Managing stress at the workplace

We all need some pressure in our working lives --- it makes our work satisfying and helps us to meet deadlines. But too much pressure, without the chance to recover, causes stress. In a 2006 Health and Safety Executive survey, one in six working people in the UK reported that their job was very or extremely stressful. Work-related stress is one of the biggest causes of sick leave. Workplace stress is different for everyone --- what is stressful for one person may not be stressful for another. It can depend on your personality type and how you have learned to respond to pressure. Often there is no single cause of work-related stress. Although it can be triggered by sudden, unexpected pressures, it’s often the result of a combination of stressful factors that build up over time.Symptoms Work-related stress can cause both physical and emotional health problems. In addition to the obvious emotional symptoms, it can cause you to be more prone to physical symptoms like headaches, muscular tension, backache or neckache, tiredness and sleep problems, digestive problems, a raised heart rate, skin rashes, sweating and blurred vision. Chronic (long-term) stress can also contribute to anxiety and depression, and can even increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke.Sort things outPrioritise tasks, delegate where you can and make sure you don’t take on more work than you can handle. Take regular breaks at work and try to finish one task before starting another. Make sure your work environment is comfortable. If it isn’t, ask for help from your organisation’s health and safety officer. If possible, don’t work long hours --- sometimes projects need extra time, but working long hours over many weeks or months doesn’t generally lead to more or better results at work. Take a look at your relationships with your colleagues --- do you treat each other with respect and consideration? If not, try to find a way to improve relationships with your colleagues. Talk to your managerIt’s important to talk directly to your manager about work-related stress. He or she has a duty to take reasonable steps to try to resolve the problem. If you find talking about your concerns difficult, it may help to make notes during your discussion. Ask your human resources department how to challenge these policies and make sure you know what support there is for you if you decide to do this.At homeThere are things you can do outside of work to help reduce your stress levels. Try to exercise every day if possible. Exercise helps to use up the stress hormones that cause your symptoms, giving you a sense of well-being and helping your muscles to relax. Even a brisk walk for 30 minutes a day will combat stress.