coping with stress in life also at work

Everyone who has ever held a job, at some point, felt the pressure of work-related stress. Any job can have stressful elements, even if you love what you do. In the short-term, you may experience pressure to meet a deadline or to fulfill a challenging obligation. But when work stress becomes chronic, it can be overwhelming — and harmful to both physical and emotional health.
Unfortunately such long-term stress is all too common. In 2012, 65 percent of Americans cited work as a top source of stress, according to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) annual Stress in America Survey. Only 37 percent of Americans surveyed said they were doing an excellent or very good job managing stress.
A 2013 survey by APA’s Center for Organizational Excellence also found that job-related stress is a serious issue. More than one-third of working Americans reported experiencing chronic work stress and just 36 percent said their organizations provide sufficient resources to help them manage that stress.
You can’t always avoid the tensions that occur on the job. Yet you can take steps to manage work-related stress.
Common Sources of Work Stress
Certain factors tend to go hand-in-hand with work-related stress. Some common workplace stressors are:
Low salaries.Excessive workloads.Few opportunities for growth or advancement.Work that isn’t engaging or challenging.Lack of social support.Not having enough control over job-related decisions.Conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations.
Learn to accept inevitable things:
It is fact of life that sometimes we meet with things we don’t want and don’t meet with things we want . everybody experience this. Learn to accept things more wisely, with calmnes , peace and balance. Of course, attitudes don’t just change overnight. Have patience, allow time for our wisdom to grow and develop.
Effects of Uncontrolled Stress:
Unfortunately, work-related stress doesn’t just disappear when you head home for the day. When stress persists, it can take a toll on your health and well-being.
In the short term, a stressful work environment can contribute to problems such as headache, stomachache, sleep disturbances, short temper and difficulty concentrating. Chronic stress can result in anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure and a weakened immune system. It can also contribute to health conditions such as depression, obesity and heart disease. Compounding the problem, people who experience excessive stress often deal with it in unhealthy ways such as overeating, eating unhealthy foods, smoking cigarettes or abusing drugs and alcohol.
Avoid procrastination:
Prosecuting and doing things at the last moment generate unnecessary stress. We tense up if we have to work against the clock to meet deadlines. Our level of effectiveness and efficiency can go down and our physical and mental health can be adversely affected. Learn to schedule your time and work. Procrastination is a bad habit that needs to be got rid of.
Don’t bottle up feelings:
When are we faced with problems that we cannot resolve, it is good to talk things over with our parents, teachers, friends and counsellors. No man is an island. Sometimes we need to open up or get the load off pur chests. We must learn to let go negative thoughts and feelings that wiegh us down. Our minds will then become clear and our heart light.
Taking Steps to Manage Stress
Track your stressors. Keep a journal for a week or two to identify which situations create the most stress and how you respond to them. Record your thoughts, feelings and information about the environment, including the people and circumstances involved, the physical setting and how you reacted. Did you raise your voice? Get a snack from the vending machine? Go for a walk? Taking notes can help you find patterns among your stressors and your reactions to them.Develop healthy responses. Instead of attempting to fight stress with fast food or alcohol, do your best to make healthy choices when you feel the tension rise. Exercise is a great stress-buster. Yoga can be an excellent choice, but any form of physical activity is beneficial. Also make time for hobbies and favorite activities. Whether it’s reading a novel, going to concerts or playing games with your family, make sure to set aside time for the things that bring you pleasure. Getting enough good-quality sleep is also important for effective stress management. Build healthy sleep habits by limiting your caffeine intake late in the day and minimizing stimulating activities, such as computer and television use, at night.Establish boundaries. In today’s digital world, it’s easy to feel pressure to be available 24 hours a day. Establish some work-life boundaries for yourself. That might mean making a rule not to check email from home in the evening, or not answering the phone during dinner. Although people have different preferences when it comes to how much they blend their work and home life, creating some clear boundaries between these realms can reduce the potential for work-life conflict and the stress that goes with it.
Have recreational activities and hobbies:
All work and no play make jack a dull boy. How very true this is! There is always a time for play no matter how busy we are. Take that holiday that you need Abd pursue that hobby you have always wanted. Stop making that excuse “No Time” when in actual fact we want to win that “Rat Race ” and just cannot let go. Be were! There is heavy price to pay. We may be stressed out of action.
Take a balance diet:
Nutrition plays an important part for our physical and mental health. Remember the saying, “Health is more important than wealth. ” When we fall sick often we feel down, upset and depr. We have to ensure that we take regular meals following sound nutritional principles. Beware of fatty, sugary and junk food.
Lend a helping hand:
Arnold Bennett once said, ” The best cure for worry, depression, melancholy , brooding , is to go deliberately forth and try to lift with one’s sympathy, the gloom of somebody else .” Reaching out to others in need reduces self-centredness. The more we cut the ‘self’ the less stress the self can feel. A geat sense of peace and happiness has come to many who devote their lives in selfless charity work for others.
Think good thoughts:
Negative thought that arise in our minds should be constantly watched and cast out . They bring us down. Thoughts of greed, attachment should be replaced by generosity, charity , anger, dislike, Iill-will by love and compassion. The habit wishing others well and making positive affirmations such as **I am happy**, *I am peaceful*,*I can succeed*, I am well and healthy* can go a long way to improve our mental health.