Thousands of people are dealing with stress at work each day.What are the biggest causes of stress ?
Studies have show that the biggest cause of stress is lack of control. In fact a study partially funded by Hewlett Packard found that employees who had to commute to work had higher stress levels than a jet fighter pilot going into battle. Wow! Why?
Lack of control. The jet fighter had a plan, he knew what could happen and he had backup plans. The commuter on the other hand has no idea what is going to happen on the road. He doesn't know if suddenly someone might put on their brakes or cut in front of him. He feels a lack of control. This is the biggest cause of stress.
Employees often feel this in their jobs as well. They can't really control how the boss is going to react or what kind of mood he will be in today. they can't control and have no choice in decisions made by their superiors, decisions that will often affect them. They are constantly dealing with stress at work.
Employees have little or no control over how others are performing at their jobs in the company and how a co- worker's lack of performance might affect their job as well.
Many people today have the added fear that their company may be laying off people and they could be the next one to go. The stress spills over to their home life and work/life balance???? What is that anyway? It sounds good but if you are like most of my clients you don't have a clue how to achieve it.
So if the biggest cause of stress is lack of control, what do you do about it? We will always have stress. That is simply a fact of life. The key is becomming resilient to the stress so it no longer affects you in a negative way.
Find out how to reduce stress at work with these easy tips. Is stress affecting your companies bottom line? You might be surprised by this special report.
Productivity and Stress
Dr. Herbert Benson, founder of the Mind/Body Medical Institute and Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School has done research reguarding productivity and stress.
In a 2005 article in the Harvard Business Review his research shows
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Mental productivity is maximized through systematic transitions between stress and relaxation
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Periods of intense stressful efforts are often characterized by heightened concentration and efficiency, however if we push too long stress chemicals begin to undermine mental performance. See Yerkes/Dodson Curve
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When stress is followed by a pleasant and relaxing experience,"the relaxation response ( a set of chemical and structural changes in the brain allows our brain to allow the performance enhancing effects of stress.We experience insights to solve the problem we are working on and when we go back to the problem we are able to attain an even higher level of focus and productivity.
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Meditation for Busy People
“I know I should meditate. I know all the reasons that I should just sit”, Amy sighed
“But I just don’t have the extra time. I’m busy” she cried.
I had heard it before. Amy led a very busy life. She was a professional executive for a large company with many demands.
On top of that she had a husband and two children who also wanted her attention. Between work and home Amy felt stretched to the max. When you add to that the fact she felt responsible for everyone’s happiness why it’s no wonder she couldn’t sit still.
Let’s clear up a few of the common myths about meditation. Read More
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