Threats of redundancy, job outsourcing, pay freezes and soaring unemployment affect every one of us so it’s no wonder that many of us are experiencing work related stress.  According to the labour Force Survey, in 2007/08 an estimated 442 000 individuals in Britain, who worked in the last year, believed that they were experiencing work related stress at a level that was making them ill. Couple this with increasing employment and fewer job vacancies leads to individuals feeling even more pressured to remain in the very role that is causing their stress. 

Stress not only leads to high level absenteeism but affects productivity levels at work as concentration is impaired and anxiety may kick in as we struggle to cope with our ever demanding duties.  It is not surprising then to learn that British workers work the longest hours in Europe and many organisations still have not introduced family-friendly working (Tuc.org.uk).  So what can be done when we feel stressed?  First of all it’s advisable to be aware of what stress is. Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world (ehealthMD: Definition of Stress).  Stress not only impairs concentration but can cause irritability, tension, anxiety, headaches and fast heart beat.  It can also weaken the immune system and lead to high blood pressure as a long term consequence.  In other realms of our lives, stress can lead individuals to lose interest in every other aspect of life outside work and even depression.   Many of us feel unable to inform our Managers of when we are stressed as we feel that we may not be taken seriously and that our complaints will adversely affect the way we are treated at work.  Our competence also may be questioned and we may be seen as weak.  In a work culture that wants fast delivery and increased work output within a short space of time, it’s unsurprising that we are experiencing burn out. With this in mind however, individuals must consider that they are not alone and that many of their colleagues and even friends may be experiencing stress even if they choose not to declare it to anyone.  So if you are reading this article and often feel overwhelmed, irritable and unable to cope at work don’t keep it to yourself. 

1:  Face it head on

If you are given two pieces of work to deal with which are both priorities, when speaking to your manager, acknowledge that you are aware that both are priority tasks, however ask which, he/she would rather you do first.  It may not work in all situations but it’s worth a try and puts the ball in their court!

2:  Speak to friends and family

You have had a hard day at work and the last thing you want to do is get work problems off your chest but it can be cathartic to do so.  As you unburden yourself by speaking to your friends they can help comfort, support and even advise you.  If however, you can’t speak to anyone; get it down in writing how you feel.

3:  Duty of Care

Find out if your employer has a duty of care for its staff as some Councils in the U.K do and if so they should take into consideration the welfare of their staff.  Other employers offer counselling services for staff members especially when working in frontline services. If you would like to work in a way that suits your work and home life better then consider flexible working and put it as a proposition to your Manager who should consider your proposal before making a decision. So find out what support is available to you at work

4:  Take time out

You’re at work, with a demanding workload and deadlines popping up every time you look around.  If you feel as though you are stressed and overwhelmed take five minutes away from the source of stress.  You may have to O.K it with your manager first but composing yourself and clearing your head even if only for a few minutes will help give you clarity, compose yourself and refresh your mind.  Practice deep breathing if you feel dizzy and are have breathing difficulties.

5:  Take advantage of stress therapies at work

Some employers arrange for Indian Head Massages and Colour Therapy to be carried out at work. Others offer a discount rate gym pass thus encouraging you to use the gym and help reduce your stress levels.  If stress leads to you feeling tension in your body and your workplace offer massages, it may be beneficial to take this up as a good masseur can work on the tense knots in your body and leave you feeling rejuvenated and calm.

6:  Seek external help

Try Yoga, Reiki, Life Coaching, Pilates and Tai Chi to aid you in reducing stress.

7:  Organise and prioritise

Organise your tasks into those that should be done daily, weekly, monthly or long term.  If new unexpected tasks pop up throughout the day assign them a relevant category before deciding that it automatically needs to be done now.  If you are not doing so already, use Microsoft Scheduler or some other form of diary to keep work tasks up to date and use it to flag up tasks that should be carried out on specific days.  Also, a good tip is to under promise and over deliver!

8:  Acknowledge clients

You have a heavy caseload, the phones are going mad and several priorities to do when an email arrives from an important client and they are expecting you to do a task.  Even if it is brief, acknowledge their email with a friendly greeting and let them either know when you can get the task done or state that you will look into the matter and get back to them within a certain number of days.  That way they feel that they haven’t been ignored and will leave you to get on with the task until the prescribed time in which you said you would update them or get it done.

9:  Delegation

If faced with routine tasks that take up too much of your time, see if you can delegate some of them to a colleague – that way you can focus on the more important tasks.

