You’re feeling overwhelmed. Despite your best efforts, your “to do” list is growing a lot faster than it’s shrinking. You realize that the stress at your job has begun to impact your relationships, your concentration, and your health. Sound familiar? Well you may have more control over the situation than you think.
Stress and Your Body
The adrenaline rush you feel at stressful times is commonly known as the “fight or flight” response. This heightened state was important for our distant ancestors when faced with the dangers of their environment. A number of things happen, but the end result is that your body diverts energy away from non-essential things (such as digestion) and prepares for physical strain. Your heart rate and blood pressure shoot up and your senses become sharper. This allowed early humans to attack better, run quicker, and jump higher – all important things for keeping them alive. Unfortunately for you, these skills won’t get you very far when faced with a problem at the office.
The Nature of the Beast
When it comes to workplace health, the media loves to hype the impact of stress. While there are many legitimate disorders that have a tangible cost to the economy, articles often quote a multi-billion dollar figure in describing the cost of workplace stress. This kind of thinking encourages people to feel victimized by the difficulties they experience at work.
The key to understanding the problem is to consider your body’s response to sources of stress. In the end, our reactions are subjective, meaning that different people won’t be affected in the same way by the same situation. Ever wonder how some individuals seem to be constantly pulled in ten different directions, and yet remain calm and collected in everything they do? Granted, these people still have moments of panic like the rest of us, but they generally adapt well to the stress in their life. So what can be learned from these people… how can you reduce your stress level?
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