It doesn’t seem to matter who you are, where you live, what stage of life you are in, stress has a way of creeping in and making life difficult doesn’t it? Whether it is work stress, family stress or otherwise, it all can make its mark! It can impact our day to day, our eating, our sleeping, our work, how we communicate, and so much more! Sometimes the stress is short-lived, like an important deadline coming up with a work project. Sometimes the stress is just the nature of the type of work we do. One of the most important things we can do for ourselves is look to have coping mechanisms in place.
Coping mechanisms for combatting stress are essential for your health, for your work productivity, for your family and mental well-being! Google “Coping mechanisms for stress” and you will find all kinds of ideas from breathing techniques to changing jobs to eating habits and everything in between. The most important thing is that you have strategies for coping and outlets for venting or combatting the impact of stress – and that you actively utilize them.
Over the years that I have been in HR, I have counselled many employees that are going through a lot of work stress. I have worked with many managers to create more effective ways to manage and reduce employee stress. Many of the clients we deal with have heath plans in place for their employees and within those plans usually are options for additional assistance i.e. Massage therapy, specialists etc. Family doctors are also there for help. The key is for employees and employers to recognize stress and to actively work to alleviate it.
Some stress is good stress, prolonged stress can have unintended consequences. So what is it you do to help combat stress?
Here is a link to an article that provides some tips on dealing with work stress: Beyond Blue
What can you do today that will help combat your stress tomorrow?
Fortunately, there are a number of strategies employers can utilize to reduce stress levels in the workplace, and many of them are relatively easy and inexpensive to implement. For example, allowing and encouraging employees to take brief breaks to step away from their desks or workstations to take a walk and clear their minds can give them an opportunity to refocus and recharge. Even a few minutes away from the crush of their tasks and responsibilities can help employees attack their jobs with renewed vigor. It’s also helpful to create a culture within the office that encourages employees to share their concerns with management. Keeping an open line of communication between management and employees can go a long way toward helping to ease stress levels in the workplace. Healthy bodies also cope with stress more effectively, so providing nutritious snacks and/or instituting a fitness break for employees to practice stretching or other light exercise can make a significant difference in alleviating stress.