Stress in Office

Job-related stress seems to have become an inescapable part of one’s routine in corporate India today. From anxiety disorders to depression, which, in turn, can lead to an increased risk of suicide, there are several studies that have thrown light on the phenomenon. Job stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker. Job stress can lead to poor health and even injury. ... In short, the stage is set for illness, injury, and job failure. Stress is responsible for 75 to 80 percent of all doctor's office visits. Stress contributes to lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. Symptoms of work-related stress • Fatigue. • Muscular tension. • Headaches. • Heart palpitations. • Sleeping difficulties, such as insomnia. • Gastrointestinal upsets, such as diarrhoea or constipation. • Dermatological disorders. High blood pressure is the most significant risk factor of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases worldwide. Blood pressure and its variability are recognized as risk factors. Thus, hypertension control should focus not only on maintaining optimal levels but also on achieving less variability in blood pressure. Psychosocial stress is known to contribute to the development and worsening of hypertension. Stress is perceived by the brain and induces neuroendocrine responses in either a rapid or long-term manner. Moreover, endothelial dysfunction (heart and big blood vessels of the body) and inflammation might be further involved in the modulation of blood pressure elevation associated with stress. White-coat hypertension, defined as high clinic blood pressure but normal out-of-office blood pressure, is the most popular stress-related blood pressure response. Careful follow-up is necessary for this type of hypertensive patients because some show organ damage (kidneys/ eyes etc.) or a worse prognosis. On the other hand, masked hypertension, defined as high out-of-office blood pressure but normal office blood pressure, has received considerable interest as a poor prognostic condition. The cause of masked hypertension is complex, but evidence suggests that chronic stress at the workplace or home could be involved. Chronic psychological stress could be associated with distorted lifestyle and mental distress as well as long-lasting pressure load, contributing to the blood pressure elevation. Stress issues are common in patients in modern society. Considering psychosocial stress as the pathogenesis of blood pressure elevation is useful for achieving an individual-focused approach and 24-h blood pressure control.

Taking Steps to Manage Stress 1. To track the stress points. Keeping a journal/ diary for a week or two to identify which situations create the most stress and how you respond to them. ... 2. Develop healthy responses. ... 3. Establish boundaries. ... 4. Take time to recharge. ... 5. Learn how to relax. ... 6. Talk to the supervisor. ... 7. Get some support. 8 ways to beat stress at work 1. See the big picture. Communicate with your boss what are the key deliverables. ... 2. Take time out. ... 3. Don't smoke, eat or have caffeine to destress. ... 4. Escape for an instant. ... 5. Don't be a hero. ... 6. Get enough rest. ... 7. Get adequate exercise. ... 8. Don't be so harsh on yourself. A few simple lifestyle changes that can help to manage work related stress and make life at work really stress-free. 1. Listen to Music On The Way to Work. ... 2. Use Essential Oils At Workplace. ... 3. Sit Upright in Your Chair. ... 4. Choose Fruits / Fruit Juices Over Coffee.

... 5. Put a Desktop Reminder to Drink Water. 6. To park the Car / Two wheeler Away From Workplace 7. Take the Staircase instead of Elevator

8. Stand when Possible Everyone should take a pause in their busy schedule and think if they really like the job they are doing? If you give it a serious thought, you may realize that it’s not about the work at all. All the grumbling, complaints and stress that one has in their job could be merely due to their lifestyle and working style. It might be true that once you are at work you really enjoy your job, but the travelling conditions, unorganized work style or your inability to manage time could be making your job very stressful for you. Here are a few simple lifestyle changes that can help us to manage work related stress and make our life at work really stress-free. 1. Listen to Music On The Way to Work. If one has a long commute to work and travels in a car, bus, taxi or train, they can tune in to some nice soothing music. Research suggests that music can be regarded as therapy and can have its effects on mental health to improve our mood. 2. Use Essential Oils At Workplace. Work related stress has become a burning topic and many experts are constantly searching for best strategies to manage it. Using essential oils in the workplace is one the effective approaches to reduce work related stress. There are several ways in which one can get the benefits of Aromatherapy in the office. One can use an essential oil diffuser on their desk, keep a small bottle for personal use, or spray the air with essential oils and water. 3. Sit Upright in Your Chair. Wrong posture of sitting such as slouching while working on computer is associated with neck, shoulder and back pain. The occupations that require sitting for a long time, have the highest prevalence of back pain. If your job involves sitting in front of computer for a long time make sure to adjust the monitor to your eye level and keep your hands close to the body while using keyboard. To prevent the hazardous effect of

