As I mentioned in Part One, occupational stress can be harmful to our psyche and our health. Even though we usually spend less time at work than at home, stress from work spills over into our personal lives.
Work stress can lead to sleeplessness, irritability with family and friends, increased usage of inebriants, as well as eroding away at feelings of self-worth. Before women entered the workforce, statistics showed that women outlived men because work-related stress led men to an early grave – usually by way of heart attacks and strokes.
But Be Of Good Cheer!
There are so many ways to gradually lessen the load!
Here are some more tips for maintaining a calm disposition at work.
— Learn to say “No,” and don’t over-commit. This is an especially challenging area, because sometimes it’s hard saying “NO” to taking on additional work that’s presented. Learn how to tactfully explain that other assignments are priorities, and you’re not able to take on additional work at the time. In the long run, it’s worth more to be honest and productive than to put too much on your plate and then deliver sub-par results.
— Take time outs for deep breaths and to stretch. Many of us work on computers or similar devices a lot of the time. It’s important to force yourself to take a break from computer work and do something else, such as filing and organizing. This helps prevent your eyes and wrists from becoming strained.
— Leave ten to fifteen minutes earlier for work. It is very stressful to have to race to work and hope that you make it on time. When you rush to your job, tension is magnified because you miss out on a peaceful transition from restfulness to work-fulness. When you arrive early, you have time to properly set up and get ready for the tasks at hand.
These tips are simple to incorporate, but they show we truly can alleviate work-related stress bit by bit. Also, they show it’s within our grasp to find more joy in every waking moment! When it comes down to it, isn’t one of life’s ultimate goals to be productive and happy at the same time?
I hope you really do find all of your days becoming better and better, whether you’re at work or not!
Yours in Calmness,
Dr. Inessa
Calmness.com