Just turn on the news
and you'll be hearing about the latest company down-sizing, right-sizing, slow
down, re-organizing, down economy or as the financial advisers say, “economic
winter.” What about you? With all this bad news and the demand of
work, you may be burned out –possibly physically and mentally exhausted. With constant worry, increased
responsibilities and more work - life becomes frantic. Our minds become heavy with fatigue and
dizziness. This is enough not only to
make you feel tired, but make you sick…really sick.
The connection
between your perception of stress and your body's ability to fight off disease
is so strong; some experts think stress can be "deadly". So you're right, your job is “killing you”
and now we can prove it! Feel better?
Stress can be
different things to different people.
For most of us stress is commonly caused by a feeling of too much work,
too little time, financial loss, and feeling out of control all of which
contribute to thoughts which can make you feel depressed. Everyone suffers from stress at some point in
his or her life, but the real challenge is to overcome and defeat the stress
developing inside you, and not let it
kill you.
Stress is connected
to chronic ailments such as back pain, headaches, and fatigue. Chronic diseases such as the flu, obesity,
diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, Crohn's Disease, Irritable Bowel
Syndrome, GERD just to name a few, are all impacted by long-term stress.
This is what stress feels like when it's developing
inside you:
Anxiety - Gives you a feeling of nervousness often
causing tension, like the fear something serious is going to happen. A feeling
if impending doom. Anxiety over time can cause headaches, muscle stiffness,
upset stomach, eating disorders, and constipation or diarrhea.
Fatigue - A feeling of extreme physical or emotional
tiredness. This is the “sick and tired” feeling and “too tired” to get things
done. Extreme fatigue can cause mental fog, preoccupation, sleepiness, a
feeling of not being “100 percent”.
Depression – Mild depression is a mental or emotional mindset
of perpetual hopelessness and unhappiness.
When feeling depressed it’s hard
to get up in the morning, trouble sleeping or too much sleeping, muscle and
joint pain, headaches, fatigue, sadness, lethargy, feelings
of worthlessness, a loss of interest in work and social activities.Helpguide.org has great information on understanding depression.
Stress - Stress impacts your
ability to work too. When you are
stressed, you may be less productive, more accident prone, make more mistakes,
get sick, or miss work. Remember the
last time you worried about that big project? Your head was pounding, back aching, and then
developed a cold due to all the stress?
Well here are six tips you can implement in your life to reduce stress
and consequently, avoid those sick days. Check out this stress calculator to rate your stress level.
In
fact depression which is an extreme form of stress and fatigue including work - life
imbalance significantly impacts your health, your employees health and
the health of your company. When considering a worksite wellness or
corporate wellness program for your employees be sure to address this
issue.
6 Tips to Reduce Stress and Live Better
1. Modify your work pattern.
Take breaks, volunteer
more and reduce the hours you work.
2. Change what you're thinking.
Change your attitude
by adding exercise such as meditation or yoga. Evaluate what concerns you, ask
for the help of your co-workers, and seek medical attention.
3. Eat right.
If bad foods give bad health, then good food
gives good health. Simple! Good nutrition is vital for your mind and
body. Stay away from fatty foods and
fast foods; instead try to eat whole foods in their natural form: fresh, raw,
and organic whenever possible. To
maintain good health, avoid sugar, salt and processed foods. Take whole food
supplements which are medically approved, clinically researched, and are
healthy for the body. Seek the help of a
health coach, dietitian or other medical professional. We recommend Juice Plus+ Whole Food.
4. Add an activity.
Money can buy fat, but can't burn
it. The minimum recommended amount is 30
minutes a day. Start by increasing your
time walking. Exercise makes the body
secrete the natural painkillers, endorphins; and also makes you feel
better. Increasing your activity helps
keep you healthy and increases your body’s ability to combat diseases.Check out American Heart Association worksite START program.
5. Get proper
sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation says when you sleep, your body heals
itself. Lack of sleep not only decreases
concentration at work, it also reduces the ‘coping ability’ of your body and
lowers immune function.
6. Find someone to talk to.
People who hold in their feelings are at
higher risk of developing more ailments and diseases. Find someone you can trust to share your
feelings with; perhaps a co-worker, family member, friend or therapist. When
you share how you're feeling with someone else, you create the opportunity to
feel less alone. You become more
connected to others around you, consequently, becoming less stressed.
Cindy Cohen RN, Wellness Consultant
