Occupational Stress Management

Many of us deal with stress every day and a lot of us have accepted this as a simple fact of life – very sad when you think about it. We go on holidays to relax and every now and then we will have a quiet evening in where we put our feet up and read a book – but these are really only brief bits of respite in between the daily grind of stress. Is this really the way life is meant to be?

Most of us would argue that no – life clearly isn't supposed to be filled with this much stress and it's actually very much a product of our society that should go. We have better technology than ever before allowing us all to achieve more quickly – so what is it that we are driving ourselves toward? Apart from anything else stress just isn't good for you in extended doses – the amount of strain it places on your heart and immune system leaves you susceptible to colds and potential heart problems/high blood pressure, while the cortisone released can over time cause damage to the hippocampus in the brain.

One of the main causes of stress for many people is work, and if you're stressed at work then you'll be stressed for at least eight hours of every day – and probably when you get home you'll bring that stress home with you too. It's no surprise then that occupational stress can lead to depression, anxiety disorders, mental break downs and a range of health problems. Is it really worth it?

At the same time, if you manage a company or a chain then you need to think about occupational stress management among your other corporate policies. It is the responsibility of employers to make sure that their staff is happy and relaxed at work. This is not only important from a moral perspective and as an often-overlooked facet of health and safety – but also from a business perspective. A happy and stress-free workforce is a productive and efficient work force and so reducing occupational stress is an important way to increase quality output and productivity. Meanwhile it will at the same time mean that you attract high quality and talented staff, that you get good press as a result of your happy workforce and that you increase the value of your company by having a loyal and eager staff roster.

Personal Occupational Stress Management

Here we will look at ways you may be able to reduce occupational stress and to feel calmer in the work place.

Speak to Your Boss

A good organization should consider occupational stress management as part of its corporate policy and the term is often used to refer to the methods that a company uses to reduce stress among its workers – it is not only a personal issue. Thus, if your work is causing you undue stress this means that your management is failing you and they should do what they can to address the issue. They may be able to move you to another department if you don't work well with your colleagues, they might be able to change your working environment, or they may be able to give you more emotional and technical support. You might even ask them for a PA or another member of staff to lighten your burden. At the same time by doing this you will be able to improve the working conditions for other members of staff, improve the performance in your office and more.

Petition

It may be however that your problem is not something you can speak to your direct boss about. This may be the case for instance if your stress is caused mostly by your boss. If your boss is constantly breathing down your neck and is unreasonable then this is an understandable cause of stress that needs to be addressed. The solution here other than changing department or even changing job, is to speak to other colleagues and get a petition going that you can take to their superiors. This dilutes your culpability but also makes sure that those with the power to do something take the situation seriously.

Create a Positive Work Space

You should also look to try and create a positive working environment around you and this can have a big impact on the way you feel at work. Things like claustrophobia and clutter can have a very negative impact on your mental head space at work, so make sure that you have a clean and tidy desk area that has lots of space and includes plants and pictures of outdoors scenes. This will help to calm anxiety and create an impression of being outdoors.

Time Management

Often stress comes down to simply having too much to do and not enough time to do it and the best way to combat this is with good time management. If you spend a lot of time procrastinating at the start of the day or checking e-mails then this will leave you with less time to do what's important. Creating to-do lists, delegating tasks, getting small jobs out the way first and making rules such as 'no checking e-mail until after work' are all good ways to manage your time better and to be less stressed in the work place. It will increase your performance too and that will mean you can feel better about your work and increase the chances of being promoting to a less stressful position.

Breaks

Taking breaks is very important for a number of reasons and can prevent headaches and RSI (repetitive strain injury) among other things. However it is also important from a stress-busting point of view and taking breaks is a great way to give yourself some time to relax and to let your heart rate calm down. If you are guilty of skipping lunch then understand that you are contracted for those hours and it isn't your responsibility to complete anything that falls into that time. At the same time staying on late will only mean you're more tired and stressed (and so less productive) when you head into work the next day. Make sure you take your breaks, make sure you take your holiday and make sure you arrange them so that you get the most spaced out and maximum amount of time away from the office. Flexible hours can also help a lot of people to overcome work-related stress and to fit the rest of their life more easily around work. If you don't have flexible hours now – then try asking for them. Is there any work you can do from home? Speak with your management about this and you may help them to implement better working conditions for everyone.

CBT

CBT stands for 'Cognitive Behavioral Therapy'. This is a form of therapy that can help you to better identify and combat the negative thought patterns that are leading to stress. For example it can help you to learn to focus more on other areas of your life such as raising your family and so to place less emphasis on work related stress. It can also teach techniques such as breathing techniques and meditation that can help you to shut work related stress out of your mind and to relax. If you are an anxious or overly-conscientious personality and this is leading to negative stress, then you should consider using such therapy.

Leave

If your work place is truly stressing you out and you have tried unsuccessfully to address this with your superiors, then the only recourse left is often to leave. If there are financial obstacles currently preventing you from doing so, then recognize that you can start looking for other jobs by applying online without necessarily needing to leave your current work. And actually just looking for work can sometimes be enough to reduce stress as it provides a light at the end of the tunnel. Bear in mind too that you don't necessarily need to replace your current occupational stress with a new, equally stressful position. Consider instead working for yourself or setting up your own business and being free of many of the stresses associated with working.

Occupational Stress Management: The Corporate Perspective

From the management side of things it is highly important to find ways to reduce occupational stress in your offices in order to increase workplace satisfaction, prevent employees from jumping ship, attract more workers, increase creativity and productivity and generally create a better company. Many of the suggestions above you can implement on a wider scale before they become a problem for your staff.

For instance if your industry creates a high-stress environment then you may want to consider training your staff in how to deal with these issues. Courses on CBT and occupational stress can help to achieve this, as can having an on-sight or outsourced occupational psychologist/whole department where they can talk about their problems. Consider also giving your staff feedback forms so that you can constantly be on the lookout for ways to improve conditions for your staff. You should also make sure that all of your managers have the right attitude and are working together with your staff rather than against them, while not setting too much work. Send them on leadership seminars and review their performance often.

The layout of an office can also have a large impact on how your staff feel at work. Open plan office designs are often believed to increase workplace sociability (in itself a great way to reduce stress) and creativity and to reduce senses of claustrophobia and isolation. This then also allows you to make office wide changes that can help to create less stress for the whole office – introducing plants, a water cooler where people can relax, a common-room/canteen area, neutral colors, water features and a calming temperature.

Many of the most forward-thinking companies are finding ways to increase their employee's autonomy and flexibility. Look into the potential of flexi-time for your business (it won't be appropriate for all industries), or of dress down days. At Google staff are reportedly given two hours daily to 'do what they like' – the belief being that this stimulates creativity and they claim that this is when staff come up with their best ideas such as Google Maps. While this may be a bit extreme for some corporations, other innovations like this can help to reduce office stress while also being revolutionary and garnering media attention.

While for many people work means swallowing your individuality and being ridden by the boss, this is neither constructive or particularly forward-thinking. There's no reason why a business can't be relaxed, fun and creative and still be highly productive. Take the time then to consider occupational stress management and you will find that every other area of your business improves as a result.