Occupational Stress Management
According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, 29-40% of North Americans in Canada are found to be extremely stressed and burned out during working hours. Work stress can cause multiple health complications that can range from benign symptoms like cold and flu to more serious body conditions like metabolic syndrome, chronic fatigue, and heart diseases. Due to the growing unemployment rate and other socioeconomic factors, it is very difficult to find a low-stress job. Therefore, you should adopt more realistic and effective strategies to reduce stress at work. Following are some stress management techniques that might help you manage your work stress better, ease anxiety as well as increase productivity.
1. Track Your Stressors
Download a task-management app on your smartphone or keep a journal for some weeks to identify the trigger points or situations that can cause stress and your response towards them. Note your feelings and thoughts related to the physical settings, work environment and behavior of coworkers and people towards you. Taking notes of little activities you have done during the work hours can help you find stressors that are causing stress and urge you to find solutions to eliminate them.
2. Develop Healthy Responses
Instead of fighting your stress with alcohol or unhealthy fast food, you should look for healthy activities and make stress-relieving choices to reduce stress. Any form of physical activity like exercise, yoga or gym could be the best option to start with. Also give proper time to your hobbies such as reading a novel, playing games, going to concerts, gardening and spending time with family, etc. Make sure to set aside time for your favorite activities that bring happiness and pleasure in your life.
Effective stress management also involves getting a sound sleep of at least 7-8 hours. Work on building healthy sleeping habits by reducing your smartphone usage at night, limiting coffee intake, and minimizing other stimulating activities.
3. Take Time to Recharge
Your body needs enough time to replenish energy, return to pre-stress levels and avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and fatigue. This recovery process requires you to switch off yourself from work-related activities by having a period of time when you are even not thinking about work.
Working constantly for 7-8 hours can cause chronic stress and easy fatiguability that doesn’t only comprise your working abilities but may also lead to serious health complications over time. That’s why taking time to recharge and relax in a way that fits your preferences is important for your mind and body. Also, make sure to don’t let your vacation go to waste.
4. Learn How to Relax
Most people consider using social media or sitting in front of the TV as the best relaxation technique. They may provide temporary relief from stress, such activities are themselves proved to be a bigger cause of stress and anxiety, especially when you are addicted to them. Instead, adopt some healthy activities such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing exercises, and mindfulness that can help melt away stress.
Taking a few minutes every day to track your stressors, develop healthy responses and doing little healthy activities can help enhance your cognitive abilities and build concentration to focus purposefully on a single activity (work) without distractions.
Here at Centenary Physio & Rehab| Scarborough ON, we are dedicated to your health.