Stress Management At Work
Stress is inevitable & it does exist fundamentally everywhere, be it our personal lives or a professional setting of our work lives. It usually has a negative insinuation. However, moderate stress actually serves as a therapeutic stimulator as well as helps in getting tasks done faster.
Stress management encompasses a variety of technics and psychoanalyses aimed at reducing the level of stress.
Types of Stress
Dr. Hans Selye was a Hungarian-Canadian endocrinologist of Hungarian origin & is considered to be one of the first scientists to demonstrate the existence of biological stress. According to him, stress can be caused in the following two types:
1. Positive stress or eustress: Stimulation to perform better & is perceived as being within tolerance threshold.
Positive stress examples:
- Starting a new job
- Receiving promotions or salary hike
- Holiday seasons
- Retiring
- Setting goals related to work for a period of time
2. Negative stress or distress: Detrimental to health & incites negative emotions which often prove harmful to physical & mental well-being.
Work life stress examples:
- Meeting relentless deadlines or targets
- Office politics
- Low salary or poor hikes
- Recurring & monotonous job
- Job insecurity
- Inadequate authority to accomplish a task etc.
Distress can also be triggered by our internal thought patterns, as follows:
- Nursing Fears
- Overthinking on a situation
- Worrying about factors that we can’t control & procrastination
- Setting unrealistic expectations, self-abnegation, over-expecting or trying to be a perfectionist every time
Distress may lead to depression & is detrimental to our physical & mental health.
How Employers can help Employees Reduce Stress
- Set clear, definable & measurable goals
- Avoid unrealistic expectations
- Define & measure targets appropriately
- Give importance to innovation & creativity
- Offer flexible work environment
- Identify & respect diversity at the workplace
- Educate employees about the latest technologies
- Monetize business profits for employees
- Encourage small forms of exercises during working hours
How Entrepreneurs Handle Stress
Entrepreneurs are often more vulnerable to stress than normal employees. A study conducted by michaelafreemanmd.com shows that about 49% of the entrepreneurs have one or more lifetime mental health conditions.
Below is a list of successful people talking about how they manage stress:
- Laughing the Situation out:
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos believes that laughter is the best medicine. He also believes that the source of stress should never be ignored & must be addressed to be resolved.
He says: “We expect the World to know our potential while doing absolutely nothing to prove our worth”.
- Recomposing Yourself:
This strategy works well for the renowned talk show host & media executive Oprah Winfrey. When stressed, she finds her composure in a quieter place. Try to incorporate breathing techniques (like the ones seen here) to reset your mind and start the day feeling energized.
- Taking Small breaks:
According to the YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, taking small breaks not only helps to deal with stress but it is also a time when one can re-compose oneself.
- Getting Enough Sleep:
According to Arianna Huffington, a well-known Greek-American Author & columnist, getting enough sleep helps one become more resilient & a better decision maker.
- Exercising Daily:
The former first lady of the white house Michelle Obama is of the view that sweating out some extra calories is therapeutic & works wonders in keeping one's mood relaxed throughout the day.
- Admitting that Stress Exists:
Marc Andreessen an American entrepreneur & software engineer states that starting & handling a startup is always a big risk & stress is obvious. The trick to managing the stress is not to be oblivious about it.
- Playing Games & Solving Cross-word Puzzles:
This trick works for Hollywood star Brad Pitt.
Engaging in solving complex problems and doing it successfully gives a sense of accomplishment & reassurance.
- Looking at the Bigger Picture:
According to the famous American entrepreneur, author, speaker & internet influencer Gary Vaynerchuk, businesses these days are highly competitive. It helps to understand and accept that things can get worse but must not risk your well-being.
- Spirituality & Maintaining a state of Equanimity Help:
According to Indiegogo founder Slava Rubin, being grounded & having spiritual roots help in battling stress. He trusts his Jews ways for helping him through his ups & downs.
- Pre-starting the Week:
According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, as told to the Success Magazine, pre-scheduling a portion of work to be accomplished in the week ahead, on a weekend helps in reducing excessive stress at the start of the week.
- Having Clear Communication:
According to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, having an open-ended & two-way communication between the employees & the employer reduces the work-related stress.
- Setting Priorities Upright:
According to the co-founder of Birchbox, Katia Beauchamp, setting priorities at work helps to delineate a sequence for a variety of tasks & action them at the correct time.
- Knowing Yourself:
According to the Moz co-founder Rand Fishkin, his depressed version & happy version are entirely different. When depressed he is in a state of inaction.
Conclusion
Moderate amounts of stress work as a catalyst to accomplish a task faster.
The Mental Health Awareness Week, which each year starts on the second Monday in May, this year, is being observed from May 13 to 19. This initiative by the Mental Health Foundation aims to sensitize people about mental health.
Sadly in some cultures, mental health & stress are still stigmatized.
According to a survey by the American Institute of Stress, 46% of people at work feel stressed due to work-overload, 28% are worried about the people they work with, 20% find it difficult to strike a work-life balance & 6% feel that their jobs aren’t secure.
Furthermore, excessive stress at the workplace, on average, leads to a shocking 12,000 deaths worldwide & an excessively high expense of $190 billion in healthcare, every year.
Workplace stress has amplified considerably during the past 3 decades & understanding & living in accord with moderate amounts of stress, while at the same time taking appropriate measures to fight the chronic stress at the right time, is the key to sustain & evolve in a highly-competitive workplace in the 21st century.
Valasys Media hopes that you remember to take care of yourself, not just physically but also mentally.
Stress is inevitable & it does exist fundamentally everywhere, be it our personal lives or a professional setting of our work lives. It usually has a negative insinuation. However, moderate stress actually serves as a therapeutic stimulator as well as helps in getting tasks done faster.
