Stress at the Workplace

By Joanne King

Many workers are finding that the demands of the modern day workplace can add significantly to their stress levels. This may be caused by, or have contributing factors such as an overbearing boss, sexual harassment, tight deadlines or a high energy work environment.

No matter what causes stress in the workplace, there are ways to handle it so that it doesn’t lead to burnout. It’s a fast paced world most of us live in, both at work and at home. We need to be sure we funnel the work stress properly so as not to take home and release it on our families.

Once stress has built up through the day, it needs to be released in a positive, healthy manner. Sadly, some people do not feel as though they need to do anything for their work related stress other than to 'suck it up' and get on with living life, but therein lays danger. When the stress from work is pent up and brought into the home unchecked, the opportunity for family disruption is great. If a spouse or child says or does the wrong thing, it could trigger the stress ridden individual to release all the stress from work on them. This can have horrible repercussions on the family. Lost marriages and sad childhoods are but two of the consequences of misdirected workplace stress.

Okay, we know that it’s bad to bring our stress home, so what are we to do? First and foremost, never use alcohol or drugs to deflate your stress levels. Not only is it bad for you, it can make for the same sad ending as misdirected stress release, or it could even be worse.

One healthy way to combat work stress is to talk about it to someone before you come home. By venting the bad feelings you have pent up inside you. This gives you a chance to vent, as well as give you some more time between the stresses of work and home.

Walking is a great stress buster. Take the time for a good walk before heading home. It’s something you can do in lots of places, such as the mall, the park or even a walk around the block will do nicely. Getting to the gym is also a very healthy way to rid you of work related stress. This is also good for your general health, so you can consider it a double duty stress buster. Just half an hour at your local gym should have you feeling much better about your day at work.

For those of you who have a very short time in between work and home, there is also an opportunity for you to unwind while in your vehicle. Listening to your favorite music CD can set you in a better mood for your home life. You can also practice deep breathing while in your car to help get you relaxed. It’s not really that important which method you choose, or even if you choose your own activity, the important thing is that you must do something. If you won’t do it for yourself, then do it for those you love.

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