You experience a variety of small environmental
stresses every day, from the frustrations of commuting to badly
organized work spaces. However, with a little planning, many of these
stresses can be controlled quite easily.
Recognize How It All Adds Up
Everyday annoyances can be
very small and seem minor – a traffic jam, a backache caused by sitting
in a badly designed or uncomfortable chair, the distraction of some
gossiping colleagues, a lost document in a cluttered office – but each
one can trigger a small release of stress hormones into your body and
this will affect your overall sense of wellbeing. If you can take steps
to control the background level of stress you should be able to reduce
the impact of the major stressors when they occur.
Case Study: Analyzing Your Job
Katrina’s job was
very unpredictable and whenever something went wrong, she was the one
who had to sort it out. Realizing that her job was a stressful one, she
did what she could to balance this stress. She played relaxing music in
her car during her long commute, reorganized the layout of her office to
make it as efficient as possible, purchased plants, and brought in
daylight lighting. While she still had a stressful job, these actions
reduced her overall stress.
By thinking about her commute Katrina was able to take steps to reduce the stress it caused.
By
reorganizing her office space and improving her working environment, she
eliminated many of the small irritations that were contributing to her
stress.
By changing
her work environment to make it as pleasant and enjoyable as she could,
Katrina gave herself something pleasant to enjoy when she was feeling
down.
Tip
When you have recognized the imperfections of your
environment, change what you can, and try to see the rest as necessary
costs with positive benefits.
Techniques to Practise
To reduce the stress caused by commuting you can
learn to maximize your control, minimize your discomfort, and remain
calm and collected.
Consider some of the following techniques to reduce commuting stress.
Leave earlier for work and beat the rush.
Find a better way around regular congestion spots.
Adjust the controls of your car so the driving position is as comfortable as possible.
Play calming music whenever you feel frustrated by delays and difficulties.
Use your positive thinking skills to think about your commute in a more positive and resourceful way.
When using public transport, read a book or magazine or distract yourself in some way.
On the Way to Work
However it is done,
commuting can be a source of unpleasant stress. If you commute by car,
you can experience stress from traffic congestion, physical discomfort,
air pollution, and noise. Congestion is often the most intense source of
frustration – your goal is to get to work or home as quickly as
possible, and congestion directly prevents you from achieving this,
taking away your control. Commuting by public transport has its own set
of stresses – the lack of control over your environment, overcrowding,
violation of personal space, noise, delay, and unwelcome interaction
with other travellers.
Move Further Out
The stresses of
public transport are more difficult to manage than car commutes because
you have less control over the situation. A long-term solution may be to
move closer to the start of a commuting route where crowding is usually
less intense, giving you the chance to find a seat and the freedom to
arrange yourself and your possessions.
Improve Your Office
The conditions in which you
work can have a major impact on the way you feel about your job, and
the layout of your working space is of paramount importance. People and
resources need to be immediately at hand if you are to work efficiently.
An open plan environment can promote good communication and team
performance, but the noise of office equipment, telephones, and people
talking can be immensely distracting. If this is a source of stress, try
using furniture, screens, blinds, and plants to create personal space
and muffle distracting noise.
Make Yourself Comfortable
NOTE
A pleasant environment reduces stress levels
Badly designed and
uncomfortable furniture, the incorrect positioning of computer
equipment, inadequate lighting, poor air quality, thoughtless office
planning and cramped, inadequate work spaces – all of these can add to
everyday tensions and frustrations by causing backache, eye strain, dry
throat, headaches, fatigue, and a host of other niggling discomforts.
All of the things that cause these problems can be solved with a little
thought and expenditure, and the benefits are well worth the cost.
Think Smart
The simple process of pinpointing and making a note
of your everyday stressors can help to make them much more manageable.
At the end of the day, look
at these things and think what you can do about them. Where you can,
take action to manage each of the problem factors to make life more
comfortable.
Brighten Up
In the scale of all
business expenses, it doesn’t cost much to keep your work space up to a
reasonable standard and to make it a pleasant place in which to work,
reducing stress and increasing efficiency.
Most people like bright daylight, so consider fitting broad
spectrum lighting. Position your computer screen in such a way that
glare from natural or artificial light is eliminated. Keeping plants in
your office can have a calming influence – take the time to nurture them
as a neglected plant can instill feelings of guilt.
Arrange your working environment so that it is comfortable, making
sure that your seat is properly adjusted and that the computer monitor
and keyboard are comfortably placed.
Use partitioning to create a quiet oasis in which you can better
concentrate. Photos and pictures will personalize your work space and
improve your sense of wellbeing while at work.
Tip
Take regular breaks away from your desk in order to clear your mind and reenergize your body.
