Six Foods You Need to Avoid If You’re Stressed at Work

You spend a large portion of your day at work, so it’s not hard to see how your corporate wellness impacts the rest of your wellbeing. Work stress feeds into the rest of your life, which, in turn, has a negative influence on your overall health. Therefore, we’re always trying to find ways to reduce workplace stress and, thanks to registered dietician/nutritionist Keri Gans, MS, RDN, CDN, author of The Small Change Diet, we now have the answer: your food. According to Gans, what you eat may contribute to your stress load and, since diet is one of the things in life you have any control over, it’s a good place to start when dealing with workplace stress.

 

1. Avoid foods high in caffeine: The Stress Management Society states that while caffeine can be stimulating when you’re tired, foods and drinks with caffeine also contain the neurostimulator theo-bromine. Gans explains, ‘Both theo-bromine and caffeine have been proven to increase stress levels. Caffeine can also cause a loss in concentration, which can result in poor work output and thus more stress on the job. If you need coffee or tea in the morning for that boost, make sure you do so in moderation or you won’t be able to reduce work stress.’

 

2. Foods rich in sodium: ‘Sodium can cause the body to retain water, possibly leading to hypertension and an increase in stress,’ Gans warns. ‘Thankfully, sodium is fairly easy to monitor in a diet; make sure you read all product labels. Natural and whole foods will have less sodium than those in packages, but keeping hypertension at bay also means keeping up with an exercise routine.’

 

3. Junk foods: Not only do junk foods get in the way of your weight loss plans; they can also hinder your efforts to reduce work stress. Gans notes, ‘Snacking on potato chips, candy and baked goods may temporarily relieve hunger, but it rarely lasts any length of time. This can cause an energy crash later in the day and can lead to chronic hunger, which can make work that much more difficult to get through. What’s more, junk foods lack the vitamins and minerals the body needs to manage stress throughout the day.’

 

4. Fatty foods: There is research that indicates if you eat a fatty meal you will increase the negative effects of stress on your heart. ‘Most people don’t realize it, but starting the day out with a high-fat dairy product could be sabotaging that goal to reduce work stress,’ Gans cautions. ‘The more stressed the body feels, the less likely it is to perform well throughout the day, and as most of us now, poor performance is one way to drastically increase job stress.’

 

5. Alcohol: Gans advises, ‘Most jobs don’t allow drinking on-site, but if you go out for a business lunch steer clear of those alcoholic drinks. Alcohol stimulates the release of the stress hormone cortisol even though it may seem like it lowers your inhibitions. Also, drinking heavily at night can make you sluggish for work in the morning and make you less likely to pick up on important job facts throughout the day.’

 

6. Fizzy Drinks: If you steer clear of alcohol on business lunches, don’t replace your usual tipple with a glass of fizz! The Stress Management Society asserts that you should avoid fizzy drinks if you are feeling stressed at work. Gans comments, ‘When the body is under pressure, a build-up of carbon dioxide and lactates in the body can result in a condition called “acidosis”, which can harm health. The high levels of carbon dioxide in beverages aggravate that condition; therefore soft drinks need to be considered as an unnecessary addition to your diet.’

Categories: caffeine, day nbsp, junk foods, reduce work, sodium, steer clear, Stress, stress gans, stress management, stress nbsp, work stress, workplace stress

4 Unconventional Methods That Offices Use to Reduce Stress

Thanks to the growing awareness of the impact that stress can have on health, people are looking for ways to de-stress their lives like never before. We tend to focus on stress in our personal lives and accept professional stress as a given. However, workplace stress isn’t difficult to manage if you think outside of the box. Here are four techniques that offices are using to reduce employee stress.

 

Piping In Some Tunes

For better or for worse, music can significantly affect the energy levels and moods of those that are listening to it. Playing music at moderate levels in the background can reduce stress levels and energize your workforce at the same time. Poll your workforce for recommendations and use a streaming music service like Pandora or Spotify to keep song selections varied and unique.

 

Team Gaming Sessions

Nowadays, it’s more than socially acceptable for grown adults to blow off some steam with video games. In a workplace setting, a half hour or so spent playing Call of Duty every now and then can make for a great stress reliever. A bonus side effect of playing a video game together as a group is a greater sense of camaraderie shared by co-workers.

 

Scheduled Yoga Workouts

Physical exertion of any kind is always a good way to reduce tension. However, hectic schedules often make it difficult for office workers to get into a groove. Scheduled yoga sessions held at the office or a nearby gym either before or after work can be great for team-building as well as stress reduction. If yoga isn’t a popular draw, pickup volleyball games work as well.

 

Pets in the Office

Nothing is more reassuring than a lovable dog or another furry companion. Major companies like Google, Autodesk and Burton have caught on to the fact that allowing dogs in the workplace improves morale and ultimately boosts productivity. Encouraging employees to bring their four-legged friends to work by setting up dedicated areas outfitted with dog beds is a smart move for any office.

 

Kill the Stress, Reap the Rewards

Besides a marked improvement in employee health, stress reduction techniques such as those discussed here have other benefits. Happy, healthy employees are ultimately more productive, which tends to boost profits in the long run. Furthermore, reducing stress in the office can result in fewer health care claims, which saves money. Any way you slice it, workplace stress reduction is a worthwhile goal.

Categories: nbsp, office, offices, reduce, reduce stress, scheduled yoga, Stress, stress reduction, unconventional, workplace, workplace stress

Is Your Job Sending You to an Early Grave?