prolonged immobility, all you need to do is get up and move around. Make it a habit to get up after every 30 minutes or an hour, and move for at least 2 to 3 minutes. 4. Choose Fruits / Fruit Juices Over Coffee. One might be having several stressful moments at work, when everyone wants something from them urgently. And, this definitely calls for a cup of coffee. If this happens repeatedly, do you keep asking for coffee frequently? Coffee does stimulate your brain but according to experts more than 4 cups of coffee per day is hazardous to health. Bring in some healthy changes in your lifestyle by replacing coffee with water or fruit juice. 5. Put a Desktop Reminder to Drink Water. Ask yourself how many glasses of water do you drink in a day? You cannot really recollect. In fact, some people actually forget to drink water. Water is essential to keep the body temperature normal. It also helps to flush out the toxins and wastes through urination, perspiration, and bowel movement. Research reveals that dehydration can affect brain and cause lack of attention and memory problems. 6. Park Your Car / two wheeler Away From the Workplace With the busy work schedules it may be difficult at times to hit the gym or go for walk before going to work. But, what if we fit physical activity in the work schedule itself? If one looks closely there are number of opportunities for some activity in our daily work schedule. One smart way is to park our car/ two wheeler at some distance and walk few feet rather than simply stepping out of car into the elevator. So, now stop struggling to get the parking slot closest to the elevator.

7. Take the Staircase Instead of Elevator

Climbing stairs is a recognized form of vigorous physical activity. Experts suggest that you burn 7 times more calories when you take the stairs rather than taking the elevator. This happens because with every step you climb you burn about 0.17 calories. However, if you have problems with your knee or heart, climbing stairs every day can be unsafe for you. 8. Stand When Possible

Majority of office goers sit for nearly 6-7 hours in a day. Research has shown that cumulative impact of sitting all day for years is associated with a range of health problems, from obesity to diabetes to cancer. Although not possible in all workplaces, the popularity of the sit-stand desk and stand up workstation is booming. If you cannot have a stand up workstation, make sure you split your standing and sitting time equally. Make sure to stand while you discuss work with colleague or when you talk on cell phone. Eat Foods That Lower Your Stress

It’s natural to get stressed when you see work piling up in front of you. But, craving and eating food to overcome your work related stress is not a healthy solution. Research has found that in stressful situation we tend to crave for fatty, sugary, calorie-rich food because it’s not about physical hunger at all, it’s about the comfort we get through food. You must choose some healthy foods that satisfy your hunger as well as overcome your stress. 5 foods that can reduce stress are Tea, Carrots, Nuts, Milk, and Curd. One can keep them handy when at work. Do Some Desk Exercises

Exercise is a proven and effective means of reducing work related stress. But, how can one do any physical activity amidst daily busy schedule? It is not referring to any vigorous activity. Instead one can do simple desk exercises as given below. • Stretch one or both the legs and hold it for few seconds before getting back to ground. Repeat this few times • Try the neck stretch by touching your ears to shoulders and holding for few seconds

• Stretch both your arms backwards as if you are trying to hold a pen between your hands • To prevent wrist pain due to keyboard use, place your palms on desk and lower your body till you feel the stretch in your arms • Working women juggling multiple roles in our complex society are increasingly experiencing psychological stress. Studies show that Essential fatty acids may be effective in reducing prenatal stress and cortisol (a hormone) and may reduce anxiety during premenstrual syndrome and during menopause in the absence of depression. Essential fatty acids are present in Fish and other seafood , flaxseed, walnuts, Plant oils (such as flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil), Kidney beans. Magnesium and vitamin B6 may be effective in combination in reducing premenstrual stress, and vitamin B6 alone may reduce anxiety effectively in older women. High-dose sustainedrelease vitamin C may reduce anxiety and mitigate increased blood pressure in response to stress. There are employee assistance programme even in SBI that provide counsellor services to employees. Emotional well-being is at the heart of every institute. One can avoid, alter, adapt and accept stress situations. One can avoid stressful condition/ experience. Alter involves changing the route to reduce stress, like if driving in a traffic jam is causing stress; one can take train/ metro. Adapt is learning the art of compromise and moving ahead. This is particularly useful while dealing with a boss or a peer with whom one has a problematic relationship. One should sit down with the person and have an open conversation. Be open to feedback and share their expectations with them. Acceptance is key when dealing with a situation that cannot be altered. There’s always another group or role or place that may suit ones abilities better.

Dr. Vaibhav P. Shirwadkar Senior Medical Officer Corporate Centre