Managing Stress At Work

MANAGING STRESS AT WORK

Are you stressed? Have you had the time to notice? When your day-to-day environment is extremely pressured and all of those around you appear to be gliding through the day without too many issues, the idea of feeling stressed can be quite a lonely one.

Fear not. That simply isn’t the case. Many people, especially within the medical professional, have an adverse reaction to the excessive pressures demanded by the job. In 2014/15, 440,000 people in the UK reported work-related stress at a level they believed was making them ill. And that represents 40% of all work-related illness.

Identifying stress

Symptoms can broadly be seen in four key areas: emotional, mental, physical and behavioural - ranging from difficulty sleeping, headaches, lack of concentration to memory loss, hypersensitivity and extreme fatigue. Click here to read more about identifying whether you or someone you know is suffering from stress.

Solutions

We’ve searched to bring you some of the top techniques for managing workplace stress.

1. Find an App for you There are lots of apps available to help reflect and manage stress. One that works on the science of meditation is Headspace, leveraging existing and on-going research into mindfulness training while pioneering a new way to deliver digital support.
2. Your overall health Stress can have a huge impact on your overall health and wellbeing, as Life Coach Suzy Greaves explains: “I’m constantly challenging clients who say they have no choice but to overwork. I coach people to become empowered and believe they have a choice. “Have confidence in your ‘no’ when you think it’s the right decision, even though it may not be the most popular one. In the long term, your ability to say no will be one of your most valuable attributes.”
3. Recognising stress Spotting the signs and physical effects of stress is vital to stop you becoming very ill. The source of your stress could come from anywhere, but is likely to be seen during your working day. Employers have a duty to ensure the health, safety and welfare of their employees under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. They are also required to conduct risk assessments for work-related stress.
4. Relieving stress There are a variety of things you could try to reduce and remove stress.
   These include:
   1. Breathing exercises for stress
   2. Relax your body, mind and get creative

   While GPs are not experts in employment law, it is worthwhile consulting your GP if you are struggling to cope.

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