Stress at work

Since Tuesday is "less stress in the office day" around here, there is some pertinent research worth bringing up.

Recently a new report has been all over the news, a study done in the UK looking at workplace stress in over 10,000 white collar workers between the ages of 35 and 55. Data were collected over 15 years and one of the measures of health that the researchers tracked was the incidence of heart disease. Results overwhelmingly showed that those workers who experienced high levels of stress at work were more likely to develop heart problems than those who were not under stress. People under the age of 50 and stressed at work were especially at risk. High levels of stress were related to lower heart rate variability and vagal tone as well.

This study dramatically highlights the connection between stress, heart health and mortality.

The obvious next step is to address and reduce work stress. Unfortunately, often this is easier said than done. While relaxation outside of work is one important tool for avoiding stress, it is also important to deal with the root causes of stress within the office. Some main reasons for chronic workplace stress.

I recently came across this article discussing the stress inherent in being a cancer registrar. While I don’t know a thing about what it is like to work in that profession, the causes for work place stress that she lists are present in many office environments. Here is her list:

Unclear Job Duties

Poor Work Environment

Lack of Credit

Poor Salary

Change in Requirements

Lack of Support System

The one thing she doesn’t touch on is one that I think is most important, and that is lack of communication. If you don't have the lines of communication open with your coworkers and supervisors it will add to your stress and impede you from handling the various issues listed above. In contrast, if you can openly communicate about troubles you are facing at work – whether it is insufficient salary or an uncomfortable work environment – you will be able to take steps to solve these problems. Without communication problems fester, nothing gets resolved, and as it turns out, the stress that results leads to nasty health consequences down the road.

Doing the dishes

Is it bad that dishes stress me out? They totally do. I live in an nyc apartment with a tiny sink and a tiny dishwasher and Pete and I produce dishes at a remarkable rate (this is due to a healthy love of food which is a wonderful thing).

But dishes infuriate me. This is mostly because we don't much care for washing them, but I also don't care for there being piles of them in the sink. So you see my dilemma. And other than switching to disposable plates and utensils (which just seems downright wasteful), there is no good solution. But clearly I need to do something to curb my frustration upon arriving home from work to discover that the dishes I left in the sink when I left in the morning are still there!! ugh.

So recently I adopted a new strategy. It is called, do the dishes immediately. After reasoning with myself and coming to the conclusion that the dishes would certainly have to get done eventually and at no time will it become a fun or exciting activity, I decided that I might as well get it over with. And that Pete might as well, too.

So that's what we are trying to do now. I am not very good at it yet (old habits die hard), but I'm improving. And I am finding that it is a lovely stress reducer - not the dish washing itself, but the feeling I get when I walk into the apartment and the sink is empty. It's a happy feeling. I recommend it.

Yes, it's little. And yes, this post might make me sound sort of anal retentive. But I don't mind. And if its not dishes its something. The moral of this story is little things can make a difference. And now for a song that sort of makes the same point but in a completely different and non stress or wellness related context.

Would you kids turn it down!!

The classic parental request in response to painfully loud music is actually being taken to a new level in Cairo where Independent Online reports that the noise pollution from the non-stop activity in the city actually has affects similar to those seen in chronic stress. Probably because being exposed to very loud noise over an extended period of time is a stressor in and of itself.

The noise level in Cairo is reported to sometimes reach 90db before 8am. Noise pollution is defined as 85db or higher for at least 8 hours straight. For a frame of reference (from the American Speech Language Hearing Association)

30 dB = whisper, quiet library

50 dB = moderate rainfall

60 dB = conversation, dishwasher

70 dB = busy traffic, vacuum cleaner

80 dB = alarm clock, busy street

90 dB = lawnmower, truck traffic, subway

100 dB = snowmobile, chain saw

110 dB = rock music

130 dB = jackhammer

140 dB = firearms, air raid siren, jet engine

150 dB = rock music peak

Therefore, what they’re saying, I think, is that being in Cairo is as loud as being on a subway platform when the train is coming in… all day. Wow. I can understand why that would be stressful. Of course, if you can go inside and shut the window, that would certainly help shut out some noise. But for people who work all day outside in the city the noise can be quite dangerous. In fact, research has shown that people who are consistently exposed to noise levels of 85db or higher have higher blood pressure than those who are not.

So it turns out noise pollution isn’t just the term your mother used to use to describe your taste in music. It’s a serious problem. It’s also especially hard to regulate. However, while we anxiously await the invention of the silent jackhammer, my recommendation for those affected is ear plugs. They’re simple. They’re cheap. And they come in many lovely colors. The one’s they have at NASCAR races are particularly good because they are attached to one another on a string so there’s no risk of anything getting lodged in there. And getting things stuck in your ears is never fun at all.