Of all the things that affect corporate wellness, and your overall well-being, occupational stress is the worst, and the most common. We accept it as a part of life, but workplace stress is not only taking its toll on your emotions, but also your wellness. There are a number of chronic health conditions linked to stress, and some in particular that are related to on-the-job strain, so what might your high-octane career do to you?

 

Diabetes – In 2012, a study published in the Journal of Occupational Medicine, found that women who have stressful jobs are at an increased risk of developing diabetes. Fortunately for the fellas, the researchers did not find the same effect in men – I guess that glass ceiling is lined with sugar.

 

Heart attacks – When researchers at University College London undertook a review of studies in 2012, they discovered that those who have high-pressure jobs are 23% more likely to have a heart attack than those who don’t have stressful jobs, if such jobs exist.

 

Depression – A 2011 PLOS ONE study noted that, if you work more than 11 hours a day, you’re twice as likely to suffer from a major episode of depression as those lucky people who work more regular hours. Seeing as depression can also lead to a shorter life expectancy, increased risk of stroke and heart attack, disrupted sleep and addiction, it might be wise to start knocking off at 5.30pm.

 

Accelerated ageing – Not only is job stress causing a few extra frown lines here and there, it’s actually ageing you prematurely. Recent evidence has shown that people who have the most workplace stress have the shortest telomeres. There are the sections of DNA that are linked to longevity.

 

Higher risk of death – Researchers at Tel Aviv University conducted a 20-year study in which they discovered that, if you work in a hostile office environment, you have a significantly increased risk of death than those who work in calmer, happier places. The next time you complain that your job is killing you, at least you can be safe in the knowledge that you’re not actually being over-dramatic.

Categories: depression, Diabetes, Heart Attack, increased risk, Jobs, nbsp, Premature Death, risk, Stress, stressful jobs, work, workplace stress

Depression Discussion: Website Gives Workers Tools to Talk

On the pages of a new on-line portal aimed at raising awareness about mental health and wellness in the workplace, a friendly looking, tie-wearing, big brown bear greets you from the depths of a scenic forest. The front page of RightDirectionforme.com reads, ‘When you’re depressed at work, it can feel like you’re lost in the woods alone. But there’s help, and you can find your way out.’

This is the message from the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, which is an arm of the American Psychiatric Foundation that has joined with Employers Health to launch Right Direction. The website has been designed to educate employers and employees alike about depression, in order to reduce stigma and increase the chances of people asking for help. According to Marcas Miles of Employers Health, who oversees programmes and community outreach for the non-profit coalition of health care providers, ‘In my experience, depression has been on the radar, but not a topic that employers typically have wanted to address head-on.’

Mile explained that the Right Direction initiative was born because while employers are aware of how depression can affect an employee’s wellbeing, they don’t necessarily have a direction to start the conversation. However, research indicates that we need to address the issue of depression in the work place, as mental illness short-term disability claims are growing by 10% annually and mental disorders were involved in more than 9% of long-term disability claims in 2012.

Not only does depression harm the employees’ wellbeing, but corporate wellness can suffer also. Depression is a leading cause of lost productivity in the United States with an annual cost of $44 billion to employers. Clare Miller, director of the Partnership for Workplace Mental Health, noted that work stress can further complicate depression. She said, ‘Someone with clinical depression may be especially vulnerable to highly stressful situations, especially if their depression is not adequately managed.’

Robert Leahy, PhD, the director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy and author of Beat the Blues Before They Beat You: How to Overcome Depression, commented, ‘There has been a significant rise in disability claims in the last two years, some of them related to psychiatric problems. I have seen a dramatic increase in generalised anxiety, marked by excessive worry, focused on the possibility of losing their job.’ He added, ‘There are increasing demands for productivity to increase profits, while support staff has shrunk. Moreover, people often report feeling stuck in a no-win, glass-ceiling job, but they fear being out in the market place in such difficult times. As a result they feel trapped and helpless.’

Categories: discussion, stigma, workplace stress

How To De-stress At Work Without Leaving The Desk

Smartphones are often given a bad name as it is suggested that they only make us more stressed. Fortunately there are a number of apps you can download that will keep your stress levels low.

Keep essential oils at your desk

Essential oils can help you relax – they mimic the atmosphere of a spa at your desk. Aromatherapy has been shown in a number of studies to help you de-stress, so shop around for an oil that you like the smell of and you’ll be on the road to relaxation.                                                                                                                                                  

Keep a handwritten to-do list

It’s well known that writing with your hand can be very therapeutic if you’ve been typing for a long time. Also, keeping your list on a pad instead of the computer means that you can take it with you when you leave your desk and can keep you away from the distractions of the internet. The act of writing a list by hand also makes you more able to remember it.

Have an orange for a snack

Many people enjoy a snack at work, and it’s always best to choose something healthy and nutritious. The orange could be the perfect option as it is filled with vitamin C, and vitamin C is the perfect nutrient to help you bounce back from a stressful situation.

Take a break from the screen

One of the problems with working on a computer is that you’re staring a screen all day. Whilst ergonomics have made things better, it can be quite stressful finding yourself in the same position staring at a glaring screen hour after hour. Take a quick break away from the screen and your eyes will thank you for it.

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How To De-stress At Work Without Leaving The Desk

Categories: app, vitamin c, workplace stress