Economy Sends Stress Levels Sky-High

NewsUSA) – As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, on-the-job stress levels reach all-time highs. In fact, work-related stress plagues 80 percent of American workers.

 

Bullying, unsupportive colleagues and managers, interruptions, pressure and lack of direction can all contribute to workplace stress. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, early warning signs of too much stress at work include headaches, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, short temper, upset stomach, job dissatisfaction and low morale.

Some severely stressed workers leave their jobs or their fields to find more balance in their life. But as the tough economy makes finding jobs more difficult, many Americans feel reluctant to jeopardize steady incomes. At the same time, workers are reluctant to reveal their stress on the job, lest they find themselves unemployed.

Here are three tips for Americans looking to find ways to manage their job-related stress levels:

1) Change your venue. Location, location, location is everything when it comes to reducing stress in your office. From the color of your walls, to the position of your desk, your mood will increase as your space gets more tranquil. Also, plants breathe life into stagnate work environments.

2) Increase your Pro Bono work. The average American works over 40 hours a week and gets less than seven hours of sleep on the weekdays. Weekends are a good time to change your routine. If you can’t relax on the weekend, don’t power through it. Instead, put your energy into helping a charity or giving back to your community. By doing this, you will alleviate stress and find fulfillment in another area besides your career.

3) Balance the scales. If you start your day with a cigarette, a double-shot coffee and a dose of your child’s ADD medicine, you need to balance that with some calming foods and supplements as well. Some natural, whole-food based supplements can relieve stress and anxiety without causing drowsiness. For example, one product, Relaxity, contains gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and adaptogenic herbs that produce a relaxed state without inspiring yawns.

Double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies prove that GABA, used in Relaxity, can diminish stress, worry and anxiety, and that it might also allow for better focus and concentration.