Stress at Work Leads to Stress at Home

Stress is the cause of many serious health conditions. It is a direct cause of high blood pressure which in turn leads to heart attacks and strokes. These are among the leading causes of death in this country. It also facilitates depression so the effects of workplace stress can be psychological as well as physical.
Keep caffeine intake down at work. It may seem like a good pick-me-up but actually it causes high blood pressure to rise, which together with the stress at work, makes you more anxious, as well as increases your risk of heart related problems.

Try not to bring work home with you. Yes of course this is not always possible, but leave the work at work whenever you can. Research indicates that taking your work home with you leads to more stress, both at home and at work. And be mindful of the reverse. Leave the household obligations at home, again whenever you can, rather than confuse your workday with personal issues. Put a "firewall" in place between home and work.

Make a real effort to go home at the appointed hour. Once again, you may occasionally have to stay late at work but keep it down, way down. If you nearly always stay late, it becomes your norm and eventually going home on time becomes the oddity. Don't let it get that far. Long hours at work mean more stress at work.

There's a related issue as well. Check your relationship with your coworkers. If you do need to spend time outside the workplace with your coworkers, first try to keep the incidence down, and second try not to discuss work related problems. Over time you may develop a genuine friendship with a coworker and this is fine, but try to minimize work related talk. Being physically outside the workplace does not mean that you are not contributing to work related stress.

Be aware of signs of work related stress in others. Mention your concern and express a desire to help. It's good for them and it's good for you too. A simple smile or nod may help. It doesn't cost anything to be friendly around the workplace and it does wonders for work related stress.

Understand your coworkers' quirks. If you know what to expect in a coworker's behavior, you will be less likely to be surprised or shocked and therefore less likely to experience stress from what they do.

Make time for yourself each day. Have lunch alone sometimes. Check on a friend. Get some ice cream. Don't wait a whole day, never mind wait until the weekend comes, to relieve your work related stress.

These are just a few of the simple yet effective ways to help reduce work related stress. By so doing you will be happier, healthier, and more productive overall.