Workplace Stress
Wow! Some of us have amazing jobs!
We work with good teams, we enjoy the benefit of having good management, we have worked hard and gained promotions, we have built fantastic careers and now life is good! How wonderful is that?
If you are in business and you have customers in every direction, the orders are flooding in and you are on the go from morning to night. That is success, right?
If you are working in your chosen career that you have studied towards for many years, sacrificed other things to achieve your career and you are putting on the hours to work up your way up the ladder you are being successful right?
There’s a little stress…sometimes a lot of stress, but it’s good stress. Eustress is the positive stress that motivates you to get up and get into work, to keep that business flowing. The positive stress to turn up with your work colleagues and together enjoy the day's work ahead. Good stress is a brilliant motivator, it energizes you, it burns up calories, the hormones surge and you feel excitement. Then we have the weekends to relax, decompress, have some fun before returning on Monday mornings. I wish we could all have this!
But what happens when your job is not your dream job? Your management team is seriously lacking and you are one person doing the job of 3 people or perhaps the opposite, not so busy that you become bored and demotivated. What if the quality of work is poor, your working hours are demanding and inflexible, what if your work colleagues are not pulling their weight and what if your job is not secure or you are being bullied or harassed and now you hate going into work?
Negative stress, right? All the opposite of the above Eustress. Now we become demotivated, unhappy, emotionally drained, physically drained, we decide to start having sick days too often, we know we cannot talk to anyone at work or have a quiet word with the boss because the boss does not lead or motivate their team. Maybe you feel they would not do anything about it anyway.
How quickly this can spiral out of control and begin to become a major problem is unbelievable.
Suddenly behaviours have changed, there is over excessiveness at the weekends when one bottle of wine has become 4 and now you're snapping at your partner and best friend because this negative stress is playing out, and you are becoming a problem. You are not the fun one anymore or the relaxed and comfortable person you used to be, and you know what? something has to give; something is about to blow and you will become unravelled and a miserable wreck! That is if you cannot keep it within you, for those who manage to keep a lid on their emotions, they become withdrawn, disinterested, depressed and anxious. We can begin to develop physical symptoms of stress such as headaches, muscular aches, stomach upsets, heart palpitations amongst just a few symptoms. Just not good people! If your Sunday night is being ruined by the feeling of dread for Monday morning do something about it. Make those plans for change and most of all do not hold yourself back by fear of change or action. We have a duty to look after ourselves, we have the right to place importance and value on our wellbeing. It is up to us to be happy, healthy and a fully functioning person. Family and loved ones around you will help and support you if you open up and let them in. After all they can only benefit from having a happy wife, husband, child, friend, work colleague and all the things we are to people every day.
It is true we only have one life, so you must not waste days, months or years being unfulfilled and unhappy it is an injustice to yourself. There is a wealth of information and support groups online and wellbeing charities that can help and support you. The charity MIND is a fantastic charity that offers support and advice. Take that time to de-stress, Do the things you enjoy doing whether it is taking the dog to the beach or the children to the park, a Spa Day, shopping with your bestie or getting out that old easel and paint that you put up in the loft five years ago, these are important things to do to at times of low well-being, to give you time and space to relax and clear your mind. To bring back balance and to find that state of peace that we all need.
A favourite anchor for me at times of acute stress or anxious moments is the 5 4 3 2 1 technique, which you can find this on the NHS website stress page.
ready? Here we go:
Take a few deep breaths then find
5 things you can see
4 things you can touch around you
3 things you can hear
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste.
It is simple and effective, So please, for the sake of your happiness and your self-worth, look after yourself and do not be afraid to make the change or take the action.
By Karen Wheatley, Councillor
