So you're stressed out at work. Join the club. Managers and bosses are expecting more from us in less time with fewer resources. Show me a person who's not stressed at work and I'll show you a person who's not working. A Gallup Poll states that 80% (that's 4 out of 5 people!) feel stress on the job, and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress.
The American Medical Association estimates that 70-90% of all disease related illness is caused by stress. That statistic is absolutely incredible! Just by relaxing and managing stress we can live healthy and more fulfilling lives. New research has linked stress in the workplace to the onset of heart disease. I know that some of us love our jobs, but come on, that's taking it a bit too far! Stress has also been linked to diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, depression, digestive problems, arthritis, reproductive problems and cancer. Our health is at stake folks. Fortunately, just by relaxing for a few moments everyday you can combat the negative effects of stress and live a healthier, calmer, and more fulfilling life.
The term stress was coined by Hans Selye who was born in Vienna in 1907. In 1926, during his second year of medical school, he began developing his famous theory of the influence of stress on people's ability to cope with, and adapt to, the pressures of injury and disease. Dr. Selye discovered that patients with a variety of ailments displayed many similar symptoms, which he ultimately attributed to their bodies' efforts to respond to the stresses of being ill. He called it the Stress Syndrome or the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS).
Dr. Selye wrote over 30 books and more than 1,500 articles on stress and related problems. His books include Stress without Distress (1974) and The Stress of Life (1956). After years of his impressive findings and theories, some of his colleagues began to refer to him as "the Einstein of medicine." He lived until 1982 in Montreal, where he spent 50 years studying the causes and consequences of stress.
By now you may be thinking, "So this guy studied all of this stuff. That's nice, but how does it affect me?" Dr. Selye observed that regardless of the type of disease patients came in with, they were all having common problems in their bodies. In fact, this phenomenon was not only attributed to humans. It didn't matter if he was observing rats, or monkeys, or other mammals, he noticed that physical and emotional stress induced a pattern, that if left untreated, lead to infection, illness, disease, and possible death. That's why 70-90% of all disease is attributed to stress.
So how does stress turn into a disease? When faced with a stressor, the body automatically goes into an alarm reaction which is the first state of the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). This is also known as the "fight or flight" response. The primary directive of your subconscious mind, which runs all of the functions in your body, is SURVIVAL. Because we are hard wired to survive, our bodies will do whatever they need to do to combat that stress and ensure our longevity. During these stressful times, our immune systems are repressed and normal levels of resistance are lowered. We are then more susceptible to infection and disease. If the stress is not severe or long-lasting, we bounce back and recover rapidly. If the stress is prolonged, disease sets in. With the current state of our economy, and the seemingly never ending stressors at our jobs, more and more of us are falling into the 'prolonged stress' category.
So what can you do to combat the negative effects of stress? The simple answer is to relax. Unfortunately, sometimes that is easier said then done. One of the quickest and most effective ways to calm down is to breathe deeply. Take a moment and close your eyes. Breathe deeply into your chest and release it. Then breathe deeply into your belly and release it. When we breathe deeply, the diaphragm pushes against the Vagus nerve which is located in our chest. This nerve is a superhighway that, when activated, communicates the "all is okay" signal to the body. (Think about it, if you're running or fighting for your life, chances are you're not breathing too deeply.) Keep breathing deeply until your body and mind begin to feel calm and relaxed again. You've got the greatest tool to relax right at your disposal. Begin using it today to be healthier, happier, and more productive at work.
