Coping with Stress

at Work

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Coping with Stress at Work

Everyone who has ever held a job has, at some point, felt the pressure of work-related stress. • Any job can have stressful elements, even if you love what you do. • 65 percent of Americans cited work as a top source of stress,

according to a recent American Psychological Association's (APA) annual Stress in America Survey.

• Only 37 percent of Americans surveyed said they were doing an excellent or very good job managing stress.

• More than one-third of working Americans reported experiencing

chronic work stress.

• You can't always avoid the tensions that occur on the job.

• Yet you can take steps to manage work-related stress.

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Stress is not an illness – it is a state

• All workers will face occasional frustrations on the job, but it’s also true that most workers enjoy a good challenge and the satisfaction that comes with mastering a job.

• Challenging work motivates us to learn new skills and perform to our potential.

• But what happens when job demands become excessive? When pressure builds. Stress takes over. It can become a daily threat to health and well-being.

• Well-designed, organized and managed work is generally good for us but when insufficient attention to work organization and managing your work has taken place, it can result in work related stress.

• Work related stress develops because a person has difficulty coping with the demands being placed on them both work and at home.

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Stress

• We've all felt it. Sometimes stress can be a positive force, motivating you to perform well.

• But often

— like when you're stuck in traffic

— it's a negative force.

• If you experience stress over a prolonged period of time, it could become chronic

— unless you take action.

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A natural reaction • Did you ever find yourself with sweaty hands say on a

first date or felt your heart pound during a scary movie?

• This automatic response developed in our ancient ancestors as a way to protect them from predators and other threats.

• These days, we're not likely to face the threat of being eaten. But you probably do confront multiple challenges every day.

• As a result, your body's natural alarm system — the “fight or flight” response — may be stuck in the on position.

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There is a difference between pressure and stress

Pressure can be positive and a motivating factor, and is often essential in a job. It can help us achieve our goals and perform better. Stress occurs when this pressure becomes excessive.

Learn how to balance demands and pressures. A person experiences stress when they perceive that the demands of their work are greater than their ability to cope.

– Coping means balancing the demands and pressures placed on you with your skills and knowledge

– Stress can also result from having too few demands, as people will become bored, feel undervalued and lack recognition.

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Factors involved with stress

• Stress affects people in different ways and what one person finds stressful can be normal to another.

• With each new situation a person will decide what the challenge is and whether they have the resources to cope.

• Stress occurs when you perceive that demands placed on you — such as work, school or relationships

— exceed your ability to cope.

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Factors involved with stress - Continued

• How you appraise the situation will depend on various factors, including:

– their background and culture;

– their skills and experience;

– their personality;

– their personal circumstances;

– their individual characteristics;

– their health status;

– their ethnicity, gender, age or disability; and

– other demands both in and outside work.

• Some stress can be beneficial at times, producing a boost that provides the drive and energy to help people get through situations like exams or work deadlines.

• However, an extreme amount of stress can have health consequences.

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Chronic stress

• When stress starts interfering with your ability to live a normal life for an extended period, it becomes even more dangerous.

• The longer the stress lasts, the worse it is for both your mind and body.

• You might feel fatigued, unable to concentrate or irritable for no good reason, for example.

• But chronic stress causes wear and tear on your body, too.

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What to do about job stress

• You can reduce some job stress by learning how to manage your time and your job duties.

• Think about the kinds of events that trigger stress for you at work.

• Then you can focus on one or two things you can do that will help the most to reduce stress.

Here are some ideas

PUTTING THE SQUEEZE ON WORK STRESS

Stress tip Sheet • In today's fast-paced and ever-connected world, stress has become a fact of life. Stress can cause people to feel overwhelmed or pushed to the limit. • The American Psychological Association's recent "Stress in America" poll found that one-third of people in the U.S. report experiencing extreme levels of stress. • While low to moderate levels of stress can be good for you when managed in healthy ways, extreme stress takes both an emotional and physical toll on the individual. • With the consequences of poorly managed stress ranging from fatigue to heart disease and obesity, it is important to know how to recognize high stress levels and take action to handle it in healthy ways. • Being able to control stress is a learned behavior, and stress can be effectively managed by taking small steps toward changing unhealthy behaviors.

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What you can do?

• Reducing your stress levels can not only make you feel better right now, but may also protect your health long-term.

• In one study, researchers examined the association between “positive affect” — feelings like happiness, joy, contentment and enthusiasm — and the development of coronary heart disease over a decade.

• They found that for every one-point increase in positive affect on a five-point scale, the rate of heart disease dropped by 22 percent.

• While the study doesn't prove that increasing positive affect decreases cardiovascular risks, the researchers recommend boosting your positive affect by making a little time for enjoyable activities every day.

