I had one job that literally was killing me. In the mornings I would wake up with a knot in my stomach and my shoulders would tighten up on the way to work. You can fill in the blanks on how the rest of my day went. Fortunately for me that was a long time ago and I have since taken control of my destiny.
As a professional career consultant who speaks to hundreds of people a week about their life, jobs and future needs / wants, I hear a lot of good stories and a lot of bad stories.
Today I am going to write about the common theme amongst the bad stories and how I recently conquered a similar situation in the past.
Specifically I want to address job related stress as it applies in our new economy. Do you believe that work related stress can be a major contributor to the onset of diabetes, cancer or even heart disease?
According to a study conducted by Sarah Burgard and James House of the University of Michigan and Jennie Brand at the University of California, Los Angeles, “job insecurity – not necessarily job loss – poses a major threat” to US workers.
Stress from job insecurity is one of the main catalysts to a domino effect that creates a slippery slope headed for disaster. Today there are more people concerned about the future of their job than ever before.
Those of us who were not laid off had to take pay cuts, work longer hours and maintain a heavier workload. All the while dealing with the added pressure of tighter production requirements, stressed out managers dealing with similar issues and the possibility of being laid off at any give time.
What results from this “perfect stress storm” is a lower quality of life that not only affects your professional life but also your personal life. Medical science has proven a direct link between stress and health problems. Are you stressed out? Here are some warning signs from WebMD (www.http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/stress-heart-attack-risk) that you might be:
Physical signs
Dizziness, general aches and pains, grinding teeth, clenched jaws, headaches, indigestion, muscle tension, difficulty sleeping, racing heart, ringing in the ears, stooped posture, sweaty palms, tiredness, exhaustion, trembling, weight gain or loss, upset stomach
Mental signs
Constant worry, difficulty making decisions, forgetfulness, inability to concentrate, lack of creativity, loss of sense of humor, poor memory
Emotional signs
Anger, anxiety, crying, depression, feeling powerless, frequent mood swings, irritability, loneliness, negative thinking, nervousness, sadness
Behavioral signs
Bossiness, compulsive eating, critical attitude of others, explosive actions, frequent job changes, impulsive actions, increased use of alcohol or drugs, withdrawal from relationships or social situations
Remember though, it is not just doom and gloom. In 2008 I relocated 2,000 miles away from my home of 28 years for a great opportunity. 2 months later the economy crashed and my life went into a tail spin. What I planned for and what I got was the difference between a kite and a space shuttle. For a short while I was highly stressed. But I chose not to let it get to me. I recalibrated, accepted the new reality and developed a plan based on my new circumstances.
I found comfort in the lessons I had learned in the past. One in particular really hit the nail on the head. A very smart group of people once told me, “plan your work, then work your plan”. This came in very handy because as soon as I developed a plan I did not feel as stressed. In fact I started to look forward to seeing my new plan unfold.
It is very easy to develop tunnel vision under high levels of stress. The key is to keep your mind open, your attitude in check and to treat your body right. I believe that as long as you are eating right, working out and laughing often there isn’t a situation on this planet that can keep you down!
If you are in a situation where you have bills to pay, children to care for and a life to live, but it does not seem possible right now. Don’t worry because in time everything sorts itself out. Your new job is to drive the new plan of your life. Whether that means find a new job, start your own company or move to another country, it doesn’t matter. Those are details that you will find a way to hash out.
The point is, do something. Change everything if you have to, but don’t stand by and do nothing. If your health is in jeopardy and you are treating your body badly by sleeping less and consuming more junk food or whatever your coping mechanism is, just stop. Ask yourself if you are being rational. Are you losing sight of what is important?
Consider this, you are already under a lot of stress. So why don’t you choose what to be stressed about? You had no say so in the economy crashing or your job being in jeopardy. But you do have a say so on how things go moving forward. Life is nothing but a journey of problems and solutions. It is time for you to take charge of what solutions you want to see through.
Our first Friday Smackdown was an ultimate success. There were 27 respondents of which two big brains battled it out down to the wire to claim this weeks championship and two free movie tickets. Before we get into the details of our winner and respective runner-up. I will again provide the answer to the riddles:
