As I sit here I wonder what stress really is. What causes stress? I'm sure you wonder these same things. You know, stress has a way of creeping into our lives in many different ways. In my study of stress I have found that all sorts of things cause stress. I want to give you an in-depth look at these "stressors" or causes of stress. Let's focus on workplace stress for now.
You find yourself at work one day and you hear co-workers teasing or mistreating other co-workers. You may feel like you should tell them to stop or you should try to do something about it. But, instead you try to continue working and ignore what's going on. But you can't because you still hear them talking and teasing so all you can focus on is how much you want them to stop. You start to get that awful feeling in the pit of your stomach. Oh, I just want it to go away! Why won't they just stop?
You know, this is stress. You might not think so, but it is. That's why I'm talking to you about it. I want you to see how stress can creep into your life. Stress is hard to explain and sometimes things are easier to understand with examples. If you don't speak up and do something about the situation at work it starts to become all you think about. You dread going to work because you know what's coming. Stress, in this situation is the pressure you feel to act and the discouraging feeling that you don't want to make a scene or cause an argument or become the new center of the joke.
Wow, just look at what stress can do. You can think of stress like pressure or a force. In science stress is referred to as pressure exerted on an object that is opposite to the objects natural state. Maybe that's what it is in us too. Are you starting to see? I think you are. Let's keep going then.
Workplace stress is very common. Just about everybody feels it to varying degrees. Let's identify some of those specific "stressors" in your workplace. One you might not realize has to do with being sick. Really. You may ask how. Well, being sick often makes us miss a day or more of work. Some may call this "vacation". What does that really do. Missing work means when you get back to work you probably have more of it to do than you would have if you did not miss a day. See where this is headed.
Also, sickness often causes us to become weak and we can't do much. We feel the strain pulling on us when we are at work and we know we shouldn't be there because we can hardly get around. Or even when you have to blow your nose a hundred times per hour and you look like Rudolph. We've all been there. Let's go back to why that causes stress. Being sick slows you down and you can't work like you usually can.
How about another one. In the example in the beginning of this article we are stressed because we feel we are not in control of the situation. Perhaps speaking up to the rowdy co-workers might just get them to be quiet and leave people alone. This isn't really about standing up to bullies. But hay, that's a "stressor" right, so we might as well identify it so we can figure out how to overcome it.
You can see that your environment at work plays a big part in what stress you may or may not have at work. Some people are messy, wouldn't you agree? I think we're all a little messy truthfully. Let's look at your desk. What's on it? Where are your work essentials located? In fact, where are you located at work? Are you close to the room with all the noise or are you crowded in a room with lots of co-workers? Are you stuck helping people find the perfect blue socks to match that cute outfit. Think about your work environment. You may have a boss who likes to "micro manage", as they say. He or she gives you a task to do and checks up on you every 20 minutes to tell you how to do it. Come on; give us some room to do our job, right.
Is there a point to this whole thing? Of course, there is. Here is the point. How can you ever hope to manage what you can't see and don't know about. Some may not even know they have stress because they don't know where it comes from. This article is to help you see it. I enjoy talking to you about stress. Why? When you find out good stuff, you want to share it! I've found good stuff. I want to help you by sharing it.
Well, it's time to say goodbye. Before I go I wanted to tell you that there are many proven solutions to overcoming stress. Get the help you deserve. Just click http://www.empoweryourworld.com to find out more.
Bye for now.
Michael Pollak
Overcoming Stress at Work