10:  Analyse your situation

You have several tasks to do at once, an unsupportive Manager who gives you no significant help or support, who is demanding and specifies unreachable deadlines and you feel as though you cannot cope.  Despite taking the matter further, you feel as though you are not being listened to and so the stress spirals further.  Are you working long hours, with no lunch break and little time for family and friends? Does this fit in with your lifestyle and goals?  Unless it’s a job role you really enjoy, does your workplace fit with your lifestyle?  Holistically, are you achieving the right balance? If the job you once loved is now the job you dread and leaves you crunching your stomach every time you wake up in the morning, you really need to assess if you are where you want to be.

Given all of the above, do you find that:

1:  You dread getting up from bed in the morning when contemplating going to work?

2:  Talk endlessly to friends and family about work problems with still no resolution in sight?

3:  Due to a great salary, perks and status feel powerless to leave your job for fear of losing these things but want to explore other options that would enable you a better work/life balance?

4:   You feel angry, irritated and moody every time you think of work

5:    Throw ‘sickies’

6:   Instinctively, although you like the work, feel that the workplace and demands placed on you are not right and are wholly unreasonable

7:  You often feel stressed, tensed, anxious, dizzy, and make simple yet grave mistakes through poor concentration

8:   You have an inability to sleep through always thinking about outstanding work tasks and deadlines

9:   Your health is affected as a result of under or over eating to cope with stress

10:  You fail to return friends and family calls, as well as make them

11: Cannot relax at home as you are still thinking about your day and the week’s workload to come

12:  You are poorly managed by your boss who is increasing your stress further

13: You feel stressed because you do not fit in with the work culture and feel excluded if you do not join in with office politics or with the popular colleagues at work

14:  Your relationship is affected by your stress at work and you cannot admit to your spouse how bad things are for fear of being seen as ‘weak’

15:  Feel as though you have no one to turn to.

If you are affected by the above and this article touches a chord with you then please contact me on 0208 835 2792 / 07930 549 572 and we can discuss this further.

Author note:

Samantha Elutilo – founder of www.positive-vision.co.uk

Email:  samelu24@yahoo.com / sammi_e@o2.co.uk

Author note:

Samantha Elutilo – founder of www.positive-vision.co.uk

Email:  samelu24@yahoo.com / sammi_e@o2.co.uk

If you would like to book a FREE Life Coaching consulation then contact me by email (see above) or phone 0208 835 2792 (UK dialling code applies).

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There is no reason why weight loss needs to be stressful. Fretting and worrying about your weight will get you nowhere. Follow these enjoyable steps to relax your way to a healthy new you.

Enjoy your food! Eat at a slow pace and really savour every mouthful. The slower you eat the better. Have you ever scoffed down a mammoth sized meal in the blink of an eye only to feel bloated afterwards? This is because it takes a while for your brain to realise you’re full, if you eat too quick your brain doesn’t get a chance to tell you to stop eating!

Pamper yourself everyday. We’ve all fallen victim to nibbling on naughty snacks when we’re bored or when we’re feeling low. Putting time aside just for you is a great way of keeping you busy and of making you feel like a million dollars. Why not try relaxing in a gorgeous face mask, dipping your toes in a foot bath or even enjoying a great novel in a steaming Epsom bath.

Get an early night. In order for your body to function properly and be able to break down fat it needs to be properly rested. This is also essential in keeping you stress free and happy. Make sure you don’t over do it though. Most adults can function fine on 7 hours of sleep per night or less and once you start sleeping more than 9 hours it will start to become detrimental to your health.

Start meditating or practicing yoga. Meditation and yoga are great controllers of stress, both in the short and long term. During times of stress our body secrets cortisol from the adrenal glands. In small amounts this is a positive thing but if its release is over stimulated it leads to weight gain amongst a host of other problems. Meditation and yoga boost your self confidence, give you the ability to manage your emotions and help you manage stress. All of which help you to maintain your weight loss in the long term.

Watch a funny film. Having a 15 minute hearty laugh every day increases your energy burning for the rest of that day. With the bonus of keeping you happy and upbeat!

Try using hypnotherapy. This is a great way to alter your eating habits without the stress and strain of calorie counting. Hypnotherapy trains your subconscious to eat less and eat better, while you stand back and watch yourself overcoming the hurdles your willpower was unable to. You can visit a trained hypnotherapist or go for the cheaper option of using a hypnotherapy CD like the one listed here www.lose-weight-the-easy-way.co.uk.

