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Stress at work seems to have become a way of life for many professionals. Even the most ideal of career paths will involve some form of negative emotional response, whether it is related to workload, deadlines, or interactions with clients and peers. However, the stressors themselves are often less important than a person’s reaction to this stimulus.
The Impacts of Stress
Stress related illnesses are linked to a variety of chronic conditions, including:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Lowered immune response
- Depression and anxiety
- Weight gain
- Lowered pain threshold
- Musculo-skeletal issues
Although stress itself can be seen as a neutral catalyst to action, individual reactions to the response can lead to these negative outcomes. The stress response is also referred to as fight or flight, which indicates the evolutionary purpose of an adrenal response in survival. Although the modern world does not have as many situations where this reaction is an everyday need, the human physiology still behaves in the same manner when confronted by a possible physical or emotional trigger.
When a stressor is perceived, the body responds by releasing hormones which stimulate the adrenal glands to produce a cascade of chemicals. This generates a physical response that includes:
- Hypersensitivity
- Cognitive focus
- Increased energy for a short period of time
From a historical perspective, these reactions to a stressor would be appropriate in order to escape or defend one’s self from a threat. In the modern world, many individuals are also able to use this response in a positive manner, by taking advantage of the increased energy and focus in order to complete a task or meet a deadline. However, when the stress response becomes constant and without an outlet, it can have a negative impact on the body and mind.
The Importance of Coping
Coping mechanisms can essentially be seen as physical and mental ways that people handle different experiences. These can also be positive or negative, in that the manner of handling a situation teaches the body and mind to continue to react in the same fashion. Negative coping may include activities and thought patterns that are ultimately detrimental to the person.
Many individuals may be unaware of the fact that they are engaging in negative coping strategies to manage stress. As a result, the body is subjected to the constant wear of an adrenaline cascade, while mental faculties are further conditioned to react more strongly to the stimulus. The result is that even when a person is not faced with a stressful situation, they may still be having a stress reaction.
In this way, when it comes to eliminating stress at work, it may be as much about internal changes as it is about external changes. This can offer professionals a number of methods to handle the stress that is encountered in the workplace, and to enact positive coping through environmental, physical, and emotional means.
Environmental and Physical Stress
Although most people only think of the stress reaction as a cognitive response to a specific situation, it can also come as a result of repeated smaller triggers that eventually compound. In this way, environmental and physical conditions of the workplace can generate stressful experiences that impact both the body and the mind. These triggers may include things like:
- Temperature
- Lighting
- Postural restraints
- Sounds
- Air quality
In work environments where it is possible to make changes to the surroundings, alterations to these triggers can result in reduction of stress. Some changes that can contribute to better stress coping in this manner include:
• The addition of plants to the work area – this can improve air quality through organic filtration and the production of oxygen but can also contribute to a more peaceful setting
• Reconfiguring the office space – often, moving furniture and equipment can produce a better flow of movement for employees. This can reduce some of the physical strains that contribute to stress.
• Upgrading electronics – having equipment and tools that facilitate getting through the workload can also have a great impact on stress reduction, as it may eliminate some of the immediate triggers.
• Ergonomic office furniture – this can also have a large impact on physical factors that may be contributing to stress. Being able to work in a postural position of comfort can allow for a better emotional response to perceived stressors.
• Lighting changes – switching bulbs from fluorescents to natural spectrum can greatly increase the production of serotonin, which aids in counteracting stress reactions. This may also improve light quality in terms of functionality as well, since better lighting reduces eye strain.
Physical and Emotional Stress
Although environmental changes are not always a possibility, professionals are still able to utilize internal and physical coping mechanisms to reduce the effects of stress in the workplace. These actions can aid in calming the mind and indicating to the body that the increase in adrenaline is no longer a necessity.
• Stretching – this may be as simple as standing up and moving around at intervals throughout the day, but it can also include formal stretching and yoga poses. The action helps to utilize and dissipate the excess adrenaline, and can also be emotionally grounding.
• Breathing exercises – these can be used during or after a stressful situations, and can help to stabilize the mental and physiological responses to a situation. Slow and deep breathing is calming to the body and the mind, and can be combined with visualization for a greater effect.
• Visualization – this is sometimes referred to as “going to a happy placeâ€, but the action helps to restore cognitive and emotional focus. During the process of picturing a peaceful and serene setting in the mind, the body will also begin to respond as though it were in that environment.
• Affirmations – this may include the repetition of phrases that are calming and motivating, but can also encompass visual reminders of releasing stress.
• Time in nature – whenever possible, taking a lunch or a break outdoors is also useful to relieve stress. The combination of light, air, and being removed from the office can aid in balancing the senses.