Don’t Let Stress be a Health and Career Killer

Layoffs, inflation, AI … these are just some of the factors making employees feel more stressed about their jobs and career future. Studies show stress isn’t unique to ground-level workers and middle management — chief execs feel the pressure too, often to a greater degree.

Reason: The higher up you are in the chain, the fewer people you can share your concerns with. People tend to let the stress bottle up and affect their health in negative ways. Stress at work invariably carriers over to people’s personal lives and can harm relationships.

Stress Signs You Need to Recognize — and Act On

How do you know when stress passes the acceptable limit and becomes unhealthy? Are you handling stress the right way? Test your knowledge of stress by answering True or False to the following statements. Then check your answers below.

1. Stress is an emotional state that’s mostly unpredictable.

2. Even mild stress is bad for you. You should try relieving stress when you feel it.

3. Stress can cause heart disease, particularly in men.

4. There’s very little you can do to relieve stress. It’s a matter of waiting out the stressful situations you’re in.

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ

1. False. We think of stress as an emotional state. But it’s strictly physical and very predictable. Stressors – and they differ for different people – bring stress on, which causes physical responses. When people can’t avoid or flee the stressor, it leads to physical pain or discomfort.

2. False. In many cases, moderate stress motivates people. You’re more likely to stay focused when you’re feeling some stress. Chances are you’ve been at your best and achieved significant wins in your career when the pressure was on and your responded.

3. True and False. The studies aren’t conclusive. However: Stress triggers hormones that raise heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and may harm coronary artery lining – all symptoms of heart disease.

4. False. Exercise, meditation, sleep, reading, talking with friends, and eating certain kinds of food all relieve stress. You may need to make more time for any or all of these healthy activities to relieve stress.