A report compiled by NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) shows indisputable facts that Work Related Stress is the highest cause of stress in today’s society.  The survey shows that one in four people view their jobs as the number one stressor in their life.  It also shows that three quarters of people believe workers have more on the job stress than a generation ago.

The report is a compilation of surveys by several key players in stress reduction and stress management including Northwestern National Life and Yale University. 

The causes of Stress at Work and Work Related Stress were:

—> Working conditions – The location, people you work with, environment, culture and terms of employment.

—> Worker characteristics - Individuals outlook, abilities, personality and coping style.

The NIOSH approach to Stress at Work is to find a balanced approach to the working lifestyle.  It can be defined in 3 basic categories:

—> A balance between work and family/personal life

—> A support network of friends and co-workers

—> A relaxed and positive outlook

Generally, focusing on third strategy will have a massive impact on the first two.  A good method to tackle stress is through relaxation techniques conducted on a daily basis as a method to release built up stress and anxiety accumulated during the day.  Different relaxation techniques including stress relief CD’s, relaxation breathing techniques, stress relief exercises, keeping a journal and physical activity are excellent methods for creating a more relaxed and positive outlook.  The greatest step you could take would be to complete a stress relief program.  An excellent stress relief program should gives specific methods of relaxation, a way of setting and recording relaxation goals and specific stress management techniques to learn and implement.  This combined with a greater respect for work related stress would decrease the overall instances of stress and help to develop a more focused, happy workforce.

Work related stress is constantly on the rise.  Our big planet is not so big anymore and the amount of pressure to perform is always going up.  Although we have had so many technological advances to make our life easier, in actual fact some of them are the root cause for Stress and Anxiety.

Take for instance E-mail.  Email is a great way of staying in touch with people anywhere around the world, yet at the same time it means you can work from home late at night, on weekends, literally anywhere.

With another weekend coming up, I think it’s time to de-stress and take a break.  What can you do to take a break? 

Well I’ve prepared my ten tips you use to relax, rejuvenate and have a good weekend.  Please note, these are all natural stress relief exercises and have been approved by the Great Life and Health Foundation, in other words, US.

Here they are: 

1.      Read a good book – Sit, relax in bed and find yourself a good book to read.  This is a great relaxation technique as it gives your mind a break and helps it to focus on something different for a while.

2.      Take a long, hot bath – The benefits of a hot bath are endless.  It’s great for your body and your mind.  Try combining this tip with some music and relaxation breathing techniques to gain the maximum benefits.

3.      Visit friends – Social Interaction is a great way to relieve stress.  Talking with others about your week can help you to get it off your chest rather than letting it build up.

4.      Listen to a good Stress Relief CD – This Stress Relief Technique will help you to address and get rid of your stress instantly rather than letting it build up.  If you combine it with a hot bath you can sit and let you troubles float away.

5.      Do some stress relief exercises – Similar to a Stress Relief CD, Stress relief exercises will help you to get rid of any built up stress.  This is a great way to ensure you keep your stress levels down.

6.      Pamper yourself – Try a massage, a pedicure, manicure or some aromatherapy.  Take some time for you to do what you want.

7.      Go for a long walk – Walking is great for the body and it’s great for your health.  It can help you manage your weight, lower your cholesterol, lengthen your life, strengthen muscles and of course, it lowers stress.

8.      Do Some Relaxation breathing techniques – Take out a few minutes to do some simple relaxation breathing exercises. It’s a great way to release that tension from your week and help you to start your weekend fresh and relaxed.

9.      Start a hobby or put aside time for your hobby – Hobbies help us to express ourselves in ways we normally can’t.  They are a great way to release tension and do something we really enjoy.

10. Play some sport – Team sports are very social and are an excellent method of stress relief.  Choose a sport you are passionate about.  Join a club or form a team.  The good thing about sport is you’re being social and getting fit.  Just stay away from the after game drinks

So that concludes the list.  Remember the weekend is a time away from work where you can relax and take time for you before you get back into it next week.

A recent article by CBS News shows the better you cope with stress and more often you use stress relief techniques, the better your cholesterol level is likely to be.

The Study was released at the 115^th annual convention of the American Psychological Association and discussed the 716 men that took part in the Normative Aging Study.  The average age of most participants were 65 and were evenly spilt between white collar and blue collar workers.

