3 Ways to Relieve Stress at Work
Stress sucks. Whether it’s a bad client, relentless boss or just an unbearably busy day; office stress affects us all at some point. According to a 2011 workplace study, 1 in 3 employees said they typically feel stressed or tense during the workday citing a lack of opportunities for growth and advancement (43 percent), heavy workload (43percent), unrealistic job expectations (40 percent) and long hours (39 percent) as significant sources.
Not only can stress ruin a perfectly good day, but it can be downright dangerous to your health. High levels of stress can lead to high blood pressure, heart attack, diabetes and obesity, not to mention an overall decrease in quality of life.
So is there light at the end of the tunnel? Can we somehow overcome the stresses of work to live a healthier, happier life?
Yes. And it’s not as difficult as you think. Here are three easy options to a less stressful workplace.
- Stress management skills. It might sound basic but working on coping strengths to manage stress can minimize the negative and accentuate the positive. Eliminating small, daily stresses through recognition, avoidance and resolution along with developing flexibility to change can help to eliminate stress. Taking a class that teaches these skills including enhanced communication, problem-solving abilities and relationship building will put your life in a better state of being.
- Conflict resolution. Many times the workplace can feel no different than high school. There’s the bully, the jokester, the drama queen… all conspiring to make your life more difficult; or so it would seem. Learning to deal with these types of people through conflict resolution will help to reduce stress. Knowing when to appropriately deal with issues and when to back off is challenging, especially when emotions are involved, but can make all the difference.
- Emotional/Physical Outlets. Exercise is a failsafe. No matter how bad your day was at work, exercise chemically de-stresses by releasing endorphins while molding a healthier you. Yoga, running, weight training, dance classes… these are all ways to take your frustrations out. Just 2 -3 days of healthful physical exercise will make your smile bigger and your tummy smaller.
No matter where you work, what you do or who you think you are; stress affects us all. Knowing how to deal with workplace stresses in a healthy, constructive way can make life a much more enjoyable journey. Classes in stress management, conflict resolution and physical outlets like dancing, yoga, weight training or aerobics are all offered at HCC’s Institute for Continuing and Corporate Education at prices that won’t stress you out. Life is too short not to enjoy every minute. Go to www.TampaTraining.com today and de-stress your life.
