Work Stress

There is stress is any job.  I don't know anyone who has a stress free work environment.  Minimal, perhaps, but not stress-free.  

I've not been handling very well lately and today ended up at my GP's office wherein he gave me a script to take 2 weeks off work.  I have to go back in before my 2 weeks is up and see how I feel.  He says if it's not good then he will give me a further 2 weeks off and he recommends I begin looking for another job.  

So how do you handle it?  How do you de-stress when you leave work?  How do you handle it when you're AT work?  I probably do need to find another job for plenty of other reasons, i.e., the pay is really crap when there are other positions in other places paying more and it's really far away.  But in a way, I feel that it doesn't necessarily solve the problem of stress management.  What if I find myself in an equally stressful situation?  

Thoughts anyone?

Elle,

I'm sorry you're having a hard time with your job.  Can I just say, been there!  (And am still there most of the time...)   :-/

Stress management is a big part of my life.  I've had problems with panic attacks, most recently over the last six months or so...mainly due to work stress.  (Since I don't actually have much of a life outside of work, there could be no other culprit!)  

I have learned to be very aware of my body.  I can get stressed and not even realise it is happening.  And stress is cumulative....by the time you start feeling the effects, you've probably been suffering for days, if not weeks.  

There are lots and lots of methods for dealing with stress.  My favorite, and the one that works best for me is visual relaxation.  My doctor recommended a cd which I use regularly when I notice I'm not feeling right.  It's only about 13 minutes long, I can take it and a walkman to work, do it on the train, or at home....and it has made a big difference.  I should really do it every day, as this is the best way to manage my stress/anxiety/panic...but I'm not that diciplined.  

I've tried all the techniques though....breathing exercises, yoga, progressive muscle relaxation, etc....they are all very simple and can work in combination or exclusively.  Just try a few out one at a time for a few days and see which ones you enjoy the most.  

And then get onto your employers.  If you are suffering from work-related stress, they have to make certain changes in your work schedule to help you get better.  You can work from home, change your hours, all sorts of things like that.  

Here's a couple of links with some good info:

Health and Safety Exec - http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/

Workstress.net - http://www.workstress.net

Mindtools - http://www.mindtools.com/smpage.html

Really hope you feel better soon, sweetie!  Take these two weeks and really try to relax.  I know that's easier said than done, but you owe it to yourself.  Like I said, I know where-of I speak.    I've been dealing with panic disorders for a few years now...if you can take some time and practice unwinding, it can really make a difference.  

Hope that helps a bit and please, if you ever need to talk...just PM me.  

Thanks very much Wishstar.  I've bookmarked those sites.  The "funny" thing is that I did mention to my boss in my annual review that I felt one of my biggest weaknesses was managing stress.  We briefly touched on the subject and he basically said he had nothing to offer me in that realm (of course).  I do have some things I do to manage stress and the other day my most used mantra was BREATHE.  I very often have to remind myself and doing some deep breathing often helps, but even my usual techniques were just not working.

I'm seriously thinking I need to find a stress management class or something.  My sister-in-law works for RELATE so she might be able to direct me.  Thing is, this isn't the first time I've come to the cracking point.  Last December I was getting to that point but fortunately, the holidays happened and I got time off.  That made a huge difference and at the beginning of the year, no problems.  It's only been in the past month or so that it's been getting bad again and I felt that this time I needed to get it on record somewhere.  My doctor seems to feel that them seeing I've been ordered to take time off due to stress will cause my employer to worry.  I think he doesn't know my employer very well.  I work for the head-honcho directly and while he has taken good care of me overall and has been fairly good to me, at the end of the day, he doesn't have a problem making it known that I am "just a secretary" thus implicating I'm really not worth a hill of beans to him.   :-/  It may very well be time to find a new job.  

My body's my gauge. Pains in the stomach and nose bleeds tend to be my indicators of extreme stress. If I can't get away from the situation, I try to at least do something that's concentrated stress relief. Facial, massage, even a leg waxing can be therapeutic. I haven't a clue how to handle stress, except to step away from it. Doesn't solve any situation, but if it stops an embarassing nose bleed, then at least no one sees how much it's getting to me.

I guess if you can't solve the problem, and it doesn't solve itself, it's time to walk away from it. NO ONE should be expected to handle stress as part of their job.