Use scented candles, incense sticks or oil. The stronger smelling the better! There has been research into the effects of different scents and their effects on our bodies. Peppermint and vanilla have been shown to reduce appetite whilst rosemary and lavender have been shown to reduce cortisol levels.

Acupuncture. This is an old TCM treatment designed to keep the flow of energy through the body flowing smoothly. It helps to solve the root cause of your over eating as well as relaxing and energising you.

Visualisation Techniques. These can be used in relation to many aspects of your life including weight loss. Relax yourself at a time when you know you aren’t going to get disturbed. Visualise yourself with the body you’ve always dreamed of and doing all the things you feel your weight blocks you from doing. This should be fun and not a chore. Enjoy yourself! Really go to town with your imagination. Stop dwelling on wanting to loose weight and start believing your visualisations are real right now!

Enjoy scrambled eggs and green tea for a yummy breakfast. Starting the day with an egg fills you up for longer than food with an equivalent amount of calories as well as boosting your energy levels. Proteins are digested slower than carbohydrates or fat making you feel fuller for longer. An American study showed that dieters where 65% more likely to loose weight after eating eggs for breakfast rather than a bagel based breakfast. As for green tea it increases your metabolism so is perfect for the start of the day! Reap its benefits even further by sipping on a steaming cup throughout the day.

Specialist in self improvement and personal growth techniques.

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Stress is somewhat a word everybody hears in every facet of life but seldom knows to identify the stressors and its way of eliminating it. Talking about stress and being stressed is never easy to deal with.

Stress comes in many variations to every approach in human’s life. Some of us are stressed at work, at home, in social lives, in relationships or for any personal reason. A single stressor may not be the same to another person’s stressed life, thus I am telling you how broad its topic as it can be. Stress also can be detrimental to health if not given enough time to solve it. Hard as it seems, you can never grow out of it unless you have to learn to identify what have caused you to be stressed.

What are stressors?

As being explained in the medical term, it is something or any stimulus/stimuli that have caused you to feel something uncomfortable or that is what we called stress.

So to be healthy, let us know some things that cause stress.

1. Child/Children.

Our God-given blessing is such a wonderful thing to have ever since. They brought us joy, affection, love, guidance and determination towards life. But in other sense, they also cause stress, too. It is for the reason that since from their time of infancy till the time they settle their own life on their own, we as parents, always think of the good things for them. We provide the best both for physiological and psychological needs in order for them to grow responsible citizens and we do give them the good education for them to acquire a greener pasture in time they reach the level of building their own family. These things are quite inevitable stressful for us because our children are the reasons on why we are striving to work in everyday living.

2. Money.

This is basically the reason why people are always working. Money is definitely important to us and so stressful, too. To think of the monthly bills, food allowances, personal needs and wants, money is at the top of all and it is a no question why money could be one  of the top reasons of stress. Especially nowadays, prices of commodities are always getting higher and this keeps us on bothering to budget our income.

3. Health problems.

As an old adage goes “Health is wealth”, health is very important to us. Thus, if you know that you have an illness no matter how small it may be, you will feel so uncomfortable and worry too much about it. Others may think about it already as a huge problem, thus releasing stress to their lives.

4. Threat.

Threat is one of the stressors. If you think you are being threatened- be it social, financial, personal, or physical, your sense of anxiety will increase and this could be the reason of any physical ailments you will likely suffer due to the result of stress.

5. Cognitive Dissonance.

Dissonance occurs when you have a logical inconsistency of your beliefs, principles or any frame of ideas. Like for instance, you can tell to others that you are an honest person, but time came when you lied for an important purpose and by this circumstance,  you already have dissonance. Cognitive dissonance often leads to guilt, frustration, anger, or disappointments which could definitely be so stressful to anyone’s space.

6. Fear.

Any forms of fear can be a stressor. It is merely because when you are fear of something or to someone, the tendency is you keep on worrying what will going to happen, then by doing so, you do not know you are already on the verge of a stressed life.

So?

For you to eliminate stress, try to relax once in a while. Go out yourself to beach walk or simply lay down inside your cozy room while thinking of the good things you achieved. Learn to relax your mind and body as well. Moreover, you really need to recognize every stressor that cause you stressed because there is no other way to get things in remedy than by knowing causes of your stress. And most importantly, pray. This might be the lost dimension in your life. Prayer works wonders!

