ARTICLE
Healthy ways to overcome stress at work
By Nursing Education Department at Al-Ahli Hospital - Doha / Qatar
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veryone at some point felt the pressure of work-related stress. Any job can have stressful elements even if you love what you do. We can’t always avoid stress, but we can take on steps to manage it!
What is stress? Stress is common and is a response that anyone can have to an event or situation that causes pressure or worry. From time to time we all say things like "this is stressful" or "I'm stressed".
What are the causes?
Simple ways to deal with stress at work 1.
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Stress may be triggered by situations or events that put pressure on us that we do not have much control over. The most common situations that cause stress involve work, education, peer pressure, financial matters, family relationships, physical illness or major life events such as divorce, unemployment and bereavement.
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What are the signs & symptoms?
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Stress affects everybody in different ways and symptoms may be physical, emotional or behavioral. • Physical: Headaches, nausea or indigestion, lack of energy, faster breathing, increased perspiration, palpitations and/or muscle aches and pains. • Emotional: Frequent changes in mood, feeling constantly under pressure or overwhelmed and feelings including worry, fear, anger, frustration and sadness. • Behavioral: Becoming withdrawn or indecisive, finding it hard to relax or concentrate, changes to sleep patterns, being irritable or tearful and/or verbal or physical aggression.
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Start Your Day off Right. Start off the day with planning, good nutrition, and a positive attitude Stay Away from Conflict! If conflict finds you, make sure you know how to handle it appropriately. Beat workplace stress by reaching out: Sometimes the best stress-reducer is simply sharing your stress with someone close to you. Support your health with exercise and nutrition through regular exercise to lift your mood, increase energy and relax both mind and body. Eat more Omega-3 fatty acids to give your mood a boost and minimize sugar and refined carbs or foods that can adversely affect your mood, such as caffeine, alcohol, trans fats. Learn tools to de-stress, especially during challenging times Improve the quality of your sleep by aiming for 8 hours a night Taking a 5-minute break and focusing on some deep breathing helps eliminate the effects of stress by slowing the heart rate and lowering blood pressure Stay Organized: Prioritize and organize task and time. Be Comfortable! Sit comfortably and create a quiet, comfortable, and soothing workspace.
Stress can have a positive eff ect too! Completely removing stress from life is unrealistic. Some stress can be positive and assist a person to be more alert, energized and motivated about achieving tasks both within work and in social life.
STRESS MAY BE TRIGGERED BY SITUATIONS OR EVENTS THAT PUT PRESSURE ON US THAT WE DO NOT HAVE MUCH CONTROL OVER.
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