Living With Stress

The accumulation of anxiety from daily demands and expectations in American society has created a culture deeply rooted in stress. With rising expectations for both women and men to spend time with their family, be active in the workforce, and be a presence in their community, it’s no wonder so many people feel overwhelmed by mere day-to-day activities. These stressors are cumulative, so the more life changes or daily hassles one takes on, the more intense the symptoms of stress become. Even though stress is commonplace among Americans and many believe they have learned to live with it, it is still a serious problem. It has a negative effect on your life and the lives of those around you. The good news is, you don’t just have to live with it.

Major life changes have the biggest effect on stress levels. The top ten stressful life events are as follows:
1. Spouse’s death
2. Divorce
3. Marriage separation
4. Jail term
5. Death of a close relative
6. Personal injury or illness
7. Marriage
8. Fired at work
9. Marriage reconciliation
10. Retirement

Other common stressful life events include pregnancy, graduation, change in financial state, change in living conditions, and job changes. Yet, even without a major life change occurring in one’s life, stress manages to build up. Anyone with a job can vouch for the fact that it creates both an internal and external environment conducive to stress. Externally, there are deadlines, projects, managerial pressure, pressure from your peers, and seemingly endless work. Internally, you must deal with high expectations, self-criticism, uncertainty and worry, and possibly a case of perfectionism. Other internal causes of stress include a pessimistic attitude, unrealistic expectations or beliefs, low self-esteem, excessive or unexpressed anger, and a lack of assertiveness. Job stress alone costs U.S. businesses over $300 billion a year in excess absenteeism, employee turnover, diminished productivity, medical, legal and insurance expenses, and Worker’s Compensation payments.

Here is a simple quiz to take to determine the amount of stress your job creates in your life:

HOW MUCH JOB STRESS DO YOU HAVE?
ENTER A NUMBER FROM THE SLIDING SCALE BELOW THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOU

STRONGLY DISAGREE -- AGREE SOMEWHAT -- STRONGLY AGREE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

I can't honestly say what I really think or get things off my chest at work.
__________
My job has a lot of responsibility, but I don't have very much authority.
__________
I could usually do a much better job if I were given more time.
__________
I seldom receive adequate acknowledgment or appreciation when my work is really good.
__________
In general, I am not particularly proud or satisfied with my job.
__________
I have the impression that I am repeatedly picked on or discriminated against at work.
__________
My workplace environment is not very pleasant or particularly safe.
__________
My job often interferes with my family and social obligations or personal needs.
__________
I tend to have frequent arguments with superiors, coworkers or customers.
__________
Most of the time I feel that I have very little control over my life at work.
__________

Add up the replies to each question for your TOTAL JOB STRESS SCORE __________

If you score between 10-30, you handle stress on your job well; between 40-60, moderately well; 70-100, you’re encountering problems that need to be addressed and resolved. Problems in the workplace can range from how work and tasks are designed and management style to communication issues, interpersonal issues, and discrimination. Addressing and resolving problems in the work place is a major step in the right direction to reducing your overall daily stress levels.

Stress is an unavoidable fact of life, a sort of universal ailment that affects people of every age, race, sex, class, and religious institution. The good news is that there are innumerable ways to handle personal stress. The only thing you have to do is find what works the best with your lifestyle and personality. The key to stress reduction is preventing it through adequate sleep, a proper diet, time management, and taking time out of your daily routine to relax. You must also take the time to identify all major sources of stress and find ways to reduce their impact or avoid them all together. Although it may seem tempting to turn to short-term solutions such as tobacco, drugs, or alcohol, the long term effects will far outweigh the short-term benefits and increased stress is sure to be a consequence.

Here is a non-comprehensive list of ideas to help reduce stress on a daily basis. Even taking thirty minutes out of your daily routine to dedicate to your sanity will be enough to generate obvious positive results.

Progressive muscular relaxation
Exercise
Deep breathing
Visual imagery
Meditation
Prayer
Yoga and Tai Chi
Acupuncture
Acupressure
Listening to music
Hobbies
Volunteering
Journaling
Laughter
Playing with pets
Taking short breaks
Shopping
Aromatherapy
Reading
Taking a bath