Davidson Powell

http://www.DavidsonPowell.com

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Probably more than any other age group, all teenagers feel the basic emotional satisfaction in being able to fit in socially with their peers.  The need to “fit in” was a part of the development and growing process back when I was a teenager in the early to mid 1970′s.  Unfortunately, with what is going on in the world today, another problem has become quite evident.  Social anxiety in teenagers has become a disturbing trend with many youth in our world.

So just what is the difference between growing up as a teenager today, compared to how it was 35 years ago?  Simply take a look at what has gone on in the world since the early 1990′s as there you will find part of your answer.  Involving the United States, there have been conflicts in Afghanistan, and two wars in the Middle East.  We have seen natural disasters involving hurricanes and tornadoes which have left hundreds of thousands homeless. Not just in America, but there has been a global economic turndown not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930′s.  In addition there were the catastrophic events of 9/11.

All of the negativity at present within our world has affected a vast percentage of adults today.  Emotional disorders involving anxiety, stress, depression, and outright anger has statistically affected more adults than at any other point in history.  Would it be considered such a stretch to assume that teenagers in our society have been affected as well with what has been going on globally?

Statistically, 67% of all marriages end up in divorce.  In many homes, a single parent raises kids.  Many single parents do an outstanding job serving as role models for today’s youth.  However, that is not always the case.  Teenagers who may lack the presence of a father or mother figure in the family often suffer emotionally.  13-15 year old kids may want to believe that they are ready to become less dependent on their parents, (or in many instances a parent). But, these young teenagers are often too immature to make the right decisions for their own selves. If a father or mother figure is not around to provide wise guidance, then that can be a recipe for kids that age to make unhealthy and wrong choices.

Teenagers want to be liked by their peers.  The need to fit in and be accepted by peers often forces teenagers to try and get involved with a particular group of friends.  Back when I was in a teenager, you generally had your “cliques” involving the athletes, the kids with the brains, and those who just looked to get by in school. Today, it is much more complicated.  With the presence of gangs now in many schools and towns across America, teenagers often consider the option of joining such negative groups all with the idea of being accepted by others.

We also live in the electronic age of communication involving Blackberry’s and I-Phones.  Sadly, the notion of talking to someone face-to-face has been replaced by text messaging and voice mail.  There are social networking outlets on the Internet which involve Face Book, You Tube, Twitter, and My Space. A person’s private and personal information can be put on the Internet, even without his/her consent.  Within milliseconds this information can be read by any individual across the world that has online access.  Without hesitation, a person lacking in moral scruples will go out of his/her way to denigrate another human being.

Teenagers, feeling the need to be accepted spend a majority of their free time online at these social networking sites.  These kids want to hear the latest gossip that is going on within their schools.  They want to communicate with their friends outside of the school setting.  Sadly, kids will pick on those amongst their peers who they view as being different or outcasts.  Sending a text message which humiliates a fellow teenager or posting degrading thoughts on Face Book about an individual who does not “fit in” has the capabilities of spreading like wildfire because of today’s technology.  

Another study has proven that children of those parents who serve in the Armed Forces over in the Middle East and Afghanistan for extended periods of time have also been diagnosed with stress, anxiety, or even severe depression.  Social anxiety amongst teenagers is at an all-time high.  There is one question that I wish to pose to parents and educators of our youth in this country.  What are you willing to do about it?

A parent or educator needs to get involved with a youth who is withdrawn and no longer socializes with his/her peers.  If the teenager expresses a high level of stress and anxiety over the subject of socializing with kids of his/her own age, an adult should not simply ignore the situation.  Get involved with the youth, even if he/she tells you that it is none of your business, (yes you probably know from experience that when upset teenagers can act disrespectfully towards an adult).  Seek immediate and professional counseling for this teenaged individual.  Do not back down or look the other way.  You do not want to be accusatory or confrontational towards this youth.  But, do not walk away either.  Show compassion and a heartfelt conviction to make this youth feel both wanted and loved, and that he/she is an important person in the lives of others.  This young individual needs to know immediately that others do care for him/her.

The absolute worst thing that any parent or educator could do would be in doing absolutely nothing!  Sadly, doing nothing for teenagers who obviously need help has proven to have tragic consequences.  Several teenagers recently committed suicide after being ridiculed via online social networks; sadly many adults chose to look the other way and not get involved in these cases.  This reluctance on the adults’ part by not actively helping troubled kids also played a part in what happened in the Columbine high school shooting tragedy back in 1999.  Those kids felt as if they were viewed as nothing but outcasts by their peers.  However instead of simply taking their own lives tragically, these troubled teenagers also chose to enact revenge by slaughtering the lives of many innocent individuals who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time that day.

