Stress – a subject very close to all of us. It is one of the most GOOGLED search words for a reason. It is experienced by ALL of us – some just cope better with it than others.
Stress is the emotional and physical way we respond to a perceived threat, pressure or crisis. The fight or flight response is the way our bodies protect us from life threatening situations and this response can save our lives. However, the problems start when we have this response to non-life threatening experiences due to the fact that they occur on a more regular basis, increasing the release of the stress hormone cortisol which begins to have a negative effect on our mental and physical health when produced in quantities over and above the need.
Take time to identify your stressors and start building coping mechanisms to deal with stress effectively! Only YOU can change the game plan.
How stressed are you at work?
|
Statement |
Often 3 |
Sometimes 2 |
Seldom 1 |
| Office politics interferes with my work
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| I can’t get the information I need to perform my work
|
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| What is expected or how I should perform is not clear to me
|
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| Competition results in back biting
|
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| I don’t have the resources to get my job done
|
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| I am discriminated against at work
|
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| My job interferes with my personal time | |||
| I deal with conflicting demands
|
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| My work is not rewarding in a way I feel good about
|
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| My work environment lacks room for creativity and personal input
|
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| I am not given any authority
|
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| I frequently feel deadline pressure
|
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| I have little input in decisions that affect my work
|
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| I don’t have a clear idea about my Company’s goals
|
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| Aspects of my work change too often
|
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| My work does not provide clear pathways for advancement
|
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| Total items ticked
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| Multiplied by the figure in the top row | |||
| Total
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Scoring:
| 16 – 26 | Your work environment is slightly stressful. You have a few stressful situations to identify and change. |
| 27 – 37 | Your work environment is moderately stressful. You have specific areas you need to identify, talk about and seek a solution for. |
| 38 – 48 | Your work environment is highly stressful. You need to take responsibility to talk to your Manager about specific problem areas and solve the stressful causes. |
6 fun ways to deal with stress:
- Slow down, breath and get enough sleep
- Find ways to laugh
- Listen to music
- Exercise and Eat properly
- Focus only on what you can control
- Act how you want to feel
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
Gandhi
“It’s not stress that kills us – it’s our reaction to it.”
Hans Selye
“The activity of worrying keeps you immobilized.”
Wayne Dyer
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