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Work Stress: Techniques to Reduce Work-Related Stress
Many surveys and studies confirm that work pressures and fears
are, by far, the leading source of stress for adults in the
western world. Here are just a few statistics. More than 50% of
workers often spend 12-hour-days on work related duties and
frequently skip lunch due to the stress of job demands.
According to an International Labour Organisation study, workers
put in an equivalent of an extra 40-hour week in the year 2000,
compared with 10 years earlier.
It's estimated that one million workers are absent every day due
to stress. 40% of job turnover is due to stress. And 60-80% of
accidents on the job is stress related.
Job related stress is more likely to become chronic because it's
such a large part of your daily life.
What are the causes of stress at work?
The most common complaints include,
· Having no participation in decisions that affect your
responsibilities. · Unrelenting or unreasonable demands for
performance. · Lack of communication. · Conflicts between
workers or employers. · Lack of job security. · Long hours. ·
Excessive time spent away from home and family. · Office
politics. · Wages not equal to your levels of responsibility.
Many companies often put intense pressure on employees to
perform, which can lead to high levels of tension.
For employers, treating stress has many benefits. In one study a
company set up a two year stress management and education
program which saved money both in compensation costs and less
days lost due to sickness.
In
Japan, where culturally, expectation levels are very high,
approaches to reducing workplace stress include educational
consultation programs for each individual worker.
Techniques to reduce work-related stress
Here are a few ways to reduce your stress at work,
· Find a sympathetic manager or personnel manager to talk to
about your job stress concerns. This can be effective if it's
non-confrontational. · Establish a network of friends at work
and home. · Re-structure your working day and priorities to
eliminate unnecessary tasks. · Focus on the positive aspects of
your work, but if the job is unendurable, plan and execute a
career change or transfer roles within the company. · Schedule
pleasant activities frequently and perhaps some physical
exercise during lunch.
There is one last cause of stress at work. And it slowly but
effectively erodes your health, dreams and happiness. None of
the stress relief techniques will help if you are in the wrong
job or industry. There is only one answer to this.
You have to work out what you want to do with your life. What
activities you love. And you have to plan a career change.
Stress caused by job dissatisfaction will never go away until
you get a job you love, or at least like.
About the author:
The stress doctor provides advice, tips, tools and techniques
for beating your stress problems. You can get a free short
report "18 health problems linked to stress you should know
about" or get daily "Stress Buster Tips" at
http://www.howtobeatstress.com
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