Another option...

for dealing with stress at work:

Mental Health Days

I remember the first time the concept of a "mental health day" was introduced to me. It was back in high school and it was the cool thing to do. "I am not coming in tomorrow. I'm taking a mental health day." Subtitle: "I'm not sick but my parents are letting me stay home anyway (Awesome, Dude!!)." Not to say that there weren't some serious mental health issues being dealt with by a number of kids at my school, there were, but, for the most part, that was secondary to the sheer pleasure of playing hooky. Little did we know how smart we actually were. We were 17 year old wellness gurus.

As I sit here in my pjs enjoying a day off and the luxury of doing pretty much nothing I am reminded of those mental health days and how important they actually are. But its tough to actually take them, right? I mean, even if you are blessed with a relaxed work environment and a boss who actually cares whether or not you are too stressed to function, its really hard to just let it all go. I don't know why this is. Maybe its a fear of accepting that everything will work just fine without you (and by you, I mean the general you. not you, the reader, in particular) there, or maybe you don't really think you need it - you're not stressed enough yet - or maybe you think it will be perceived as weakness. I don't know. Maybe its not anything pathological or subconscious. Maybe you just have shit to get done.

The point is, ignore those excuses. Mental health days are good for you. It's good for you to have a day of unplanned hours, a day away from work that isn't a weekend day (because those get used up and overplanned and there just aren't enough of them), a day for catching up on sleep, law and order reruns, emails, toenail clipping, whatever you want! That's the whole point.

So anyway, take a tip from my 17 year old self and my 17 year old friends and do it one of these days. We were smart cookies. And in case you need a reminder, too much stress is bad for you.

Seeing the Doctor

When was the last time you had a check-up? over a year ago? over two? It doesn't take long to do it. Just pick up the phone and schedule a check-up. Then its on your calendar and you have to go.

Reasons why this is a good idea:
1. Because your doctor can make sure everything is looking good and healthy. And if there is some underlying problem you aren't yet aware of, your doctor can help you deal with it. It's better to know.
2. Because waiting until you know something is not right is a bad idea. And don't try to tell me it isn't because that's just not true.
3. Because the week before the appointment you will do a little healthy living cramming (just like the week before the dentist appointment), and hey, a week of healthy living is better than nothing.
4. Because doing things to improve your health (like seeing your gp) will improve your stress level by proxy. And because unseen impact of stress on your body and mind is something that's worth checking up on from time to time.

Once you go, don't be afraid to ask questions. And don't be afraid to tell the truth. You can't expect the best treatment from your doctor if you aren't willing to give them all the information about your current lifestyle and habits.

Note: If you have gotten a check-up recently, good job!

Email Organization

I am having Tuesday early this week because I wont be in the office tomorrow. So today is the day for an office stress reducing tip. Don't let your email control you.

One way to do this is to set up folders so that emails with certain subjects, or from certain people go directly into folders where you can comfortably ignore them until you are ready to see what they say.

Another possibility is to use your autoresponder. Most people use this when they go on vacation to explain why their response is delayed, but who says vacation is the only time to use the autoresponse? Just today I sent an email and got an autoresponder telling me "I won't be able to get to your email right away. I will respond as soon as I get the chance." Or something like that The point is, she didn't say she was out of the office, just let me know not to expect a 1 hr turnaround time. And that's fine. My expectations were managed and, hopefully, freedom from email gave my colleague a little freedom from stress as well. Not to mention some free time to actually get work done.

Of course, you cant ignore email forever (well, I guess you could but its probably not a good way to keep your job). So fit it into your day by setting aside a couple times when you will sit down and focus only on answering emails.

Fast Food

I got a little bit mocked for the topic of yesterday's post. Apparently "living in the moment" seems a little flaky to some people. While I stand behind my recommendation to attempt to live in the now, I also kind of cringe when I hear myself using the phrase "the now." So today I'm back to something a little more concrete.

This website, shortorder.tv, is focused entirely on fast healthy meals for one. It's pretty awesome. The hostess of the show, Aparna, cooks every meal she recommends on video in 3 minutes or less. Sometimes I am pretty sure she's going to make it, but she always does. 3 minutes is less time than it takes to order delivery food sometimes. And everything she cooks is healthy. And often vegetarian, in case you wondered. Needless to say, I can't say the same for "U Like" Chinese food around the corner from my apartment (although I do give them props for a very creative name and delicious fried dumplings).

In addition to fast, easy, and good for you recipes, the website also has articles on healthy eating in you're interested.

Note: this one was also inspired by my big sister who was the person who sent me this site. Two posts in one week, Anna! Strong work.

Another note: there is no way I could cook these meals in 3 minutes because I am a very slow chopper. But even if it takes 6 minutes, that's still really fast. And healthy!

