Stress on the Job
Job and workplace stress is one of the biggest sources of stress in today’s world. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), about 70 percent of Americans cite workplace stress as causing significant stress in their lives. That stress extends far beyond the office; the stress from a job can affect personal or professional relationships. It can also affect your health. In fact, work-related stresses increase your risk of heart disease.
You don’t have to suffer endlessly because of this stress. Here are a few steps you can take to make work healthier for you.
Identify Your Stressors
Keep a stress journal for a week. Record what events or people increased your stress level. Note how each situation made you feel, how you responded, and what you wish was different. Then review your journal after several days.
What is one stressor you think you can change? Maybe it’s how you react to last-minute deadlines or how you respond when a colleague is late with something. Make that stressor a priority — brainstorm ways it could be resolved differently, decide on a game plan for change, then implement it.
If that tactic doesn’t work, try another until you’ve found a strategy that works for you. Once you’ve lessened the effects of one stressor on your life, move on to the next.