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Reported cases of stress-related problems in the workplace are increasing in number, most probably due to the current economic recession sweeping the world today. Employers are forced to make tougher decisions than they normally do while workers are faced with job uncertainy. Keeping these new factors in mind, it’s not difficult to see how managing stress in the workplace can be an important part of increasing productivity. Stress management training for employers and their employees alike will teach them roles in dealing with stress. It is a two-fold process: employer is taught how to handle the workforce while employee is trained to handle stress on a personal level – both resulting in the improvement of any business operation.

Managing Stress in the Workplace

The saying: “The best defense is a good offense,” is applicable to stress management training. Part of the responsibility of employers is to take initiative in managing stress in the workplace. This will not only increase productivity fof the company, it can also help avoid problems from occuring in the future. Workers will be able to focus more, and the entire business will be able to run more efficiently. So what does stress management training really seek to achieve?Most wide-ranging stress management programs start at the core by training individuals in an organization such that those very employees will pass to their coworkers their knowledge of the program and become a source of support.

In addition, stress management training continues to coach all employees to deal with their own stress at the same time; employers will learn how to effectively resolve situations in the workplace.The results will show that programs like these have a tendency to succeed. When a program is continually used in managing stress in the workplace, anyone can see how effective they must be. With a ten to a mid-level twenty percent average increase in efficiency, any employer will want to order stress management training for their business.

It’s a black and white program; the benefits are obvious while the program itself is a simple and cost-effective one to have for any business. With flexible programs available, stress management training is perfect for any kind of business, and it’s suggested to be done once every few years (or if the budget allows, once a year) to be successful in managing stress in the workplace. With crucial decisions facing most businesses and most workers, stress seems to be part and parcel of today’s economy. With appropriate stress management, stress can be dealt with promptly and effectively.

Stress is with us always – there’s just no getting away from it. But all stress is not the same. Some types of stress actually help us to cope.

Acute stress – also known as fight-or-flight response, is an anxiety disorder. It occurs when we experience either a real or perceived threat to us. The perceived threat can be physical in nature, such as a speeding car 100 feet away bearing down on us or a black bear 100 yards away from our camping tent. Or the threat can be emotional as a mother might feel as she’s waiting for the hospital to call regarding the fate of her husband or child that is lying on a hospital operating table.

The hypothesis of acute stress response is not new. It’s been around since at least the 1920′s. When acute stress response occurs, the body experiences many changes. The blood vessels constrict which causes blood to drain away from the skin and leading to the expression “he was white as a ghost” as a way of describing somebody who has just been through a frightening event. The drained blood, and oxygen, streams into the body’s muscles, lungs, and large muscles – enhancing their strength. The pulse rate speeds up which enables blood to be pumped to the various body organs faster. And the eye pupils  become dilated resulting in sharper vision.

Besides the symptoms referred to above, the adrenal glands release the “stress hormone” cortisol which flows through the body. Cortisol has an instantaneous and striking effect on the body. Reflexes are enhanced, immunity is augmented, sensitivity to pain is diminished, and the body is suddenly more energetic and ready to run or fight.

According to traumatic stress treatment centres treatments, prime candidates for acute stress are soldiers returning from war. Many of the troops coming home from Iraq have experienced high levels of acute stress. Many people in the medical field, such as doctors and nurses, experience this as well.

Acute stress disorder is somwhat more severe. It’s a reaction that typically develops subsequent to the initial traumatic event that may have caused acute stress in the person. It can often be sparked by the person merely recalling the event. Only a licensed therapist or psychologist can diagnose acute stress disorder, but some symptoms are:

1) Difficulty concentrating – the person may have problems focusing or following a train of thought and may seem as if he is in a daze or fog.

2) Disengagement and a diminishing of emotional responsiveness – the person may seem to be aloof emotionally, almost as if they’ve separated themselves from their feelings in order to avoid further pain.

3) Ongoing Short term amnesia – the person may go into a room to get something but suddenly can’t remember what it was he wanted. Or, he may start to ask you an important question, but can’t remember what he wanted to ask.

In order for symptoms to be classified as acute stress disorder, they must take place within 1 month subsequent to the initial traumatic event. This disorder is very intimately associated with PTSD or post traumatic stress disorder. PTSD is essentially a longer lasting type of acute stress disorder.

Broadly speaking, stress is normally thought of as bad for us. But, in reality, acute stress or short term stress is a centuries old survival mechanism that helps us to cope with wrenching events in our lives.

Here are some easy tips on how to manage your stress.

More times than not stress tends to sneak up on us.It can hide and then jump out at you when you least expect it; it happens in men, women, children and everyone else. Stress does not discriminate.  It can be your ally or your enemy.  The choice is yours.

If you allow stress to take over your life you will suffer physically.Doctor’s have said that between 75 and 90 percent of patients they have seen relate stress to their illness.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can turn stress into serenity by following any of these three successful stress management methods: (1) Control the meaning you assign to the stress; (2) Change the situation that produces the stress, and (3) Control the effects that stress has on your body.

Adjust Your Attitude To Change Your Perspective

If worry is a major stressor in your life or you are frustrated that others behave poorly or without your sense of morality, your stress derives mainly from how you interpret the world. The best way to address the type of stress you have is to look at stress management psychology.

The issue of stress management that would pertain to this is that your thoughts cause the stress, not the specific situation.  Write down your stress-inducing thoughts when they happen.  Relate the situation and the people involved.You must realize that thoughts will determine your feelings. If you want to control your feelings, you need to control your thoughts.Don’t change your opinion, try to adjust the way you think about you opinion.When you accept the concept, the stress management method will be easier for you.