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Putting the Squeeze on Work Stress

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APA Center for Organizational Excellence – Putting the Squeeze on Work Stress • What is stressful about your job? • How stressful is your job? • How do you deal with stress • What is a bad work environment? • What is a Psychological Healthy Workplace? • How is your work-life balance? • How does your employer help you manage stress? https://www.youtube.com/embed/eY_2F678m1Q?rel=0&showinfo=0 https://youtu.be/eY_2F678m1Q

You and your job • Get organized. Keep track of your projects and deadlines by making a list of

what's urgent. Decide what matters most and what can wait. • Don't put things off. Use a schedule planner to plan your day or week. Just seeing on paper that there is time to get each task done can help you get to work. Break a large project into small steps, and set a deadline for each one. • Learn to say "no“. Don't overcommit yourself. If you take on too much, you're creating stress. • Focus. Do one thing at a time. In some cases, you can do two things at a time. But if you start to feel stressed, go back to doing one thing at a time. • Concentrate. Try to limit distractions and interruptions. Ask others to give you a block of time when you are not disturbed. • Delegate. Ask someone else to take on a task. It's not always important to have all the control.

Stress tip Sheet

• The American Psychological Association's (APA) "Stress in America" poll found that one-third of people in the U.S. report experiencing extreme levels of stress. In addition, nearly one-in-five report that they are experiencing high levels of stress 15 or more days per month.

• While low to moderate levels of stress can be good for you when managed in healthy ways, extreme stress takes both an emotional and physical toll on the individual.

• With the consequences of poorly managed stress ranging from fatigue to heart disease and obesity, it is important to know how to recognize high stress levels and take action to handle it in healthy ways.

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Common Sources of Work Stress Certain factors tend to go hand-in-hand with work-related stress. Some common workplace stressors reported are:

• Workloads.

• Work that isn't engaging or challenging.

• Lack of social support.

• Not having enough control over job-related decisions.

• Conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations.

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Effects of Uncontrolled Stress

• Unfortunately, work-related stress doesn't just disappear when you head home for the day.

• In the short term, a stressful work environment can contribute to problems such as headache, stomachache, sleep disturbances, short temper and difficulty concentrating.

• Chronic stress can result in anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system.

• Compounding the problem, people who experience excessive stress often deal with it in unhealthy ways.

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Steps to Manage Stress

1. Track your stressors.

2. Develop healthy responses. – Take a Break

– Exercise

3. Establish boundaries.

4. Take time to recharge.

5. Learn how to relax. – Smile

– Meditate

6. Talk to your supervisor.

7. Get some support

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1. Track your stressors Everyone experiences stress differently. • How do you know when you are stressed?

• How are your thoughts or behaviors different from times when

you do not feel stressed?

Understand how you experience stress. • Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which situations

create the most stress and how you respond to them.

• Record your thoughts, feelings and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting and how you reacted.

• Did you raise your voice? Get a snack from the vending machine? Go for a walk?

• Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.

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2. Develop healthy responses

Take a break from the stressor.

• It may seem difficult to get away from a big work project, a crying baby or a growing credit card bill.

• But when you give yourself permission to step away from it, you let yourself have time to do something else.

• It’s important to not avoid your stress (those bills have to be paid sometime), but even just 20-minutes to take care of yourself is helpful.

Exercise.

• The research keeps growing — exercise benefits your mind just as well as your body.

• We keep hearing about the long-term benefits of a regular exercise routine. But even a 20-minute walk, run, swim or dance session in the midst of a stressful time can give an immediate effect that can last for several hours.

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3. Establish boundaries

• In today's digital world, it's easy to feel pressure to be available 24 hours a day.

• That might mean making a rule not to check email from home in the evening, or not answering the phone during dinner.

• Although people have different preferences when it comes to how much they blend their work and home life, creating some clear boundaries between these realms can reduce the potential for work-life conflict and the stress that goes with it.

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4. Take time to recharge

• To avoid the negative effects of chronic stress and burnout, we need time to replenish and return to our pre-stress level of functioning.

• This recovery process requires “switching off” from work by having periods of time when you are neither engaging in work-related activities, nor thinking about work.

• Don't let your vacation days go to waste. When possible, take time off to relax and unwind, so you come back to work feeling reinvigorated and ready to perform at your best.

• When you're not able to take time off, get a quick boost by turning off your smartphone and focusing your attention on non-work activities for a while.

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5. Learn how to relax

Smile and laugh. o Our brains are interconnected with our emotions and facial

expressions.

o When people are stressed, they often hold a lot of the stress in their face. So laughs or smiles can help relieve some of that tension and improve the situation.

Meditate. o Meditation and mindful prayer help the mind and body to relax and

focus. Mindfulness can help people see new perspectives, develop self-compassion and forgiveness.

o When practicing a form of mindfulness, people can release emotions that may have been causing the body physical stress.

o Much like exercise, research has shown that even meditating briefly can reap immediate benefits.