The study asked them to rate 26 different coping strategies they used as stress relief techniques.  Some were unhealthy like blaming themselves for stress or isolating themselves from others.  But there were also other positive stress relief strategies like planning how to overcome it and seeking help.

It has been known for years that stress affects your cholesterol levels and the more you experience stress the worse bad cholesterol (LDL) is present.  Stress basically raises total cholesterol and also raises LDL Levels. 

What does LDL have to do with Cholesterol and Stress Relief? To give you the really short version of a long story there are two different types of Cholesterol, HDL (High-density lipoproteins) and LDL (Low-density lipoproteins).  HDL is composed mainly of proteins and only a small amount of cholesterol and is known as good protein .  LDL is mainly composed of cholesterol, has very little protein and is known as bad cholesterol. LDL is primarily responsible for depositing cholesterol within arteries that can cause heart disease.

So you now understand the importance of reducing your LDL levels but how does that stop stress?

We all experience stress everyday, and it’s about eliminating stress but more important it’s about is your ability to handle stress.  If you use effective stress relaxation techniques like a stress relief CD, stress relief program or other stress relief exercises you can change how you’re body handles the stress.  Interesting the strategies that show the greatest result are generally forms of natural stress relief The key is to find positive ways to reduce and handle your stress at work, with your family and other areas of your life.  If left unattended you may suffer a heart attack or even worse. 

Control.  We all like to feel we have it in certain parts of our lives.  But is there such a thing as control.  Does it really exist? 

After all … when we begin to loose control we react in many different ways, most of which are linked directly to stress. Consider for one moment the symptoms of an anxiety attack.  Sure there’s the sweaty palms, increased heart rate, dizziness, short rapid breaths, and many other symptoms.  But what would be the cause?  It is loss of control.

If you’re a sufferer of anxiety panic attacks you know they begin when you feel like you’re loosing control.  This is understandable.  We all like to feel comfort or certainty over the outcome of certain situations.

Even 9 out of 10 cases of work related stress are from people feeling like they’ve lost control of their desired result.    

But in reality, control is just perception.  The world is spinning out of control, there’s no certainty you will wake up in the morning and you never really know what’s around the next corner.  So what am I saying?  Well one things for sure, I’m not trying to freak you out!  What I’m saying is when you try to control your life and things don’t go well the best way to handle it to relax. 

A good relaxation technique to use when things aren’t going the way you expected is to take a few quick breaths, count to ten and think of the best way to fix it.  Things do happen and it’s up to you how you react.  A level head and a level mind will achieve great things. 

One of the greatest stress management tips someone told me was to just let go every once in a while, especially when the pressure is building.  If you feel like it’s all building up try some stress relief techniques like listening to a stress relief CD or stress relief exercises.  This will make sure you releasing the tension and will prevent any long term build-up. 

In today’s society we place so many demands on ourselves it’s understandable why the need to seek Stress Relief is increasing.  Consider how much our lives have changed from over a century ago – what sort of lifestyle do you think your average person would have and do you think they were under more or less stress than we are today? 

By developing a balanced lifestyle of work and play you can become even more effective at what you do and gain new life skills. 

If you are working exceptionally long hours or your main focus is just your job that it’s even more understandable that will experience stress at work.  When we take on a role we like to take ownership of that role, warts and all.  We like to develop it and grow with it.  As a result the overall instances of work related stress are on the increase.  I think we’re just taking our jobs too seriously.  Have you ever seen the type of person (perhaps your one) that always frowns and looks upset?  Or the person that seems to freak out at the smallest things like they’re experiencing an anxiety panic attack?

It is important to want to grow with a new position or you career, yet the old saying ‘everything in moderation’ definitely applies to your job.  Any great career involves a balance of work and relaxation.  It is important in any job to have time for yourself.  Take up a hobby, go dancing, do some gardening.  Any of these are good examples of Stress Relaxation Techniques. The key here is to occupy your mind with something totally different than your job.  This will give you a fresh perspective on your job and will help you to be more focused.

There are also several stress management skills that would be of benefit to experience: Breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery. 

These Stress Relief Exercises can be developed over a period of time to prevent you from experiencing any long term stress damage and are available as a part of many Relaxation Programs.  Find some balance in your lifestyle.  If you’re working too many hours, cut back.  If you don’t have a hobby, get one.  Take the time for yourself, you deserve it.  These are the keys to less stress in your life and will help you to gain new life experience.