Statistics don’t lie. Research suggests that work related stress is a killer. According to the World Health Organization, 80 to 90 percent of all illnesses are either directly or indirectly caused by stress.

In another study, researchers found that more than 50 percent of employees would be willing to take a day off work without pay in an effort to feel less stress at work and have more time with their families. 

Further studies have found that the majority of stress that people experience at work is directly related to work issues such as time management, deadlines, and dealing with difficult co-workers.

Fortunately, there are action steps that you can take on a daily basis to eliminate these stresses.

Here are some proven tips for relieving work related stress. 

Watch what You Eat

Avoid eating unhealthy snacks. Eating healthy food can increase your energy.  Reduce Your Caffeine Intake.  Drinking lots of coffee and sodas can increase your stress levels. If you can’t cut out caffeine beverages completely, try to alternate your caffeine intake with healthier beverages or snacks.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is a great way to relieve stress, so try to take a brisk 10-minute walk during the day, even if it means a walk around the office or building. Walking will help to get your blood moving and give you a mental break from your tasks. 

Stretch Your Body

Stretching helps to relieve stiff muscles, which can hold tension and make you feel more stressed.

Plan Ahead

Getting up 15 minutes earlier, and packing lunches or laying out clothes the night before, can help create a routine and get you organized. 

Breathe Deeply

When we are stressed, we have a tendency to take shallow breaths, which can result in feeling more tension. Start by inhaling deeply through the nose for a count of 4, and then exhaling slowly for a count of 8. This helps to release toxins through your breath. Concentrate on your counting and breath.

Get a Good Nights Sleep

Be sure you are getting enough sleep at night. Not feeling rested can add to your stress level and make you feel more overwhelmed. If you have been experiencing recurring sleepless nights, consult your physician for guidance.

Do Things You Enjoy

Try to do something you love every day to give yourself something to look forward to. Most stress arises due to feelings of life being out of control. By taking time to get yourself organized, and taking care of yourself, you can begin to gain control and ensure that your workday is as relaxed as possible. 

Eliminate Time-Wasters

Make a list of all the things that currently waste your time and reduce your productivity. These can include things like checking your emails, interruptions at your desk, talking too long on the phone, attending meetings, or on a personal level watching TV, getting up late and not prioritizing your day.

Then next to each time-waster write down what you can do to change that. Then put your plan into action today!

The end of Work Related Stress 

The bottom line in how to avoid stress at work is to do work that you love. Don’t be one of the 80% of people that stay stuck in work they hate. This is the worst thing you could do.

Find out what you’re passionate about and then go for it. If that means studying new skills, or finding out more information about how to get into your chosen field, then get started now.

To your great life and health!

Ok, I’m going to try to stay off my soap box over this one.  I understand as a reformed smoker it’s important to keep an open mind on the subject.  So does smoking actually help with Stress Relief?  When I think back I remember when I felt stressed and wanted to calm down my first thought was generally to light up a cigarette. 

The right answer on getting rid of stress may be some type of Natural Stress Relief, but for a smoker it isn’t always that easy, especially since smoking is an addiction.  So what actually happens to make you feel so good?  Nicotine is a type of stimulant and one of the main ingredients in Cigarettes.  It releases a chemical in the brain called Neurotransmitters that regulate your moods and help to make you feel better after every cigarette.  But the down side is after a period of time the good mood disappears and you must have another cigarette to replace that feeling.

So, smoking in affect causes stress, simply because you experience stress if you don’t have one, and places you in a position where you need to constantly top-up your nicotine levels to continue feeling good.  In other words, you become addicted.

Here are 3 reasons smoking causes stress:

—> Stress Relief is only temporary: You will need to smoke another cigarette after a while to stop your body from experiencing withdrawal stress,

—> Smoking doesn’t actually solve your problems: They’ll still be there until you deal with them,

—> Smoking actually causes stress on your body – Studies have shown once you give up smoking your level of stress actually decreases.

It also appears work related stress has an impact on smoking … A recent article release by ninemsn in Australia shows 70% of smokers start smoking when they start in the workforce.  Also, men working over 50 hours per week are twice as likely to smoke then other workers.  In this article Dr Tony LaMontagne found smoking rates were closely linked to Stress. 

What’s the answer?  There’s no simple answer.  Obviously governments, employers and unions need to find ways to offer stress relief techniques other than smoking for their employees. 

But if you’re an individual looking at giving up there are always a number of different options.  You can use patches or gum, or you could be a hero like me and just go cold turkey.  If you use the cold turkey approach you will need different natural stress relief techniques to help your body’s withdrawal symptoms and to control the existing stress in your lifestyle.  You could try a good stress relief CD, exercise, relaxation breathing techniques or many other different stress management techniques.  By making your environment smoke free you’ll reduce your stress at work and will over all feel better for it, I know I did.