Stress at work: six steps to stress-free work
Ready to throttle your boss? Quit the rat race for a desert island? If so, you're not alone.
Work-related stress is affecting an increasing number of workers these days. It's a hot topic, and numerous studies warn of its dangers.
Now New Scientist magazine has compiled a set of six steps, culled from international research, for lowering stress at work - and avoiding a prison stretch.
1. Top of the list is to create a good space. Along with an amenable physical environment - comfortable chair, natural light, the right temperature - everyone should work together in one large, shared area breaking down boundaries and fostering communication.
2. Raise your status is - unsurprisingly - another great stress buster. But since taking over the company is rarely an option, try to negotiate your hours, educate yourself and work as a team.
3. An easier goal is to be social - hang out at the water cooler, have lunch with your supervisor, confide in colleagues and booze it up together after work.
4. But, don't be too social. Being sociable is great, but sociability to the point of not getting anything done is stressful.
5. Then, learn to switch off. So-called 'psychological detachment' from the office has been associated with less fatigue, a more positive mood and fewer days off work.
6. If all else fails, try modern stress-busting techniques like a trip to an oxygen bar, nipping out to an 'animal therapy' centre where you can rub a cat's tummy, or - just take a nap.
