Working life woes - workin’ 9 to 5...

Clever old Dolly Parton knew what she was talking about when she made her melodic interpretations on working life and her words of wisdom have never been so relevant. Every year the UK loses a whopping 11.4 million working days due to workplace related stress/anxiety or depression; this is the primary recorded reason for working days lost, due to illness. So why does work get to us so much? Given the doom and gloom of the current economic climate it’s no surprise more and more of us are worrying about the future of our jobs. I would say, from the age of 4 it’s instilled into most of us from: parents, educators and societal norms that the way to live (aside from adhering to moral codes and abiding to the law of the land and all that) is to get an education and a job, and if you happen to wind up being happy – bonus!rnAs children we’re taught if we grow an apple tree at the cost of £2.00 and sell it for £4.00, we’re on to a winner… But when are we taught what to do if our apple tree crop fails, who to turn to if we stop sleeping due to the worry that we’ll never sell an apple tree again or what to do if our senior begins a campaign of bullying against us? Unfortunately most workplaces seem to gloss over educating staff on how to manage work related stress, yet unsurprisingly, well developed coping skills are crucial to surviving working life and building a healthy resilience to workplace stress. But why is it that some people thrive off stress and others crumble beneath it?rnQuite frankly there’s quite a few possible reasons, Self – who we are. Genetic factors may come into play; some research suggests mental health issues are pre-disposing; therefore certain individuals are more likely to experience adverse affects when placed in pressurised situations. Other schools of thought suggest the way we cope is learnt from our parents, they model how to behave under stress and we adopt their approaches which become our own. Physical health is important too; in general, individuals who are physically healthier i.e. those who eat well, sleep well and don’t use alcohol/drugs are less likely to burn out.rnOur work: Setting is equally pertinent. It’s obvious that the longer we work to seemingly impossible deadlines in a culture of “do or die” our chances of experiencing stress are increased. Plus, if we’re based in a demanding, loud, frantic environment full of other frazzled people it’s easy to see how workplace emotional difficulties manifest, are maintained and indeed boom.rnEven describing the causal factors of workplace stress evokes an unsettling, unnerving, internal shudder type response within me. But the good news is it’s relatively straightforward to implement some stress relief techniques into your daily work routine. Read on friend…rn1. Do something after work a few times a week which is, calming, healthy and time for you. Like going to your favourite coffee bar and reading a good book, swimming or doing a yoga class. Oh and heading to the office drinking den doesn’t count… It may feel good at the time but the after effects are counter-productive – but you already knew that right..?rn2. Book a random day off and use it to relax. So when everyone else is racing into the office during rush hour you’re treating yourself to breakfast in bed followed by a day of rest and recuperation: massage, cinema, gallery, a day of cafe culture; whatever floats your boat…rn3. Every day make sure you make time to get out of the office and go outside regularly. Even if it’s just to stretch your legs and have a wander down the road. If a colleague tags along then suggest you talk about something other than work.rn4. Get organised. When you arrive at work plan your day by making a list of actions again prioritising any pressing matters. Implementing any sort of routine into your working life will promote feelings of being in control and calmness.rn5. When a major piece of work seems overwhelming don’t panic, break it up into smaller projects and prioritise, working through one task at a time, delegating where possible.rnFinally, if workplace stress is getting on top of you find someone you trust to talk to; a friend, relative, partner, therapist – anyone who is going to be supportive and give you space to think and time to talk.