Stress_Management_at_work

"...Stress is a big factor at work."

Many people don’t think about stress management unless they’re already on the verge of burnout. With our busy lives, it doesn’t always seem obviously important to take on the practice of stress management before a worn-out body or an overly taxed psyche force the issue. However, developing healthy stress relieving habits really does pay off in the long run. Not only does a regular stress management practice stave off the negative effects of stress, but it can also bring positive outcomes like increased productivity, better health and more happiness in general. The following are some reasons why:

I am a qualified Indian Head Masseur and Reflexologist based in the Kingston area with a degree in Complimentary Therapy, specialising in Stress Management. I pride myself on the level of intuition I have developed over many years and varied experiences within the caring industry.

Stress management at work. Man on laptop
stressed at work.

I live in Kingston with my son and work part time at a special needs school. I have been practising for 10 years now across all ages, professions and ethnicities. Working in a school for children and young people with a multitude of disabilities. I have clients from an educational background including teachers and therapists.

I run weekly Indian Head Massage and Reflexology sessions with the children and young people who attend the school and have found it to produce a highly successful response rate. Other clients include professionals, actors and musicians. In the past I have worked for Kingston MENCAP providing life skills management and am proficient in locating aliments and areas of discomfort with minimal intrusion.

Using varied combinations of Indian Head Massage, Reflexology and stress management strategies I work on specific health needs and stress levels. I also offer advice and practical advice on a healthy and positive lifestyle in Kingston and beyond.

The focus on health and stress removes the indulgent label that can be put upon therapies, these services are a necessity. The initial session requires a thorough consultation which can take up to an hour, this allows me to individualise the treatment to specific needs.

I believe there are two tiers to the management of stress, discovery and management of the stressors and the physical manifestations, neither of which are independent of the other. Equal focus is placed upon the core reason for the stress and the physical effects and sessions are adapted appropriately.

Sessions are a combination of physical therapies, Indian Head Massage and Reflexology and psychological strategies for example recognition of health issues and life management strategies. Sessions are normally at the clients home, being based in Kingston. I will travel up to a 20 mile radius.

The physical therapies are non invasive and the client remains fully clothed throughout. I believe that the same levels of body responsiveness can be achieved whilst remaining fully clothed and many find it less intrusive than a full body massage.

I am confident about achieving a strong and professional relationship with all clients ensuring they are at complete ease at all times. The sessions in stress management can vary from 2 - 9 sessions and will provide practical advice and local activities in the Kingston area.

Those stress effects the most.

A US study showed as many as 40% of workers described high amounts of stress in their jobs. Without measuring serious stress health problems, or being a scientific gauge, the above gives a rough indication of how prevalent work-related stress is.

Official health records, in the UK, show that nursing and teaching occupations are the most affected by work-related stress, showing 2% of employees at any one time suffering from depression, anxiety and work-related stress. The Japanese even have a word for sudden death due to overwork, called: 'karoushi' as the threat of stress is perceived so strongly there.

(Physical conditions relating to stress rises to a figure of 4% when concerning teachers .) Managers, professionals and care workers, are the occupations next highest affected, with over 1% suffering serious work-related stress at any one time. The work-related stress statistics of UK HSE suggest that work-related stress affects women and men in equal numbers, and people in the 45-retirement age bracket suffer more than people of a younger age bracket.

Research which is more socially-USA based suggests that the following social American groups are more prone to stress (not just limited to work-related stress): city dwellers, women, less educated people, young adults, the unemployed divorced, working mothers, isolated people, people with no health insurance, widowed people. With all the factors affecting the susceptibility of stress, it's not hard to see that each one of us is not immune from stress. 89% of responders in an American poll said that they had experienced serious stress at some point in their lives.

The effects of stress on performance and health.

It has now been proven beyond doubt that stress makes people ill, and there is increasing evidence as to the number of ailments and diseases stress causes. Heart disease can be a cause of stress as it causes high blood pressure and hypertension impairing the immune system. Strokes also link to stress, also ulcers, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), muscle and joint pain, diabetes, miscarriage during pregnancy, alopecia and even premature tooth loss, and allergies.

US studies have demonstrated that you can improve specific aspects of health by removing stress: With people with heart disease, it was shown that stress management could reduce the risk of heart attack by up to 75%; along with methods for coping with anger and stress management techniques, helped in the reduction of high blood pressure, and; it was found that stress management techniques increased the effectiveness of prescribed drugs for people that are chronic tension headache sufferers, and after six months it actually equalled the effectiveness of anti-depressants. For these aliments, the clear implication is that stress worsens them.

Brain functions such as memory, concentration, and learning, all of which are central to effective performance at work, are significantly reduced by stress. Cognitive tests performed by stress sufferers, have significantly shown up to 50% in loss of performance. The body and mind reverts to normal when the stress is relieved, but some health effects caused by stress are reversible. There are other health symptoms caused by stress that are so serious they can be irreversible, and at worse even terminal.

By some, stress is said to be an OK thing, for others and themselves as it promotes positive feelings and excitement. But the above is not defined as the effects of stress. You can get a thrill and excitement derived (e.g.: someone who wants these feelings and can cope with them.) from working hard in a manageable and controlled way towards a realistic aim, which can be very exciting, for certain, but its not stress. Stress is not good for people and companies, it's a health risk and a threat, and needs to be recognised and dealt with, not dismissed as something alright, or welcomed as a medal of heroism.

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