Work Stress and How to Handle it

We all face different variations of stress throughout our lives. Some being good and some being downright awful. In this article, we'll help identify the types of stress you may experience as well as the many ways to help alleviate it to create a healthy balanced lifestyle. We will also work out ways to utilize stress into something productive and exciting.

Let's start. Stress, by dictionary definition, is a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. This is quite common in high traffic, high production environments where expectations and deadlines are crucial to a functioning objective, or as simple as an organization going through an unexpected change. We are creatures of habit after all and its not surprising change can cause stress.

Acute stress is a short term response to a sudden burst of energy or a challenge that excites a person. It only lasts momentarily and then the body will return to normal. Sometimes this can be seen as a cause of deadlines creeping in, new projects forming, and even change itself.

Episodic Acute Stress is when the short term response is put on a live wire and the body is never given a chance to rest. This happens in fast paced, deadline based environments. Typically this can be tied to crunch within a lot of industries including the game industry.

Chronic Stress is a long-term effect based on stressors that never tend to go away. This could be due to a work environment, a living arrangement, a constantly living on pins and needles feelings.

Ways to Identify the 3 Stresses

Acute Stress: Anxiety, Pupils Dilated, Poor Sleep, Emotional

Episodic Acute Stress: Feeling Overwhelmed, Irritability and Anger, Hypertension

Chronic Stress: Chronic Headaches, Insomnia, Weight Gain

There are many ways to help alleviate stress but its good to try more than one as the solutions are not a one fit all.

Exercise: will help clear the mind and put the body back into rhythm and it also helps remove the stress on the muscles.

Therapy: sometimes the stress digs deep and talking to someone, preferably a licensed therapist, will help identify, solve, and remove the stressors.

Meditation: Mediation is about finding your center and removing worldly distractions. It is a reset on the body and will help you control your breathing.

Eat Healthy: The body needs its nutrients to help stay active and alert. Eating healthy foods will help the emotional state and stabilize minds.

Stepping away: Retreating is the bodies way of putting up defenses and heal. It is better to step away from work for a bit if its causing stress and spend time with family and friends. Taking time for yourself will help zero in on what's important to you.

If you encounter stress and it seems to be a little too out of control, make sure to take time for yourself. Mental health is no joke and if it helps, talk to someone about it! If there are any experiences you've had, let me know and we can talk about it.