These days everyone you talk to is “stressed out”. It seems like you must be doing something wrong if you aren’t completely overbooked, frazzled, and sleep deprived. Our jobs are requiring more time, more energy, and more productivity than ever before. To keep up, we are sleeping less, spending longer hours in front of the computer, and generally neglecting our health. Finding time for our families is getting harder and harder. Even the commercials on TV, billboards, and magazine ads are all promoting the latest time saving gadget or prepackaged meals on the go in order to help us pack it all in. I know people who eat all of their meals in the car as they run from place to place or meeting to meeting. But in the long run, is this new lightning fast pace that we live in really better? Are we actually getting more done or are we just running ourselves ragged trying desperately to keep up?
When I was told, at 36 years old, that my blood pressure was becoming dangerously high, I was stunned. I had always considered myself pretty healthy. I eat mostly fruits and vegetables and I work out regularly. But wait, do I really? I began to really think about my day to day routine over the previous few months and I realized that I had been cooking at home less and less often and I hadn’t had the energy to actually do yoga or go for a run in a long time. Oh and I wasn’t sleeping at all. The more I began to dig into my daily life, I realized a pattern. I was so stressed from my new position at work that I was literally making myself sick. From the moment I got to work each day, I didn’t stop. I ate lunch in front of my computer so that I didn’t have to take a break, came home late, and then spent the next few hours worrying about all of the work that I wasn’t able to finish that day and then, I would wake up in the middle of the night with my brain going a hundred miles an hour. This lack of sleep and the poor food choices were causing me to be too exhausted to do the activities that I enjoyed and the stress just continued to build. And to add insult to injury, I was gaining weight. I decided that my health was much more important than anything going on at work and I needed to make a change. It is amazing what happens when you finally decide to put your health first. By making a few simple habit changes, I was able to manage my stress and to start each day feeling amazing! Oh and with all of the quality sleep, I was more efficient and effective at my job.
The American Psychological Association performs a study every year called “Stress in America: Our Health at Risk” which polls over a thousand people on their perceived stress levels. According to the report from the 2011 study, “Participants’ responses have revealed high stress levels, reliance on unhealthy behaviors to manage stress and alarming physical health consequences of stress — a combination that suggests the nation is on the verge of a stress-induced public health crisis.” The results from this study indicated that most participants felt that their stress had increased, with 39% reporting increased levels of stress over the last year and 44% reporting increased stress over the past 5 years. But what is most telling is that while participants are reporting continued stress over the years, they do not seem to know how to manage it, with only 26% of participants reporting “they are doing an excellent or a very good job at preventing themselves from becoming stressed.”
So how do we manage the stress that is becoming a way of life? Start with these simple steps. First, plan to take mini breaks throughout the day. This could mean taking a walk around the office or taking a few moments to have a friendly chat with a colleague. This could even be as short and simple as closing your eyes, readjusting your posture, and taking several deep breaths every 15 to 20 minutes. Additionally, resolve to actually take a lunch break. Head to the lunch room or take your lunch outside so that you can easily focus on enjoying your meal. If possible, take a brisk walk after eating. Or, if leaving your desk is just not feasible, turn off your computer screen and savor every bite. In the evening, at least an hour before going to bed, turn off the TV, computer, cell phones, etc. and do something that you enjoy. Take a walk, play a game, take a hot bath, or catch up with your family. This hour should be used to wind down, settle, and prepare your body for sleep so that when bed time rolls around your brain has started to relax and you are truly ready for a good night sleep. Over time, you will find that being well rested will actually make you more efficient and effective at your job.
So while it seems that our lives are not going to slow down anytime soon, being able to manage the inevitable stress will allow us to be more effective professionals and continue to be healthy even as we age.
Check out my webpage (http://www.bethmarek.com) to learn more about my new program Rested, Nourished, Vibrant, which will help you learn to manage stress, eat well, sleep great, and feel amazing!
Anderson, N., Johnson, S., Belar, C., Breckler, S., Nordal, K., & Ballard, D. (2012). Stress in America: Our Health at Risk. American Psychological Association. http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2011/final-2011.pdf
