Early August puts us smack in the middle of the summer vacation season! Although it sometimes makes it more difficult to connect with candidates and clients who take vacation during this period, I’m always glad to see folks taking a break from work to enjoy time with friends and family – whether you’re going to an exotic destination or just a “stay-cation” at home to catch up with those “honey-do” projects. It means that you’re taking time to recharge and re-energize, and decompress from the stressors of the everyday work routine.
Numerous studies show that job stress is far and away the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades. In today’s economic upheavals, downsizing, layoff, merger and bankruptcies have cost hundreds of thousands of workers their jobs. Millions more have been shifted to unfamiliar tasks within their companies and wonder how much longer they will be employed. Adding to the pressures that workers face are new bosses, computer surveillance of production, fewer health and retirement benefits, and the feeling they have to work longer and harder just to maintain their current economic status. Workers at every level are experiencing increased tension and uncertainty. We hear this “loud and clear” from many of the candidates we talk to daily.
Increased levels of job stress, as assessed by the perception of having little control but lots of demands, have been demonstrated to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension and other disorders. In New York, Los Angeles and other municipalities, the relationship between job stress and heart attacks is so well acknowledged, that any police officer who suffers a coronary event on or off the job is assumed to have a work related injury and is compensated accordingly (including heart attack sustained while fishing on vacation or gambling in Las Vegas).
Please enjoy this article on Stress Management “How to Reduce, Prevent and Cope with Stress” from HelpGuide.org and have a safe and restful remainder of your summer!
Stress management is all about taking charge: of your lifestyle, thoughts, emotions, and the way you deal with problems. No matter how stressful your life seems, there are steps you can take to relieve the pressure and regain control.
We all respond to stress differently so, there’s no “one size fits all” solution to managing stress. But if you feel like the stress in your life is out of control, it’s time to take action.