The Global News and CKNW Health Series will be tackling the issues of sleep and stress. Today’s topic, handling stress at work.
Can you make a list of five things that cause stress in your life? For many of us, what happens in the hours between when we clock in and clock out of the job is near the top.
If it is, you’re not alone. A recent study by Monster Canada found one in four Canadians say they’ve left a job due to unbearable work-related stress.
And 17 per cent added that they’re considering quitting for that exact same reason. So how should you cope?
LISTEN: Coping with work related stress
Nobody really loves stress, and while some people may say that stress keeps them motivated, unchecked extreme stress can have negative effects on your health according to naturopathic doctor Kate Rheaume.
“Basically when we’re under stress it causes our major organs of stress response, which are the adrenal glands, to produce more stress hormones – the fight or flight hormones,” she said.
When we’re feeling the pressure, Rheaume explains, the body is flooded with adrenaline and cortisol. Those can be good for coping with stressful situations in small doses, she said, but can be problematic if in larger amounts.
“And so we want to help our adrenal glands do their job better so they’re not over or under producing those important stress hormones when we need them,” Rheaume said.
WATCH: Ask an Expert: Work related stress
Stress can contribute to problems like high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.
Furthermore, most people don’t leave their stress behind when they leave the office. Stress can follow you home from work, put a strain on personal relationship, and contribute to sleepless nights.
According to the American Psychological Association’s annual Stress in America survey, the major sources of stress at work are low salaries, excessive workloads, lack of growth opportunities, work that’s not engaging, lack of social support, not having enough control over job-related decisions, and conflicting demands or unclear performance expectations.
Odds are you’ve experienced at least one of those. And most of those factors are beyond our control. So what can we do about the stress?
Chris Smith is the President and COO of Steve Nash Fitness Clubs, and argues that exercise, even when you’re in the office, can be a part of the solution.
WATCH: Left your job because of stress? So has 1 in 4 Canadians
“If you’ve ever been to yoga or if you’re familiar with labour breathing — in through the nose, out through the mouth — just kind of control your breathing a little bit to get your mind to quiet down and still, or slow your heart rate as well.”
While moving your body is one way to handle pressure, changing your mindset is another according to Rheaume.
“It’s helpful to remember stress is a lot about perception,” she said.
“It’s not exactly what happens to us, but what we think about what happened to us which can make something more or less stressful. So keeping that in mind and trying to see stress more as a challenge than a threat, trying to adopt that mindset, can be really helpful in minimizing stress.”
WATCH: Simple Steps to Alleviate Stress
A third tactic to handle stress can be to take natural supplements.
Rheaume recommends an amino acid called Gaba, which can be found in most health food stores as a chewable tablet, as a way to alleviate frayed nerves.
“It’s all-natural, it’s not habit-forming, won’t make you drowsy, but really takes the edge off of stress,” she said.
So the next time you start to feel your blood pressure rising at work, take a deep breath, stretch your legs and remember: you’re not alone.
Comments