According to the American Institute of Stress, job stress is far and away the major source of stress for American adults and that stress has continued to grow over the past few decades. Unfortunately, many people who experience excessive stress at work use unhealthy coping techniques such as overeating, eating unhealthy foods, smoking cigarettes, or abusing drugs and alcohol to cope. Stress coupled with unhealthy coping techniques can lead to physical or mental symptoms such as chronic pain, heart or blood pressure issues, insomnia, irritability, difficulty concentrating, depression and anxiety.
One way to cope with work related stress is to track your stressors. Keep a journal for a week or two and identify which situations create the most stress and how you respond. Jot down your thoughts, feelings and what is going on around you including the people, the circumstances, the setting, and how you reacted. Keeping a journal can help you find the patterns to your stressors and how you react. Then you can make adjustments that will help you cope more effectively.
Another way to manage stress related to your job is to establish boundaries. In todays wired and Wi-Fi world, it's easy to feel like you need to be available 24/7. It is critical to establish work-life boundaries. A boundary could be you don't check email from home in the evening, or you don't answer the phone during dinner. Creating some clear boundaries between work and personal life can reduce the potential for those two worlds to collide and the stress that goes with the collision.
Don’t forget to take time to recharge. We all need time to replenish and return to our pre-stress level of functioning. You need times when you are NOT working or thinking about work. That's why it's critical that you disconnect from time to time. Do it in a way that fits your personality and preferences. Clear out time every day when you focus on self-care ...and don't let your vacation days go to waste.
I once heard a psychologist who specialized in dealing with work stress say that there are a few simple key ingredients to managing work stressors. One is having hobbies that you do outside of work that give you a sense of satisfaction. Two is to Get 8 hours of sleep every night. Three develop strong friendships outside of work and invest in them. And finally take vacations, preferably longer than one week. By doing these four things, you will be practicing good self-care and likely cope with work stress much more effectively. If you are experiencing job stress that is hurting you mentally or physical, seek support right away. Make an appointment with your primary care physician or seek help from a local mental health professional.
-Jerry Strausbaugh, EdD, LPCC-S, Executive Director, Appleseed Community Mental Health Center
