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!

An article published by The Gold Coast Bulletin showed some really disturbing facts about Japanese workers.  These statistics showed that 355 workers in the year to the end of March became so sick from over working that they dropped dead.  When I read this I thought these guys seriously need to learn some good solid Relaxation Techniques or they’re going to keep dropping like flies. To add more salt to the wound the number of workers in their 30s dropping dead on the job has shot up by 30 percent.

If this isn’t a real indication that stress at work is on the increase.  So why are we all experiencing work stress nowadays where very few instances of stress were recorded before?  Well, think of all the factors that contribute to work stress; longer hours working, competition to keep a good job, longer drives on more congested roads, and the pressure this places on home life,  and this is compounding.  Imagine all the people you work with all experiencing the same thing as you day in, day out.  This all adds up to a more stressful workplace.

So what can one do to experience some form of Stress Relief?  One of the highest recommended Stress Relief Techniques is to avoid over working.  How many hours do you work in a week?  Are you paid for those hours and are you neglecting anyone around you by working this many hours.  So, take a break if you’re working too many hours.  Secondly find a structured Stress Management program that contains heaps of really useful Stress Management Tips and activities.  This will ensure what ever damage was done before will be fixed and will help you and others to work in a happier workplace.  If you to take one thing away from this it should be … we work to live, we don’t live to work.  Remember that when you’re feeling so stressed at work that you start to feel the symptoms of an anxiety attack kicking in, and do something about it before you work so hard that you drop dead too!

Work Stress is a nasty piece of work.  I mean you spend about a third of your life there and like most people it’s the most painful part of your day. You get paid for it, right? Of course you do, but is that any constellation? Work Related Stress affects so many people everyday and to make it worse, most businesses still don’t recognise it and don’t have any structured plans on how to avoid stress at work. But is this whole thing being blown out of proportion?  I’ll let you be the judge, but understand Stress at Work is one of the greatest causes of sick days, and costs over $7500 per year in Work Stress Related claims. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s huge!  If you’re a business owner, what do you think?  Is it time to consider what you can do to identify and overcome Work Stress?

I’m going nuts!  Everyday I stress at work and I can’t take it anymore.  I hear this all the time.  Too much pressure and it seems to be getting worse.  Consider for a moment work stress and think where it actually comes from.  Is it really from work or could it be from work related stress? I have 3 questions I want you to contemplate.

1. How long do you spend travelling to and from work each day?  I have to admit, traffic drives me nuts.  Traffic Congestion for no apparent reason.  Why?
2. How long do you take for lunch each day? Most people actually spend more time travelling to work each day than they take for lunch.  If you think that’s normal, what’s wrong with you?
3. How many hours do you work a week?  Is the good ole’ 38 hour a week non-existent for you?  Are you more like 45-50 hours?  Do you realise this is between 7 to 12 hours of your personal life taken up doing a J.O.B.

Now I’m not suggesting you give up your day job, but here are a few quick tips on how to avoid stress at work:

1. If your driving everyday, catch public transport every once and a while or car pool with a couple of work friends. 
2. Take your full break for lunch.  Get away from your usual workspace. This will ensure you’re not sitting over your desk chewing away working.  Even better invest the time working on your social skills.  Another point, did you know when you take a break you become more effective and focussed? 
3. If you’re working more than 38 hours a week, find a way of cutting back.  Even if that means every second week.  Remember … We Work to Live, we don’t Live to Work.

This will ensure you reduce your Stress at Work and give you a more balanced and happy lifestyle.