The Buddha Board

For Christmas my niece and nephew got a gift called Aquadoodle. It's as awesome as it sounds. It comes with a marker that fills up with water, and a blank canvas. When you draw on the canvas with the water marker, whatever you are drawing appears. When the water dries the picture fades and goes away leaving you with a blank canvas again. For kids its fun because drawing is fun and its cool that you get to do it over and over. Its new every time. For parents its lovely because kids can draw on anything with that water marker and never stain a thing. Its even good for the eco-conscious! No wasted paper, just one self-cleaning mat. Very low carbon footprint.

What was most entertaining about the Aquadoodle to me, however, was that I got one, too. From my sister. But when you give an Aquadoodle to an grown-up you have to dress it up in grown-up clothing. The Aquadoodle for adults is better known as the "Buddha Board" but the idea is the same. You paint on a board with water and your image remains for a few minutes and then disappears as the water dries. Its all about living in the moment. And while three year olds do it effortlessly, grown-ups sometimes need help. That's the Buddha Board's job.

So that is what today is about. Appreciating now. If you see something really beautiful, instead of saying, "Oh my gosh! I have got to come back here and see this again!" enjoy seeing it now. Don't worry about getting your camera to ensure you can look at it in the future. Look at it now. And let that be enough.

Obviously, it's easier said than done. I am not suggesting that its possible to declare "I am living in the moment from here on out. Thank you." and have it be true. That said, a lot of stress can come from worrying about the future and dwelling on the past, so letting go of it from time to time and reminding yourself to focus on now, is a good idea. If I figure out some good ways to do it I will for sure write about them. But for now, painting with water seems like a good way to start.

Stress in the News

Yesterday in the news was a particularly sad example of the harmful effects of stress. Apparently people who exhibited acute PTSD-like symptoms soon after the 9/11 attacks were more likely to also experience heart problems later on. As Reuters reported:

"Even after the researchers allowed for the study participants' mental and cardiovascular health before the attacks, people who reported acute stress responses were 53 percent more likely to be diagnosed with a heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure or other heart-related ailment in the following three years."

The link between stress and heart problems is not a new one. It has been well documented but is sometimes taken for granted. This study highlights how real the connection is and how seriously stress should be taken.

A Radical Idea

Its Tuesday and today's Less Stress in the Office tip is turn off your computer! I know. It's crazy. But as a wise man once said, it just might be crazy enough to work. Giving your eyes a break from staring at that screen will be good for them. And the rest of you might appreciate it as well.

I don't mean turn off your computer for a whole day. That would just be silly. But turn it off for 30 minutes. Or the time it takes you to do some non-computer related task.

Sure there are some jobs which don't allow for this sort of thing. And if that's your excuse I accept it. Go outside for 10 minutes instead (if you live in nyc or the northeast in general that is an especially good idea today. Its gorgeous out!). But plenty of jobs do. You have things to do which don't involve your computer. Maybe you have to edit a document. or clean your desk. Or make a bunch of phone calls. I don't much care what it is. Just try taking a break from the computer screen.

And no cheating! This means you can't say "Oh! good idea! but I will just leave my computer on and not look at it while I do this other thing." The power of the pc is too great. You will hear that little email ding and you wont be able to resist. So just turn it off. It will still be there when you come back in 30 minutes. But in the mean time I think you will have added to your productivity and your peace of mind.

Happy New Year! and an experiment...

I know, I'm about a week late but I have been on vacation and avoiding computers like nobody's business. By the way, vacation, definitely a stress reducer. I highly recommend. And if you happen to be someone's boss, encourage them to use their vacation days. Boss them. Everyone needs to go on vacation sometimes. And sometimes people need to be told.

So anyway, stress relief in 2008. A new year always has this great hope surrounding it. Somehow it feels like a clean slate. The tendency is to make all sorts of promises to ourselves about how we will improve ourselves and our lives this year. And thats great. But a lot of pressure too, don't you think?
So no new years resolutions here. I am going to stick to one small thing at a time. Somehow it seems more manageable. And today that small thing is the nose bidet. Seriously.

When I last wrote I was sick and my friend Kristen recommended this unusual trick, nasal irrigation. Or, in a nutshell, holding your breath and squirting tepid salt water up one nostril so it comes out the other. Sounds lovely, right? But what could be more lovely than not having a congested head of sinus headaches?

Anyway, I didnt get a chance to do it because I didn't have anything around the house that was the right shape and size for squirting water up my nose. but now my cold is mostly gone and I have that leftover stuffiness. You know, the stuff that lingers long after your other symptoms have gone. I think I nose bidet is exactly what I need. I will do it tonight and report back.

You can buy a neti pot at the local drug store or if you have a little tea pot handy, that should do the trick. It lets you clear your head, quite literally. If you're curious, there are plenty of youtube videos demonstrating proper techniques.

Wish me luck!