The Effects of Stress Internally and Abroad
Most of us have felt the effects of stress at work at some point. Some deal with it every day.
Although people react to stressful situations in various ways, many experience physical effects from stress such as:
- Headaches
- Indigestion
- Fatigue
- Body aches
Our thought process is impacted daily by work related stress; we become confused, overwhelmed, and emotional causing:
- Anger
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Sadness
When work-related stress follows us home, we unwittingly lash out at family and friends, perpetuating the cycle. Not having time to relax and unwind after work is dangerous—the impact of stress goes beyond the individual. Now, the effects of stress are costing the American industry 300 billion dollars annually in revenue and it continues to grow. So how do we handle it?
Dealing with Stress at the Office
Tight budgets, demanding timelines, difficult employees, undependable supervisors, malfunctioning equipment, and confusing, non clear tasks all contribute to a work-related stress that is often difficult to navigate. It is important to get our stress under control since we spend the majority of our waking hours on the job.
Taking advantage of work breaks by getting a coffee or taking a short walk around the grounds can help alleviate pent-up tension.
Other ways of dealing with stress at work are
- Taking a deep breath when starting to feel overwhelmed
- Eat right and sleep well as a poor diet can stress out your system
- Prioritize; focus on the projects that will have the most impact and are best aligned with your goals
- Keep your work-space clean and organized as a mess equals stress
- Learn to handle or ignore interruptions that happen while at the workplace
- Incorporate relaxation exercises into your workday
The list goes on to help alleviate stress, but what can your company do to help employees from taking work-place stress home and create a more efficient work environment?
Going above and beyond
To help employees who are dealing with stress, companies have started to go above and beyond to help their employees recover at home. They have started offering concierge services and flexible work hours to make it easier for their employees to have a healthy work-life balance.
Many companies have seen great success with concierge services or errand running services like MyShoperoo in handling their employee’s personal errands. As a result, their employees have more time in the day and on weekends to do the activities that help them relax.
Forward thinking companies are offering on-site gym privileges at their offices for their employees to burn off stress during the day with a physical workout. When having an on-site gym is not an option, external gym memberships are offered.
Healthy snacks during break time, light exercise at lunch, and a lounge for resting or short naps when needed are also ways companies help employees stay in a stress-free mental and physical state.
Most of us experience stress symptoms from time to time. Knowing their cause and ways to address them can help to ease their negative impact. Self-care that involves relaxation, meditation, and socialization are positive ways to offset a stress-filled work environment.