You are sitting at the computer and typing, hunched shoulders and a frown on your face. The tension is palpable and you are barking at your assistant. The deal is not going to close on time and you can’t leave by 6, you’re getting a headache and there is not end in sight this week.
If this is happening then you are in a bad cycle that could take years off your life. No one can take the bad deals and hard economy away. Only you can change how you handle it.
Webmd.com has some strong stats on stress:
- Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
- Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
- Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of the workplace. Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually.
- The lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to chronic, untreated stress reactions.
It is never too late to change the direction of your day, week or life.
- Breathe and stop doing what you are doing. Here is a site with some in depth breathing techniques that will help. Do them now, they will add years to your life: http://www.solveyourproblem.com/natural-health/easy_breathing_techniques.shtml
- Eat a snack and get up and walk around. Walking engages both the right and left sides of the brain which balances out the overwhelmed hormone levels.
- Create a deadline for yourself to leave work and keep it. Mke one day a week starting out the no stress evening, leave every Weds. and don’t look back. Then you can worry the other days.
- If you can’t leave then get up often to take a break and start breathing again.
- Find someone to share your stress with. A mentor or friend can be a sounding board for you to work through the stress and find ways to work on the solutions.
In the next article we will be addressing project specific stress and how to work in the day without letting it get to you. If you are having extreme job stress let us know, we can help you map out a quick solution or suggest the places for you to look into. It’s what we do.
Stephanie York —————(805)701-8508————–coaching@descoaching.com
