For some twenty five years now stress has been seen as something of a health epidemic and the situation continues to worsen as an increasing number of workers report they are increasingly suffering stress in the workplace. Indeed work now provides the main environment for the development of stress among American adults. But levels of stress have also risen for children in the past few years and many people believe that this is linked to a loss of family and religious values, isolation, a lack of social support and simple corporate greed.

Stress these days is more of a danger than it was only ten years ago and appears to be more prevalent and more insidious than ever with far more stress coming from psychological instead of physical threats.

Stress contributes to a rise in heart rate and increased flow of blood in turn creating a higher blood pressure. Levels of blood suger also increase to give the body the added fuel which it requires to combat stress and our body is designed to push blood away from the stomach when under stress in order to provide extra strength in our arms and legs as part of what is typically called our “flight or fight” response.

Stress contributes to chronic depression and anxiety as well as to gastrointestinal and skin problems and interferes with the working of a number of our main organs. It can also cause impairment of the immune system which in unable to fight off viral conditions from the not particularly serious cold to serious conditions such as cancer and AIDS.

Stress in the workplace directly influences such things as productivity and absenteeism and the business climate increasingly worsens with competition today at an all-time high. The pressure which is placed upon employees to produce and the continual worry about job security can lead to a variety of conditions including back pain, neck pain, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, ulcers and heart attacks. 

Stress comes from many different quarters including just sitting at a computer monitor for seven hours a day or more, meeting quotas or having someone continually monitoring you. Here the results are typically seen as depression and a range of physical ailments which result in lost working hours.

Taking the steps needed to manage the stress you have in your life may well be the nicest gift that you can give yourself and just a few simple alterations to your life can make a big difference to the way in which you handle stress. For instance, taking just 20 minutes out of your day to walk will reduce your level of stress as will talking to other people, prayer and meditation and eating a healthy diet. Take the time necessary to learn a few methods of relaxation because breathing and relaxation exercises can considerably reduce your level of stress.