Office Stress Management Techniques

Office workers flock to stress management workshops because of the ongoing, never ceasing pace of life in the windowed office, or worse, in the dreaded cubicle. Employees get little choice about the kinds of varied personalities, cores values and work ethics that their coworkers possess, and as a result, anxiety and strain is an occupational hazard for the office worker. The fortunate people who choose to work in the great outdoors can often put space between themselves and other workers, and it becomes difficult for them to appreciate the intense and sometimes grueling strain thatcan be placed on workers staring at computer screen all day, often without windows to provide a mental break. It is not hard to find little reminders of the nervous tension in the office. Photocopies of the words, "Bang head here," or "Don't even think of talking to me, I am having a bad day," regale many walls of offices and cubicles, most frequently found among those ranked a little below middle management where often the stress of a manager is easily passed to subordinates. Office stress management techniques that many people know to do are easily forgotten or ignored.

Stress occurs in human beings when there is failure to adapt to changes in their environment. Consider a bridge built in the 1920's to withstand the weight of forty vehicles each weighing two thousand pounds. This same bridge will strain and break with the weight of forty SUVs today if changes are not made to the bridge to raise the load limit. Stress management workshops underline and underscore the need for people to make changes as the result of anxiety or stress levels rising. Failure to do so gives humans the same bleak outlook as the old bridge. But too often, extreme pressure at work is a given. "Cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." (I Peter 5:7)

There appears to be a minority of companies that really take this problem seriously. Businesses that offer monthly or even yearly opportunities to attend stress management workshops on company time seem rare, and appear to only be taking place with the most newly formed and innovative companies. Often these new companies are run by younger individuals who have recognized that a workforce relieved of constant anxiety and high pressure is a workforce that will accomplish greater things. For the average company, workers are often expected to discover and use office stress management techniques on personal time and if there are workshops in the area that could help to relieve such strain, they must be scheduled on weekends or after six pm on workdays. But there is help from a number of sources for things to do at work to help harried workplace personnel.

It would seem simple to know whether or not one's workplace is stressful. But the proverbial frog in the beaker story reminds readers that often stress can sneak up without real warning. Office stress management techniques must begin with the question of how to spot stressful environments, and fortunately there are some clear warning signs. For example, tension seems to be unusually high most of the time. The same problems still crop up year after year. Disorganization reigns supreme. Managers in these anxiety filled office environments are often seen as bullies or mouthpieces for the company line instead of being coaches that can bring out the best in people under their care.

There are more warnings about creeping anxiety and pressure in the workplace. Workers are performing tasks without knowing how the tasks relate to the overall mission of the company. The only joking among workers is barbed, personal digs meant to be funny, but in reality hide true feelings of resentment or mistrust or jealousy. Intervention for workers in this kind of environment needs to be immediate and decisive. Office stress management techniques should be implemented, and should be a companywide action, not an optional, weekend, non-paid calendar add-on. Companies that recognize a moral obligation to provide a positive atmosphere for its workers can expect a loyal and productive staff. Developing this type of upbeat atmosphere is the purpose of stress management workshops that specialize in the reduction of a negative atmosphere in the office arena.

However the office can be a very murky world in which to attempt to practice office stress management techniques when support from upper management is absent. The office atmosphere can often be a very structured environment where workers are being closely observed to ensure that production is not suffering with what can often be seen as non-approved activities. However, if company owners can catch the vision of a truly positive environment that will pay long term dividends in production and employment longevity, there are some pretty neat ideas floating around that can benefit entire companies that have a large or small office staffs. Many of the following ideas come right from stress management workshops, not just for office workers, but for all classifications of employment. They are shared because they are easy to do.

If one is a commuter to work in a personal vehicle, arrive ten minutes earlier than usual and spend the time in meditation of spiritual dimensions, or listening to a CD of ocean sounds or forest sounds(rock music or hip hop does not count!), accompanied by a deep breathing exercise that lasts at least ten minutes. This same deep breathing can be extremely beneficial when it is obvious that blood pressure is rising. Unstressing means to learn how not to chew over and over again the scenes in your mind that bring stress. Leave the instant replays to the football game on television and let it go!

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