How to solve workplace stress

Lauren Miller //June 20, 2014//

How to solve workplace stress

Lauren Miller //June 20, 2014//

The American Psychological Association says stress costs corporations $300 billion a year in absences, medical costs, lost productivity, and turnover. 78 percent of American workers feel burned out and a third of Americans say they’re living with extreme stress. Nearly 80 percent of all doctor visits are stress-related and 43 percent of adults are sick because of stress.

A landmark 20-year study conducted by the University of London concluded that unmanaged reactions to stress were a more dangerous risk factor for cancer and heart disease than either cigarette smoking or high cholesterol foods.Get the picture? Workplace stress not only costs money; it costs lives. Stress is a silent killer and one of the top stressors that occur in the workplace: “Oh no, what if I lose my job? I stress out every time I have to speak, travel, complete a project by a deadline, or have a performance review.”

What if you know that no matter what situation you find yourself in at work two beliefs will direct your responses? “I am okay just as I am, and I am capable of handling any situation before me.” How would that shift your percep­tion? And the other little cure for stress reduction is this: become a curious and fascinated human being versus a human being who needs to analyze, interpret and conclude at every turn in life.

Remember, stress is simply your perception of an outside circumstance and the power you give it to define your worth, value and capability. As you increase your belief in what you are capable of handling and achieving in this world you release your concern for external reinforcement to validate who you are and why you do what you do.

The next time you feel insecure about a situation on the job simply ask yourself: “What value, talent or life experience am I forgetting that I bring to this situation?” Comparisons and jealousy on the job fuel a ton of inner turmoil on the job and compromise productivity. These two behaviors, along with the emotional baggage they create, flow directly from insecurity and lack of confidence in your ability to believe in you.

Jealousy is the belief that something you have will be taken away from you. As you increase your confidence in the belief that you have what it takes to make a positive contribution at work along with the ability to gather the necessary resources to make a powerful supportive impact, you will find that the serpent of jealousy no longer slithers around your interior castle.

I’m sure you have heard this statement: “When one door closes another opens.” Become a seeker of open doors at work and in life. Remain flexible and be willing to remember YOU in the midst of it all: your talents, gifts, insights, humor, abilities, uniqueness and creativity. Fear of what people will think is enough to cause you to forget all the value you bring to your company simply because you are you. What if you woke up tomorrow and went to work without any fear as to the response of your co-workers? Simply grounding yourself in what you know to be true and valuable is enough to release on the job stress.

Make confidence and love your foundation in all you do. Take nothing personally today, knowing that anything anyone says or does flows from their own journey. Take the mind space you spend ruminating about other people’s opinions and behavior and funnel it into remembering the value you bring into each situation. Increase your confidence in you and the gifts and talents you have been blessed with to contribute to something greater than yourself. You see others as you see yourself. As you release the self-judgment and threatened responses fueled by self-doubt, your ability to create productively will explode and inner peace will return.

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Stress wreaks havoc on productivity and employee health and wellness. Take back the peace. Check out Lauren’s 30-Day Stress Solution Support Program for your team: The Art of Stress-free Living: http://www.laurenemiller.com/follow-up-programs

Listen/Watch this Art of Stress-Free Living Sample: https://www.placeboeffect.com/preview?milestone_id=461