Workplace Stress Can Create Unhappiness
Workplace stress can affect all areas of your life. Your relationships can be hurt. Your health can be impacted. You can lose connection to your inner peace and joy. You can miss out on (your) life.
Many professionals feel anxiety at work. There are high expectations for them. The boss is demanding. Many high achievers put a great deal of pressure on themselves. Happiness and well-being are lost.
For many clients I have served, their stress level is high. There are 3 ways this can show up.
#1 Workplace Stress Can Cause Frequent Sickness
According to Rachel Link at Healthline.com:
“If you feel like you’re constantly battling a case of the sniffles, stress may be to blame.
Stress may take a toll on your immune system and can cause increased susceptibility to infections.
In one study, 235 adults were categorized into either a high- or low-stress group. Over a six-month period, those in the high-stress group experienced 70% more respiratory infections and had nearly 61% more days of symptoms than the low-stress group.”
ACTION STEP: Ask yourself, what symptoms indicate to you that workplace stress is having an effect on your physical health?
Be aware of your body.
#2 Workplace Stress Can Also Cause Fatigue
Do you feel tired during the day? Are you worn out at the end of the day?
It is not normal to be tired in the late afternoon. So, if you are, your stress level may be affecting your energy level. Feeling anxious all day long can sap your energy.
Are you breathing properly? Some people who are stressed shallow breathe. Others hold their breath. This can drain you of energy if your body is not getting enough oxygen.
Agitation can also drain you of energy. Are you stuck at your desk too? That can cause you to be tired.
ACTION STEP: Notice your breathing. Take in 3 deep breaths and notice if you were able to breathe deep into your belly.
The key: Your awareness can help you know what is going on with your energy level and what may be impacting it.
Noticing your breathing can also help you relax. You can be more aware of what is going on with your body. You can be more mindful.
#3 Workplace Stress Can Give You Headaches
In this article, Greg Bullock talks about 7 reasons you get headaches at work. He mentions things most people are not aware of:
“Your job can be one of the biggest stressors in your life, and unfortunately that means it can also be a major reason for your headaches. It should not be surprising then that retirement had a positive impact on headache occurrences for people who engaged in high-stress work, cutting the number of attacks nearly in half. And you may be more susceptible to recurring head pain from stress based on your actual job role, such as nursing.Furthermore, work related emotional exhaustion has been shown to be higher in those with episodic migraine attacks, suggesting that they are less likely to have adapted stress reduction mechanisms.”
ACTION STEP: Notice is you are getting headaches from the stress at work. Be aware of how your head feels.
By you being aware of what is going on physically and emotionally, that can help you tap into your power. It starts by noticing what is showing up in your body and feelings.
You can get your life back! You don’t have to let workplace stress make you anxious.
To Your Happiness😊
Jim Twomey
Tucson’s Depression and Anxiety Breakthrough Specialist
Founder of Peace for You
