There are growing numbers of women who experience office stress on a regular basis.  The number is increasing.  In a difficult economy, you may find it more difficult to cope with stress at work.  Layoffs and budget cuts are constant reminders of the fragile work environment that many individuals find themselves experiencing.  Yet, women, have additional stressors that affect them such as discriminations, stereotyping, and work/home balancing acts.  To assist with these unique stressors, employee policies must be enacted in the workplace to ensure that women are not penalized in their ability to maximize their career potential.  However, on a more general level there are office stressors that women can combat by using specific stress management strategies.  By identifying your stressors and then matching appropriate stress management techniques, you have a greatly chance of reducing the levels of stress at work.  Lowering your stress will allow you to be more productive at work.

Causes of Office Stress

Can you identify what is causing your stress at work.  Identifying the major contributor to stress at work will help you devise the most helpful stress management strategies.  Consider the following sources of stress and see which are the major culprits in your life.

Is there bullying or harassment, by anyone, not necessarily your manager?
Is it your lack of control or a feeling of powerless in determining your own responsibility?
Are there continuous and unreasonable performance demands?
Is there a lack of effective communication in explaining job expectations?
Do you fear a job layoff or have a lack of job security?
Are there long working hours or increased demands for overtime due to staff cutbacks?
Are you forced to spend excessive time away from home and family?
Is there excessive office politics and conflict among staff?
Do you have a feeling that there is a lack of appreciation for your work?

 The key to reducing stress at work is to remove you from the stressor.  Developing new habits which regularly remove you from stressful situations is essentially how to manage stress on a permanent basis. So once you have identified the stressor or stessors, you can target ways to reduce their impact.  The ability for you to manage your stress at work can be the difference between your success and your job failure.  The better you can manage your own stress, the more you will positively affect your co-workers and the less these individuals’ levels of stress will negatively affect you.

Beware of the Warning Signs of Excessive Office Stress

When people feel overwhelmed, they can loose confidence in their ability to perform well at work.  If the warning signs of office stress go unattended, they can lead to more serious problems.  Look for these warning signs if you believe that you have been experiencing high levels or a constant amount of stress over a period of time.

Headaches or Muscle Tension
Trouble Sleeping
Problems Concentrating
Short Temper
 Upset Stomach
Job Anxiety
Apathy or Social Withdrawal

Remember.  Stress significantly reduces brain functions such as concentrating on, analyzing, memorizing, and interpreting data. These are all important components of effective work performance.  If you are suffering from stress at work, and it is beginning to affect your health or work performance, take a moment to reflect on what is causing the stress and what stress management strategies you can use to change the situation.  Commit to change the situation before the situation has a more dangerous consequence on you.

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