Women, as well as men, fall victim to stress at the office…
Data from the Women’s Health Study, which was sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, found women who reported high job strain–doing demanding work with little or no decision making authority or the use of creativity and skills–increased their risk of cardiovascular disease by 40%. They also had an 88% increase in heart attacks.
How should women (and men) manage stress, since there’s no escaping it?
Three Easy Steps
Health magazine advocated these changes which could help to reduce the harmful effects of stress:
1.) Get a Head Start! Plan on arriving at the office 10-15 minutes earlier. This allows you to assess your schedule for the day, catch up on e-mails, and prepare yourself for what’s ahead without interruptions.
2.) Get a “Work Spouse”! There’s always someone we connect with at the office who turns into an ally we can usually count on–let that person be your sounding board and be theirs. While it’s important to vent about politics in the workplace, be sure you do it in the proper place, you wouldn’t want others to overhear your conversation.
3.) No Work at the Table! While you can’t always leave work at the office, you can control when you don’t give those at home your undivided attention. Be sure to establish reasonable guidelines for yourself, not cheating those you love out of their time with you. Never have your cell or computer at the dinner table, let that be a special time to connect without interruption.
©2011
