Stressed Out? It Might Be Your Job

"I'm stressed out."



If you find yourself thinking--or saying--this to yourself

on a regular basis, you might have a real problem on your

hands. Job and career related stress has been on the rise

in recent years, as occupations become more complex, and

workers are taking on more and more responsibility. In

fact,workplace stress is now considered an occupational

illness. Many employees undergo stress as a normal part of

their jobs, but some experience it more severely than

others, to the point that they need time away from work.



According to a survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

extreme occupational stress is classified as a "neurotic

reaction to stress." There were more than 3,500 such illness

cases reported in 2003. The median absence from work for

these cases was 23 days, more than four times the level of

all nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses. And more

than two-fifths of the cases resulted in 31 or more lost

workdays, compared to one-fifth for all injury and illness

cases.



Not surprisingly, the level of workplace stress seems to be

tied directly to the worker's occupation. In fact, just

four industries accounted for the bulk of occupational

stress cases: Services (35 percent), manufacturing (21

percent), retail trade (14 percent), and finance,

insurance,and real estate (12 percent).



In general, white-collar occupations had a higher proportion

of stress cases than both blue-collar and service

occupations combined. Managerial and professional

occupations, with 16 percent of the cases, and technical,

sales, and administrative support occupations with 48

percent, had the highest proportions of occupational stress

cases.



And there appears to be a correlation between stress and a

worker's sex. For each stress-related illness involving a

female, two cases involved a male.



If you're stressed out, you need to look at ways to reduce

that stress before it has a negative effect on your health.

High levels of stress, over time, can lead to sleeping

disorders, high blood pressure, and other physical problems.



If you think your work environment is too stressful, bring

the subject up with your boss or employer. See if there

isn't some way of reducing your workload, or taking away a

few responsibilities so that you don't feel overwhelmed on

the job. If you feel yourself getting stressed out at work,

try relaxing and breathing slowly and deeply for a few

minutes and see if this doesn't calm you down.



Away from work, exercise is a great stress reducer. For many

people, a brisk walk in the evening is enough to unwind them

after a tough day on the job. I've found that yoga works

wonders for me after a tense work day. After a half an hour

doing yoga poses and breathing exercises, I feel refreshed,

and I sleep much better at night. Other people relax by

playing sports, or socializing with friends,or playing with

their kids.



No matter how you relieve stress, just do it. You'll feel a

lot better, both physically and mentally. And if you can't

find a way to manage your stress levels at work, you might

need to think about finding another job.







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Kent Johnson - author, publisher, career coach

"Helping people realize their dreams one career at a time."

Searching for your dream career? Visit the popular

http://www.your-dream-career.com for more info





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