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6. Talk to your supervisor

• Healthy employees are typically more productive, so your boss has an incentive to create a work environment that promotes employee well-being.

• The purpose of this isn't to lay out a list of complaints, but rather to come up with an effective plan for managing the stressors you've identified.

• While some parts of the plan may be designed to help you improve your skills in areas such as time management, other elements might include

• clarifying what's expected of you,

• getting necessary resources or support from colleagues,

• enriching your job to include more challenging or meaningful tasks, or

• making changes to your physical workspace to make it more comfortable and reduce strain.

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7. Get some support

• The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to employees and their families to provide confidential help with a wide variety of personal problems, issues, and concerns.

• If you continue to feel overwhelmed by work stress, you may even want to talk to a mental health professional, who can help you better manage stress and change unhealthy behavior.

• Call a friend, send an email. When you share your concerns or feelings with another person, it does help relieve stress.

• But it’s important that the person whom you talk to is someone whom you trust and whom you feel can understand and validate you.

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Rest your mind

• According to APA's Stress in America survey, stress keeps more than 40 percent of adults lying awake at night.

• To help ensure you get the recommended seven or eight hours of shut-eye, cut back on caffeine, remove distractions such as television or computers from your bedroom and go to bed at the same time each night.

• Always remember -- Everyone who has ever held a job has, at some point, felt the pressure of work-related stress.

• Any job can have stressful elements, even if you love what you do. Remember – do not let stress deal with you but – you deal with stress.

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Take care of yourself

• Unplug. Don't let the technologies that help you do your work get in the way of your leisure time. Consider turning off cell phones or beepers when you are with family or friends.

• Be realistic. Remember that everyone has good days and bad days at work.

• Reward yourself. When you finish a difficult task, celebrate. Enjoy a snack at your desk, or—if your job permits—take a short walk or visit with a coworker.

• Schedule time for fun. If you spend every second of your day getting things done, you may resent never having time for yourself.

• Practice breathing and relaxation techniques. You can do these at home or in a quiet place at work.

Setting a goal to reduce stress

• First, identify what's creating stress at work. Maybe it's lack of control over your job. Or maybe it's worry about losing your job or how you are doing at work. You might feel stress because you're unable to express your thoughts and ideas to your boss and coworkers.

• Think about why you want to reduce stress at work. You might want to protect your heart and your health by reducing stress. Or maybe you simply want to enjoy your life more and not let work stress control how you feel. Your reason for wanting to change is important. If your reason comes from you—and not someone else—it will be easier for you to make a healthy change for good.

• Next, set a goal for yourself that involves reducing your stress level. Think about both a long-term and a short-term goal.

Setting a goal to reduce stress continued...

Here are a few examples: • Shelly's long-term goal is to reduce stress by managing her frustration over things she can't control at work. Her short-term goal is to learn to do deep breathing and relaxation exercises when she gets stressed. She'll try it the next time her boss hands her a last-minute project. • Jill's long-term goal is to reduce stress by speaking up at work and expressing her interests and ideas more effectively. Her short-term goal is to practice being more assertive. When she's ready, she'll contribute an idea at a department meeting. • Raoul's long-term goal is to reduce stress by having a better understanding of what's expected of him at work. His short-term goal is to find out how he is doing now. He plans to schedule a meeting with his boss to talk about his performance and how he can improve. • John's long-term goal is to reduce stress by learning to say "no" to projects he doesn't have time to handle. His short-term goal is to get organized and prioritize the projects he has now. He is going to make a list of all of his work and then prioritize the tasks that are most important.

Setting a goal to reduce stress continued...

After setting your goals, think about what might get in your way. Use a personal action plan to write down your goals, the possible barriers, and your ideas for getting past them. By thinking about these barriers now, you can plan ahead for how to deal with them if they happen. Most important, make sure you get support from friends and family in your efforts to reduce job stress. Ambercare Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is Free -Voluntary – and Confidential. Because of this Ambercare does not know who uses EAP services. If you feel a counselor can help you set goals and provide support in dealing with setbacks contact them. OUTCOMES 505.243.7145

Walk away when you're angry

• Sometimes - before you react, take time to regroup by counting to 10. Then reconsider.

• Walking or other physical activities can also help you work off steam. Plus, exercise increases the production of endorphins, your body's natural mood-booster.

• Commit to a daily walk or other form of exercise — a small step that can make a big difference in reducing stress levels.

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Know when to quit

• If you are truly miserable because of a stressful job, it may be time to think about changing jobs.

• Make sure you know whether it is you or the job that's the problem.

• Before you decide, spend time thinking about other job options.

THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION.

Any questions please contact

Ted Leamons at tleamons@ambercare.com

Thank you!

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