In today’s climate, stress can often be part and parcel of modern life. Just thinking about a busy job combined with juggling a social life and family commitments while trying to keep fit, eat well and get enough sleep can be enough alone to feel stressed. What’s more is that being busy, stressed and burning the candle at both ends of the spectrum can often be worn as badges of pride by many, particularly in the corporate world.
While stress is very common, that doesn’t mean it should be accepted and left to its own devices. It can be one of the most debilitating illnesses to affect someone if left untreated. Stress can be triggered by a range of things and can be difficult to diagnose.
What is stress?
Stress is the way your body reacts to a particular challenge or series of challenges. It is typically described as a negative condition that impacts a person’s mental and physical wellbeing.
What are some of the causes of stress?
Work-related stress can be brought on by a range of different challenges, such as:
- Unreasonable work demands
- Relationships at work
- Inadequate work environment
- Insecurity about the job and your performance
If I don’t immediately recognise it, what are some of the effects stress might have on me?
Stress affects people differently, but the typical effects of stress might include:
- Physical (e.g. fatigue, headaches, health issues)
- Psychological (e.g. anxiety, reduced concentration, feeling overwhelmed)
- Behavioural (e.g. aggression, reduced work performance, impatience/frustration, increased absenteeism)
Prevention
Like many mental health issues, stress doesn’t have a simple cure, and often isn’t caused by one issue alone. However, some of the below methods can help to treat stress and lower its effect in your life.
Lead a healthy lifestyle
Eating well, exercise and maintaining a good work/life balance can help you be better equipped to deal with challenges as they come. During the pandemic and lockdowns, separating from work can be difficult, so try and set up your electronic devices to mute work-related notifications after a certain time so you can ‘switch off’. Another great thing to do to signify the end of the workday is to get changed like you might when you came home from the office or go for a walk or exercise after work, this can help your mind switch into relaxation mode.
Journaling
More and more people are discovering the benefits of journaling these days. While it can take on many forms, such as pen and paper, fancy apps or just writing in the notes on your phone, getting things out of your mind and into a coherent form, be it physical or digital can help to relieve the burden on your mind.
Speak to someone
Often, speaking with someone about your concerns and ‘getting it off your chest’ can significantly reduce the impact of the stress. Lightening your load by talking to a friend, family member or even colleague can be a great start, while talking to your doctor about further options such as seeing a therapist can be a good step to take.
If you have an issue with a colleague,
Raise it in a diplomatic fashion with them. The other person may have no idea that you are being affected. Speaking about it gives you both the opportunity to change things. Remember that people are unlikely to change their behaviour if they don’t realise what they’re doing is negatively impacting others.
While the above steps can certainly help you relieve stress over time, if you need to talk to someone urgently, the below resources can be helpful.
Support Services for Australia:
- Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14
- beyondblue Info Line: 1300 224 636
- Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
- Black Dog Institute: 02 9382 2991
- Reach Out!
- Parentline: 1300 30 1300
- Headspace
Support Services for New Zealand:
- Lifeline: 0800 543 354
- Alcohol drug helpline: 0800 787 797
- The Depression helpline: 0800 111 757
- Further resources for NZ can be found at: https://www.health.govt.nz/