Social anxiety amongst teenagers needs to be seriously addressed by adults.  If you happen to know of such a youth, seek to actively participate in helping this young individual.  There is an online site that addresses the need for helping youth who suffer from social anxiety.  I urge you to seek more information by visiting the site at:  http://curepanicattacks57.info.

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It is advisable to assume that any mention of a product or service on this website is made because there exists, unless otherwise stated, a material connection between the product or service owners and this website.  Should you make a purchase of a product or service described here the owner of this website may be compensated.

Twelve years ago, I went through a very traumatic experience in my life. Because of that I eventually was diagnosed with an anxiety disorder through a medical professional in the field of psychiatry. I had many panic attacks that I often found to be overwhelming. At times, I feel as if I was not in control of the thoughts coming from my mind. Through behavior modification exercises provided by a trained medical professional, and through loving support of friends and family members, I overcame this disorder. I wish to offer support and guidance to those individuals who are going through the same ordeal as I did.

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One of the first steps to managing stress is to become aware. Awareness of what is going on within your body and mind are key.

Using the previous two weeks as your time frame, list all the physical and emotional symptoms of stress you have experienced. Begin by identifying symptoms; the location of where they are occurring in your body; how often they occur; and what your thoughts were just prior to and while you are experiencing them.

As you become aware of what your stress symptoms are, as well as what your thoughts are, you can begin to instantly change them with these two simple techniques. Controlling your breath and your internal dialog. It’s really that simple. Few people, however, take the time to do either in a stressful situation nor recognize the need to control both oxygen intake and their thought patterns. Both of which affect the nervous system and it’s coping mechanisms.

One of the best things you can do in a stressful situation is to simply breathe. Remind yourself to take a few deep breaths and continue to control your breathing. Anxiety will begin to diminish because you have redirected your focus. Breathing influences the sympathetic nervous system to regulate blood pressure, heart rate, circulation, digestion and other bodily functions.

When you are experiencing emotional stress, the sympathetic nervous system is stimulated and affects a number of physical responses. Muscles tense, breathing becomes either shallow or rapid, the heart rate increases and we begin to perspire. Breathing causes stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system which then results in relaxation and reversal of the stressful responses that were elicited by the sympathetic nervous system.

Breathing also provides oxygen to the circulatory and respiratory systems to purify our blood by removing poisonous waste products that are circulating throughout our blood systems. Irregular breathing will hamper the purification process and cause waste products to remain in circulation. The lack of necessary oxygen leads to the build up of the waste products which in turn causes fatigue and heightened anxiety states.

The second critical component to managing stress is recognizing the importance of the mind-body connection. Our internal dialog will direct our body and determine our actions. Internal dialog is so powerful it can create stress to the point of bringing on anxiety attacks. Likewise, changing the internal dialog can change your emotional states and eliminate anxiety attacks.

Much of the internal dialog that goes on is so subtle that it occurs on the subconscious level. When stress is occurring at the subconscious level, more cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands and associated with stress, is released with the potential to bring about a host of illnesses.

If your thoughts run rampant and you are telling yourself things like “I don’t have enough time” or “I can’t do this” or “this is just too much for me,” you are creating a snowball effect of spiraling and anxious thoughts. Some degree of hopelessness is involved with this kind of thinking.

“How” questions are much more productive to getting what you want and managing stress. “How do I?” questions want to know a way, an answer, and some knowledge of “how” to accomplish the underlying desire. For example, consider the question “How can I feel at peace?” This question presupposes you are capable of experiencing peace and that there is a way to do it.

The next step is to come up with the ways you can feel at peace. If your internal dialog consists of “why” questions such as “why is this happening to me” or “why can’t I ever get a break,” your brain is in an endless loop of trying to find out why you “can’t” do the thing you wish to do and creates stress and frustration. A better question to ask is “what’s my next step.”

The quality of the questions you are asking yourself has a dramatic impact on your internal state. Ask better questions, breathe and relieve stress.

Beverly Ambrosio is a Personal Development and Business Coach,  Certified NLP Practitioner.  She empowers clients to achieve higher levels of success through focus and awareness.

Beverly has spent over 30 years studying numerous success principles and methodologies, as well as neuroscience and psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas.

For information on how you can receive coaching from Beverly, visit http://www.coachbeverly.com.

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