How To Relieve Occupational Stress
How To Relieve Occupational Stress
Occupational stress is running rampant these days. One study showed that families are taking twenty eight percent fewer vacations, our workweek is seven hours longer than it was two decades ago, and we are getting an hour-and-a-half less sleep than two generations ago. How do you relieve some of this occupational stress to improve your quality of life? Here are some tips.
Therapy
Take full advantage of the therapy that is provided through your company or health plan. Here are several types of stress therapy that may benefit you.
One type of therapy for occupational stress uses articles, books, and other research materials to start off the healing process. Literary therapy is gathering information about stress so you will know enough to be able to deal with the symptoms.
Talk therapy may be the next step you will want to take after literary therapy. This therapy just allows you to talk about your feelings with the therapist. The therapist may also want you to vent to a trusted friend, family member, or co-worker.
Two deeper types of occupational stress therapy are behavioral therapy and cognitive therapy. They teach you how to look at the way you handle stress and give you new tools to deal with it in a healthy way. Behavioral therapy teaches you how to take a step back from a situation to calm yourself and make a better decision. Cognitive therapy teaches you that if you react negatively to a situation you will cause stress symptoms.
Supplements
Many people swear by over-the-counter cures for occupational stress, such as taking supplemental vitamins, minerals, and herbal remedies. Some herbal remedies you may want to try include Kava Kava, St. John's Wort, 5-HTP, SAM-e, and Valerian. Many of these also help relieve symptoms of anxiety that come from stress.
Change in Work Habits
Maybe the most important way to cure occupational stress is to change your work habits. Here are some things to think about:
You may want to try asking your boss to shorten your hours, giving you certain days off or letting you take your vacation early.
If you can, try taking a five-minute break when you feel your neck start to tighten or you head start to hurt. Go to the bathroom and wash your face, go get a drink of water, or do some stretches at your desk.
Take your vacation time! Studies show that a person needs at least a two weeks of vacation time to recover from occupational stress burnout.