Beating Job-Related Stress

Every day you hear someone grumbling about  their job and how they’d rather stay at home than drag themselves into the “hellhole” that earns them a living. Did you know this resentment and reluctance could actually be a contributor to ill-health and stress? It seems the norm that everyone despises their job, and yes, the occasional grumble is to be accepted. But when your job begins to raise your stress to abnormal levels, you could be putting your personal relationships, safety and health at risk.

How Stress Can Affect Your Personal Relationships

It’s not just during your working day that you experience the feelings of stress. You carry this home with you and often unleash your symptoms on loved ones around you. Stress can also make you more susceptible to illnesses and muscle pains. Generally, major feelings of stress can affect almost every aspect of your non-working life.

No one wants to live with a grumpy, temperamental family member. Not only do these negative moods bring down the  atmosphere in the home they can also spark feelings of resentment within your family. If you’re feeling down and unhappy it’s hard for your close family member to remain upbeat. This is one of the reasons why relationships become strained.

How Stress Can Affect Your Personal Safety and Health

Feelings of severe anger and frustration can cause irrational behavior. This is particularly dangerous when driving as some people encounter what is known as “road rage”, which can endanger the lives of  other drivers as well as your own. The stress could cause your concentration to  lapse, which could result in an accident. If you find yourself being charged  with a driving offense then you should review reliable resources for guidance on how to deal with the situation. Laws vary from country to country and from state to state. Remember – points on your license could result in a driving ban and even job loss.

There are obvious emotional symptoms which  are caused by stress; in addition to that there are also physical symptoms which affect your health. In severe, long-term cases there can be high blood pressure  which increases your chances of having a heart attack or stroke. In milder  cases symptoms can include: headaches, muscular tension and pain, digestive problems, IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), increased heart rate, fatigue and insomnia. If  you feel you’re experiencing any of the listed stress symptoms it’s time to  take some time out from work and relax!

How to Minimize Stress, Strengthen Relationships and Prevent Illness

Many workers, particularly those who spend  the majority of the day at a computer, experience discomfort during their working day due to having to sit in the same position and use repetitive  motions. These repetitive motions can result in Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs)  and carpal tunnel syndrome. This can often cause numbing sensations and a similar pain that can be likened to the “pulling” of a muscle. Office workers  should ensure their office furniture  is ergonomically correct and set to the correct height to prevent RSIs from occurring.

Avoid letting work take over your life – this can make you feel stifled. Find the perfect balance between work and  pleasure to ensure you enjoy life. No one’s a robot and if you believe you’re being allocated too many hours which are affecting your happiness you should  speak to your boss to try and alter hours and shift rotations. Plus, home relationships can become strained if your answer is commonly, “I can’t tonight I’m working” to every invitation. Try to take a few nights out a week which don’t involve anything work-related. You could use it to spend quality time with those closest to you or take up a hobby you’ve always been interested in.

Photo credit iStockphoto

About the author: Stephanie Staszko enjoys writing posts based on recruitment for both candidates and recruiters alike. Previous topics covered include job seeking advice for the unemployed, unemployment statistics and hiring strategies. You can follow her on Twitter @StephStaz for more recruiting and job seeking posts or just drop by for a chat!