| Stress Signals |
Four main causes of work stress
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Your workload leaves little time for breaks and almost always follows you home at night/on weekends.
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Conflicts with colleagues, supervisor or employees.
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You feel you don't get enough acknowledgement for hard work--whether you're an employee or employer.
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You worry about losing your job/about the fiscal health of your company. |
| Take steps to reduce your own stress! |
4 Tips to reduce stress & increase health! 
Increase efficiency! Sometimes stress is self-induced because you don't use your time effectively. A disorganized desk, chatting with a workmate or other time-wasting activities, cause work to pile up. Organize your space and stay focused. You'll be surprised at how much less stressed you'll be.
Assess your conflicts. Are you the only one having the problem or do other people feel the same way? If you're alone, changing your behavior will reduce the stressful situation--seek advice if necessary. If others feel the same way, it is helpful to strategize others about how to cope with a difficult colleague, employee or supervisor.
Everyone needs acknowledgement! If you are an employer or manager, emphasize praise over criticism in every situation. In fact, remind employees that even managers need to be praised! If you're an employee, talk to your manager about how you are feeling. If you can't, talk to colleagues, and make a pact to acknowledge each other's hard work--it will make a difference!
Be realistic, not pessimistic. If your job (or the company you own) is in jeopardy of being lost, start assessing your financial situation. Reign in spending and start saving as much as possible. Get your resume in shape and begin networking. But, if you're worry is not realistic, or unlikely to happen, focus on working hard and being productive. Distracting yourself with worry will impact negatively on your productivity, which could impact your job performance! |