularly

• Having supportive, positive friends outside of work, that you can talk to and spend time with

• Having hobbies that you enjoy doing

• Knowing when to take a break , a holiday, or a weekend vacation to unwind

There are those who decide to put their personal lives on hold, in order for them to achieve their monetary goals or position, planning to retire early, and then go for that perfect vacation and fulfill their dream of climbing Mount Everest, having a family, friends, and enjoying life. The problem is that if you work long hours in a stressful highly charged environment, with no time for quality relationships, friends outside of work, or hobbies, you have no time to eat right, or exercise. It will take a toll on your mind and body. With an unbalanced lifestyle of all work and no play, even if you do retire at a young age, will you be healthy enough, to realize your dream of climbing that mountain.

Home life can be stressful, rushing, to get your kids ready for school, your spouse misplaced their car keys, you spilled coffee on your work shirt or dress when you are already late for work.
Usually on mornings like this, it's just one thing after another, and its not easy to stay calm in the midst of all the chaos.

Having some time for yourself, to do activities that you enjoy, is a great way to relieve daily stress. Allocate some 'me' time.

Ways to Deal With Daily Stress

• Call your friends out for a coffee, and tell them about your crazy morning

• Take up yoga, or meditation classes

• Take your dog for a walk in the park

• Go for a jog

• Join a gym

Make time for family activities.
Just an hour a day of quality time with your spouse and kids, doing something that you all enjoy, will make a big difference in your family health, happiness and relationship.

Plan activities with your family, with the main purpose of having fun.

• Have a family picnic

• Take your family out for ice cream

• Go cycling together

• Play board games

• Start a family garden, where everyone gets to plant something, and spend quality time daily tending to the garden.

• Fatigue

• Back Pain

• Insomnia

• Head Aches

• High Blood Pressure

• Heart Disease

• Hardening of the Arteries

• Diabetes

• Depression

• Obesity

• Accelerated Aging

• Ulcers

• Premature Death

There are numerous stress related illnesses, by being under continuous stress, our immune system is weakened, which makes us susceptible to serious life threatening diseases.

Be pro active, it's impossible to avoid all stress in our lives, but we can learn how to manage, and minimize the effects that stress has on our mind and body. Choosing to have a balanced lifestyle, and being mindful of how we react to situations, can improve our life and promote better health.

Be aware that what is urgent may not always be important. The things that are important in your life should be your first priority.