Change The Situation

If your present situation is at the heart of your stress and damaging your sense of control and self esteem and you know you have to make a change, then you may choose to use a different stress management method.

If you define the problem, you will be able to change your situation.Once you have realized what the problem is, you can think of ideas to change it while you jot down the positives and negatives of the idea.  If nothing clicks the first time, leave it or a day or two and come back to it.  Every stress management method takes time.

Control The Effects

If the safety valve for your stress is physical, for instance, you experience a lot of colds and headaches, or experience high blood pressure or asthma, that is your body’s way of saying that you’ve had enough. Physical stress requires a physical stress management method.Plenty of sleep, eating healthy foods, exercise frequently and get rid of your caffeine, alcohol, and sugar intake.

When we incorporate both the mind and the body in our stress management methods, we increase our ability to balance stress.

If you suffer from an anxiety disorder, you will be very aware of the consuming sensation of all of a sudden feeling confused, trapped or possibly sick to your stomach all at the same time. Anxiety panic attacks are common among sufferers of several anxiety disorders. If you are one of these people, then you know only too well how out of control they make you feel and you likely want to put a stop to them. Read on to learn some of the symptoms of panic attacks and how to control them more efficiently.

If you are a sufferer of anxiety panic attacks, it is essential that you realize exactly what they are and how they come about. An attack starts out when stress and anxiety levels increase to a point where they are uncontrollable by the person who is experiencing the episode. The individual will quickly fall into a state of panic and fearfulness of surroundings, feeling that they are dying or having a heart attack and even going insane. In effect, the head is telling the body that it is feeling a discomfort that is in all probability not real. Depending on the severeness of the attack, they can last anywhere up to about fifteen minutes. The experience frequently causes a vicious cycle where the person fears another attack, which merely causes the symptoms to worsen.

Maintaining a cool head during an anxiety panic attack is difficult to do, especially when you suffer from an anxiety disorder. Nevertheless, if this is something you have to live with for the rest of your life, it is crucial to learn stress management. Anxiety panic attacks come on rapidly so the best thing to do in most cases is to calm down and then lay down. Once you do this, you can attempt to calm your mind by saying that it will pass and saying to yourself that the anguish you are feeling is not real. You can endeavor to forestall these episodes by recognizing the physical symptoms of anxiety disorders and understanding what sparks them off. For instance, do they happen in certain situations or do negative thoughts bring them on?

You can take the controlling techniques to the next level in order to get rid of your anxiety panic attacks. You can begin by teaching yourself relaxation practices. You should select something that is appropriate for you. Some of the more popular options are listening to relaxing music, reading and practicing yoga. Once you learn what an anxiety panic attack is and what to do to bring them under control, your life should be on the road to recovery. Anxiety disorders can make life complicated but with a clear head and a lot of determination you should be able to manage whatever they throw your way.

Stress in the workplace is an extremely common thing most people have to face. Stress is inevitable for most workplaces, but the key is to learn how to control it. You can manage stress and keep it to a minimum if you recognize the factors that can lead to stress in your workplace and utilize ways to minimize the effect they can have on you.

Here are some of the common stressors in the workplace and ways to handle them:

Co-workers with bad attitudes

It’s not uncommon for the people we work with to present a challenge at some point in our careers. Still, dealing with bad attitudes is a stressful challenge that can cause our own productivity to decline.

Several means of handling this type of problem exist. Here it’s important to choose your battles. If you can ignore the rude behavior and get your work done, let it go if at all possible.

Some co-workers take annoying too far. Some are downright rude or offensive. When ignoring the co-worker doesn’t work try confrontation. In a polite, but firm tone explain what behaviors are bothering you, why the bother you, and give suggestions for how the co-worker might improve. It is possible that the offender does not know they are upsetting you. Saying it out loud will help reduce the stress and anxiety surrounding the situation.

If that doesn’t help, you’ll have to go to your boss and tell them what’s going on and that it’s been affecting your work. Sometimes they’ll take ahold of the situation themselves in order for things to run smoothly.

Bad Management

Maybe it’s not a rude co-worker you’re dealing with, but a mean boss. Putting up with a boss that makes you miserable can be very stressful. You’ll want to try talking with them first to see if that helps the situation.

Bosses have bosses too. If a manager is creating a hostile or stressing work environment for you do not hesitate to involve their supervisor in your complaints. As with co-workers you will want to make sure that your complaints are factual, non-emotional, and supported by appropriate documentation. Write down offenses and document all inappropriate behavior before bringing the case to upper level management

There’s no reason to have to put up with that at the workplace when it’s not warranted. It’ll cause too much stress for you and make your job performance slide. Most companies will work with you to resolve the problem.

Increased Workload

Occasionally it is the volume of work itself that causes stress in the workplace. It goes without saying that you should only accept assignments that you have time for, but when there are no options for opting out of additional work it is important to ask for help when you are overwhelmed. Sharing the workload is what teamwork is about. Most companies are happy to foster teamwork between co-workers. If the workload becomes too stressful and no help can be found contact your supervisor and explain that you are overwhelmed. In most instances arrangements can be made to reduce your workload.

Discovering, reducing, or eliminating workplace stress where possible is a positive step towards having a fulfilling and productive work experience. Stress in the workplace is inevitable, but correctly managing stress can help prevent job burnout and increase job satisfaction.

Get Josh Murphy’s latest free report ‘Self-Care Boot Camp’ – jam-packed with more great stress relief information at StressReliefTipsWeekly.com. Check out the site for more great info on topis like job stress as well as a free weekly newsletter that subscribers can’t get enough of!