When we feel overworked we tend to lose our confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making us less productive and effective. If the warning signs of work stress go unattended they can lead to bigger problems thus making it necessary to identify them.
Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress
Signs and symptoms of excessive job and workplace stress
- Get moving to de-stress
- Physical relaxation
- Mental Relaxation
- Meditation
- Feeling anxious, irritable, or depressed
- Muscle tension or headaches
- Apathy, loss of interest in work
- Problems sleeping
- Dependence on alcohol or drugs
- Stomach problems
- Social withdrawal
- Anger, Frustration, Fatigue
- Unable to concentrate
Here are some of the basic techniques to help us relieve stress:
- Get moving to de-stress - is the mantra here - Improving physical fitness (which can be achieved by walking five kms. A day, aerobics or yogic asanas,) “tones and hones prevents moans and groans” – So make sure we have a sound body if we want a sound mind.
- Physical relaxation - can be achieved by physical training of muscles (with the help of experts), a nice relaxing body massage, and shavasana (lying like a dead body).
- Mental Relaxation - can be achieved by shavasana, meditation, listening to soothing music, reading humorous literature, or even chanting mantras like “Aum”, or “Hanuman Chalisa”, or saying prayers with beads or rosary.
- Meditation - another important relaxing technique for the mind. “Dharana and Dhyana” also known colloquially as meditation, are very useful in combating stress but are not easy techniques to master.
- Breathing Exercise - Breath is equivalent to 'Prana' or life. When someone gets a brilliant idea, he is 'inspired' and conversely when someone dies; we say he has 'expired'.
Every workplace gives us stress and everyone has various ways to handle stress. Stress can't be controlled but our ways of handling can surely be. It's all in our mind after all..
