National Geographic has a documentary on stress entitled, “Stress: Portrait of a Killer”. It highlights the work of Stanford University professor, Robert Sapolsky who has studied “stress” for much of his career. The doctor describes, “…The human stress response has saved our lives. Today, we turn on the same life-saving physical reaction to cope with intense, ongoing stressors – and we can’t seem to turn it off.”
“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. 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” reports the American Institute of Stress. (Scroll down and register for more information)
The Institute is frequently asked to construct lists of stressful occupations but such rankings have little importance. It is not the job but “the person-environment fit that matters. Some individuals thrive in the time urgent pressure cooker of life in the fast lane, having to perform several duties at the same time and a list of things to do that would overwhelm most of us — provided they perceive that they are in control. They would be severely stressed by dull, dead end assembly line work enjoyed by others who shun responsibility and simply want to perform a task that is well within their capabilities.” Stress is a highly personalized phenomenon but we all seem to be experiencing it in significant quantities.
Stress Relief Articles & Series
De-Stressing & Breathing (1): Pythagorean Style
Stress Triggers
Have You Ever Considered Hiring a Coach? (1)
Re-Invigorate Your Career (1)
Choosing To Be Happy: 7 Strategies to Becoming a Happier Person (1)
The Statistics Are Clear
Here are some numbers from the CDC, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the American Institute of Stress.
80% of workers feel stress on the job
50% say they need help in learning how to manage stress
42% say their coworkers need help learning how to manage stress
40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful
25% view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives
26% of workers said they were “often or very often burned out by their work”
18% had experienced some sort of threat or verbal intimidation in the past year
25% have felt like screaming or shouting because of job stress
10% are concerned about an individual at work they fear could become violent
12% had called in sick because of job stress
19% had quit a previous position because of job stress
25% have been driven to tears because of workplace stress
62% routinely find that they end the day with work-related neck pain
Job stress is more strongly associated with health complaints than financial or
family problems.
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