Good afternoon!  Thank you for reading the Self Help Tips Blog.  Today I would like to discuss work-related stress and a few anger management techniques.

Everyone has experienced work-related stress at one time or another.  The question is: how often do you experience it, how severe is the stress and is it worth your health and sanity to continue to work in such a stressful environment?  Are you stressed out about work during your morning commute, before you even get to the office?  If so, you need to carefully examine the issue and decide whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks.

Does your boss become so angry that he slams his fist on his desk and raises his voice several times throughout the day?  Do your co-workers complain to you about the stress that they are also feeling as a result of the work environment?  Maybe it’s time for you to look for a new job.

Stress and anger management are two things that you need to be aware of at all times during the workday.  When you are under pressure, it can be easy to become stressed out and fly off the handle. The first thing that you need to do in such a situation is stop yourself and take a deep breath.  Then, re-examine the situation and think to yourself “Is the stress and anger that I am feeling justified, or am I blowing things out of proportion?” I’m willing to bet that the latter will be the case at least half of the time.

Most of the time, the stress that you feel at work can be reduced, eliminated or completely avoided.  Anger-inducing situations such as irate customers, malfunctioning equipment or an overwhelming amount of work should be taken with “a grain of salt.”  These types of stressors are completely beyond your control.  I often laugh at such situations because laughter really is the best medicine.  The same goes for bosses, managers and supervisors who stress you out and make you angry.  Laugh at them and appreciate the fact that you are not in their shoes.  Sure, the pay might be nice… but is it really worth it?

Many companies have implemented different tools to help their employees deal with work-related stress.  Some of these include “stress balls”, gym memberships, office games and even free (or sometimes paid) massages.  If your company offers any of these options, I highly recommend taking advantage of them. 

Work-related stress is the number two cause of obesity in the United States, right behind dietary choices.  Long-term exposure to work-related stress has been known to cause high blood pressure, heart attacks and a host of other ailments.  Depending on the job, stress can be unavoidable.   It is imperative that you learn how to identify stressors and deal with the associated anger and frustration in an appropriate manner, before it’s too late.  Find a different job if you absolutely have to.  Even if it means taking a pay cut, your sanity is worth it.