Is Stress Jeopardizing Your Job?

Is Stress Jeopardizing Your Job?

Stress seems like an unavoidable aspect of life these days, and this is particularly true in the corporate world. From deadlines and demanding bosses to an expectation to be reachable via your mobile at all hours of the day (or night!), it can be tough to escape stress at the office. However, there’s good reason to try to keep stress in check: Research shows it can cause a myriad of health issues.

Here are some of the ways stress may be affecting your performance on the job (or that of your employees), and what you can do to ease the tension.

Is stress making you sick?

If work demands are causing you to get less sleep and slack on eating nutritious, well-balanced meals, your immune system will suffer and you’ll be more likely to catch whatever bug is floating among your co-workers. What’s more, psychologists in the field of “psychoneuroimmunology”  have proven that one’s state of mind affects one’s state of health, which means that managing chronic stress can go a long way toward fighting germs that lead to absenteeism.

Is stress slowing you down?

Multiple studies have found that work performance suffers when employees face chronic stress. This could be due in part to the ineffectiveness of multi-tasking. If you constantly have too much to do, it can prevent you from finishing what’s on your to-do list in an efficient manner.

Is stress causing adrenal fatigue?

Your adrenal glands mobilize your body’s responses to physical, emotional, and psychological stress via hormones that regulate energy production, immune function, heart rate, muscle tone, and other processes. However, if you bombard your adrenal glands with non-stop stress, they stop functioning properly, causing you to feel constantly rundown, overwhelmed and reliant on stimulants like coffee and sweets.

Is stress affecting your personal relationships

Do you have too much on your plate and find yourself snapping at co-workers as a result? Is your constant state of overwhelm at the office causing you to be less present at home, when you’re spending time with your loved ones? Keep in mind that your interpersonal skills are a huge part of your job success and satisfaction, so it pays to make some changes if your relationships are suffering as a result of stress.

The good news? There are a number of strategies and steps you can take to ease the stress you feel as a result of your work:

Ayurveda

Translated as “Science of Life,” Ayurveda is often referred to as Traditional Indian Medicine. Ayurvedic texts teach us how to lead a healthy and happy life, thus enabling us to realise our full potential. Ayurveda is a holistic approach to life that is so much more than merely a health care system; it is a way of living that aims to restore and maintain the balance of the mind, body and spirit through diet, cleanses, medicines, treatments, Yoga and meditation. This makes it a fantastic lens through which to look at the stresses caused by your work and what you can do to ease them.

Yoga

Yoga and Ayurveda are closely related sacred sciences rooted in the Vedic tradition of India, and the ancient practice of Yoga can be a powerful antidote to the chronic stress caused by corporate life. Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines to create peacefulness of body and mind, helping you relax and manage stress and anxiety. In particular, the breathwork you’ll practice during Yoga helps you realize that controlling your breathing can help you control your body and quiet your mind—something you’ll be better able to do at your desk or when you’re stuck in rush hour traffic on your way to a meeting. 

Meditation

Countless studies have proven the effectiveness of a meditation practice when it comes to easing stress-induced anxiety, depression and pain. The best part? Meditating is simple, inexpensive, and doesn’t require any equipment, which means it can be done anytime, anywhere. If you’re new to meditating, mantra meditation can be a good place to start. In this type of meditation, you silently repeat a calming word, thought or phrase to usher in positive, calming energy and prevent distracting thoughts.