Work Stress May Be Killing You

Work is by far the primary root of stress in our daily lives. 9 out of 10 individuals declare that they experience such high levels of stress numerous times per week. More often than not, 1 out of 4 of us have experienced high levels of pressure on a day to day basis. And if you ask some people if their jobs or work is stressful, chances are, you will most likely hear an emphatic, “Man, is it ever!” What you might not be aware of is that work stress might in fact, be already adversely affecting your health and well being.

Being stressed actually affects the human body in so many various ways. Whilst there are certain types of strain that can be beneficial, others could cause some serious problems in health. Main stress related health problems also include cancer, hypertension, insomnia, warts, coronary heart disease, ulcers, migraine headaches, certain cases of female infertility, and the common cold. What’s even more scary is that job or work stress is becoming an all-time high and still continues to elevate. The average worker now works at least 60 hours per week and that means more and more hours rendered at the workplaces and more hours of prolonged stressful environment and lesser time to relax or rest; so gone are the days of rendering 40 hours per week at work.

Over $400 billion dollars per year is now being spent on stress related illnesses. Work stress even intrudes up to our vacation time. According to Anderson Consulting, 80% of individuals who took their vacations last 2000 still kept in touch with their workplaces by bringing along with them their cellphones and laptops. Chronic stress debilitates the human body’s physiological systems which can lead to so many health problems. As a matter of fact, 70 to 80 percent of all sickness and diseases are related to strain. There are in fact numerous factors you could use in order for you to find out if indeed, you suffer from chronic stress.

Some warning signs and symptoms of chronic stress consists of anxiety, headaches, back pain (most especially in the neck or shoulders), insomnia and teeth-grinding. If you found out that you are afflicted with chronic stress, there are just so many things you could do to minimize pressure. Some of the good and effective strain management methods include meditation, relaxation exercises or just by taking a short catnap. If you are currently at the office or your workstation and you have to lessen stressful moments, try taking a short break, chatting with a chum or workmate, or try deep abdominal breathing.

Your job environment could also cause a great deal of strain if it’s crowded, noisy, etc. Also, assess and evaluate the responsibilities of your job. Usually, high responsibility jobs could be a considerable source of pressure. Consequently, almost every work is quite stressful. But by identifying and effectively dealing with it, it’s highly possible that you could decrease the negative effects and enjoy a healthier and more productive life.