Stress Management on the Job:

It Just Makes “Cents!”

When we talk about the Positive Workplace, we must include the affects of stress on ourselves and on our employees. If we are people managers, that contributes to job burnout.
Workplace stress continues to grow. But remember: it is manageable, workable, and reversible.
This is the time of the year when many people, especially those in the accounting profession, begin to feel their shoulders droop, their patience running thin, their hearts racing more often and just feel overwhelmed & stressed much of the time!  Right?
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Even if you are not in the accounting profession, this may still describe how you feel.  Some of us get stressed at just the thought of trying to fit one more thing into our already busy balancing act!
Before we talk about some interesting information and tips about managing stress and related job burnout, try this quick de-stressor “Office Yoga” exercise to get you focused.

1. Raise your arms straight up above your head.
2. Flap your hands really fast.
3. Breathe in and out quickly.

(Do this for as long as you can manage -- or until your coworkers notice.)

Feel a little more relaxed?  Just the laughter will help you to perk-up!
Some of you might be thinking, “A Positive Workplace” – Are you kidding, MJ?  You don’t know what it’s like!   My response to you is, “Oh, yes I do!”  I have spent many a stressful day building a career, raising two sons as a single parent, providing elderly out-of-state parents with care and support, living thru down-sizing, right–sizing, wrong-sizing, finishing my education in the evening and, for the past few years, building my business. I used to be six-feet tall!

Working at a desk can be more stressful to your body than you may think. Spending long periods of time in a desk chair can cause your circulation to slow down, meaning your muscles aren't getting enough oxygen, and that often results in muscle tension.  And if you have the added stress of a type-A-personality boss, you could be on your way to a major ibuprofen moment.
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This stress can carry over into your personal life as well, resulting in increased anxiety and even sleepless nights.  Most everyone knows some of the standard stress management techniques: limiting caffeine, exercise, soothing music, warm baths, 15 minute naps, visual aids, etc.  Some of these we can use at work, others we need to practice at a spa, gym or at home.

There is, however, another aspect of stress management that’s important to talk about – self-talk!   Dr. Dru Scott (Ph.D.), noted researcher and author of “Stress That Motivates,” says, “Most people have never been told about the connection between stress, motivation and self-talk.”

The Big Connection: Self-Talk

“The Big Connection,” he says, is that our self-talk contributes to most of our stress (and job burnout) – something maybe you haven’t thought about before today.  What we say to ourselves about a situation will either stress or motivate us!
Make sense?  How many of you are aware of your own self-talk each day?  How much of it is positive?  Negative?
Remember…We all have choices and control over what we think and what we do!
Job burnout, if not recognized and dealt with, can progress until a person dreads going to work.  Even worse, burnout tends to spread to all aspects of a person’s life.  Rarely is a person burned out at work, yet energized and enthusiastic at home.

Did you know?

• More than 50% of adult Americans suffer adverse health effects due to stress.
• Medical researchers estimate that up to 90% of illness and disease is stress-related.
• Stress is linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide.
• Stress has a huge effect on bottom-line results in the workplace in terms of employees’ health and vitality, capacity for critical thinking, innovative competencies, and competitiveness.

In the U.S., experts at the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health are dedicated to studying stress.

Did you know?

• More than 3 out of 5 doctors’ office visits are for stress-related problems
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has declared stress a hazard of the workplace
• Health care costs account for about 12% of the gross domestic product, and that number is rising.
• Job burnout experienced by 25% to 40% of U.S. workers is blamed on stress.
• More than ever before, employee stress is being recognized as a major drain on corporate productivity and competitiveness.
• Depression, only one type of stress reaction, is predicted to be the leading occupational disease of the 21st century, responsible for more days lost than any other single factor.
• $300 billion, or $7,500 per employee, is spent annually in the U.S. on stress-related compensation claims, reduced productivity, absenteeism, health insurance costs, direct medical expenses (nearly 50% higher for workers who report stress), and employee turnover.

Did you know that high-stress employees show:

• More than double the rate of heart and cardiovascular problems (stressful workplace conditions are said to be the equivalent of smoking, being overweight, being unfit, and eating poorly)
• Significantly higher rates of anxiety, depression and demoralization
• Significantly higher rates of alcohol and prescription/over-the-counter drug abuse
• Significantly higher levels of susceptibility to a wide range of infectious diseases
• Higher incidences of back pain (up to 3 times higher)
• And higher incidences of repetitive strain injuries (up to 2.5 times higher)

If you or someone you know answers “yes” to having one or more of these warning signals, please seek help!

• Feelings of frustration
• Emotional outbursts
• “Why bother?” attitude
• Sense of alienation
• Substandard performance
• Increased use of alcohol and drugs

So, what’s the #1 way to manage stress and job burnout?

Awareness: Tuning in to our “chatter” and “thoughts.” Be aware of the messages you are sending yourself when you are under stress.  Are they alarming or reassuring?  You can decrease your stress by learning to talk to yourself in a reassuring way.  Be aware of your “stress-building” beliefs about perfectionism, control, people-pleasing and competence. Practice Positive Self-Talk! ™ This is what "stress-busting" is about -- getting your thoughts back on a reassuring track.

+ Shows the powerful
link between stress,
motivation, and
self-talk

+ Teaches you
how to use new tools
for self-protection
and self-motivation
in stressful situations

+ Exposes the five biggest traps
in self-talk

+ Gives you a
ready-to-use
reinforcement
system that will
help you cut
stress, build
motivation, and
get the right
things done!

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your organization »

See MJ
"In Action"

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"In Action" »

Positive Impact Consulting Services, LLC
A Positive Workplace Means Business ™
www.PosImpact.net
203-929-6702