Is stress in your work place beginning to cause serious health issues for you? Recognizing that your body is reacting to your stress levels can save you from the continuing negative effects that occupational stress is having on you. Stress management at work is key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Many of us do not notice the damage that stress plays on our health. Occasional headaches at work are explained away, early back pain is attributed to something besides your stress, and those stomach aches that keep popping up are probably from something you ate. Does this sound familiar to you? I hope you will pay attention to this early, before you let it get out of hand. For so many of us we have begun to believe that it’s normal to constantly think “I hate work”. It isn’t normal. It IS prevalent in our society, but it is not normal; nor is it healthy.
Stress at work, when not addressed effectively, can become a downward spiral where your health is concerned. Recognize the symptoms as early as you can, it will save you a lot of misery. Spending time thinking you hate work isn’t necessary. You may not even hate your job, maybe it’s simply how you manage stress.
Stress begins with the little things; anxiety, headaches, upset stomach, and anger. Left unaddressed, these little things compound into some very detrimental health issues. These are wake-up calls from your body. It starts with gentle warnings and escalates to more serious conditions when ignored.
Heart palpitations, high blood pressure, inability to focus mentally, sleep problems, chest pain, and increased sleep problems are a few of the symptoms you should be aware of. By the time you have reached these stages you are beginning to be seriously afraid of whats going on with your life. Probably, you have never stopped to think whether this is all related to your daily stress levels at work. Whether your stress if from unhappiness in your job itself, an inability to get along with particular co-workers, or you just haven’t developed your skills in dealing with daily stressors, you are to the point that you need medical intervention. You can’t continue down the road believing I hate my work or I hate working. Work is intended to be the most rewarding effort we spend our lives doing, not a punishment for our existence.
Seeking the advice and help of your physician is very important at this stage. Ignoring these symptoms could very well cost you your life. Many, many people end up with a prescription from their Doctor for anti-anxiety pills, anti-depressants, etc. Certainly, this is necessary in aiding to calm your body during this period, but resorting to pills and not choosing to change your situation is not going to help you much. Recognize the path you are on; begin to make changes in your choices and in your behavior. Talk to your medical provider honestly about your concerns and the fact that you are stressed at work. He/she will help to confirm the source of your stress.
Many people, as they grow older, do not develop the skills necessary to deal appropriately with stress, anger, and unhappiness. This isn’t something you should be embarrassed or ashamed of. Each person on the face of the earth goes through this as they grow. We are not usually taught, as children, the best ways to handle difficult situations that cause trauma in our lives. Many people go their entire lives not learning to deal appropriately with stress. It is a difficult task to be aware of your faults and to choose to arm yourself with better coping skills. It is much easier, it seems, to blame others for our anger and stress rather than accept that this is a part of living and we are best served by changing the ways in which we handle ourselves and our emotions.
From my own experience in stress related health issues, I can assure you that there are many tools available to improve your outlook on life. Through hard work and self-improvement, I have realized that I am in total control of my quality of life. The difference in my perspective and my ability to deal with anything that occurs in my day is amazing to me now. I can be in the midst of the most ridiculous, stressful scenario and I am barely phased by it. I have learned to control my body’s response to stress and deal appropriately with any situation I find myself in. This has taken a great deal of hard work on improving myself and my reactions to my environment. I know now that had I not made the choice to improve my skills, I would still be in the same miserable frame of mind I had been in for so long, probably worse. I hope you will make the effort to improve your life. There’s not a magic pill that will fix your problems for you. You were born with the skills you need, all you have to do is dig deep and find them. Learning how to change your attitude will change your life.
One of the greatest sources I used in the very beginning of the process of changing my outlook on life was a couple of tiny little books by Miguel Ruiz. I came across these books at a time in my life that I needed them dearly. We have all heard the expression ”When the student is ready, the teacher will come”. I thought I knew what this meant but I did not realize the totality of the meaning. At any other time in my life I may not have understood the importance and meaning that these books would impart to me and the difference they would make in my life. I probably would have thought, ”Right, more self-help blabber from some nut”. I was ready to change my life or end my life and these books were instrumental in changing my life.
If you have reached the point that I did, I hope you will read The Four Agreements