Work stress can even lead to mortality over time

“Some simple lifestyle changes and balance can help in overcoming this condition”

New Delhi, June 7, 2018:

According to a recently published study, job stress can be detrimental to life. This is particularly true in case of men who work in a demanding environment with little control over their workload even if they maintain a healthy lifestyle. Such men have a 68% greater risk of premature death as per the study. Work is a common source of stress in adulthood, triggering natural stress responses.

While some workplace stress is normal, excessive stress can interfere with your productivity and performance, impact your physical and emotional health, and affect your relationships and home life. It can even mean the difference between success and failure on the job.

Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee, Dr K K Aggarwal, President, HCFI, said, “Job stress raises the risk of heart disease by disrupting the body’s internal systems. Stressed workers also eat unhealthy food, smoke, drink and skip exercise – all behaviors linked to heart disease. They have lowered heart rate variability – a sign of a poorly–functioning weak heart – and higher–than–normal levels of cortisol, a ‘stress’ hormone that provides a burst of energy for a fight–or–flight response. Too much cortisol circulating in the blood stream can damage blood vessels and the heart. Conflicting priorities between work and home have a negative effect on mental health and have been linked to some substance-abuse issues.”

 Some signs and symptoms of excessive workplace stress include anxiety, irritability, depression, loss of interest, insomnia and other sleep disorders, fatigue, trouble concentrating, muscle tension or headaches, stomach problems, social withdrawal, loss of sex drive, and substance abuse.

Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, who is also the Group Editor of IJCP, said, “While lifestyle changes and balancing are important, another aspect to this is learning from Lord Ganesha, who can be termed as the stress management guru. If Lord Krishna was the first counselor who taught the principles of counseling, Lord Ganesha taught us the principles of stress management. We should worship Lord Ganesha and become like him whenever we face any difficulty or are stressed out.”

Some tips from HCFI to manage workplace stress.

• Form positive relationships and take your colleagues into confidence when you feel a task is getting out of hand.
• Start your day by eating a healthy and filling breakfast. This will not only help you concentrate but also ensure that you stay away from stress.
• Get enough sleep and do not let work seep in to your sleep time. Make sure you go to sleep around the same time every day.
• Get about 30 minutes of physical activity every day. This will release endorphins, feel-good hormones that can help uplift your mood.
• Prioritize and organize your work. This will ensure that you avoid any backlogs that can spill on to your leisure time.