Overcome the Top 10 Causes of Workplace Stress – Stress-Management
Overcome the Top 10 Causes of Workplace Stress
Workplace stress is on the rise and it's costing
corporate America a fortune. Some estimate that
80% of health care costs are stress related, and
these expenses go right to the bottom line.According to CNN-Money.com, Americans spent more
than $17 billion for anti-depressants and anti-
anxiety drugs in 2002, up 10% from the year before
and nearly 30% over a two year period.The Institute for Management Excellence reports
that American industry spends more than $26
billion each year for medical bills and disability
payments with another $10 billion for executive's
lost workdays, hospitalization, and early death.In addition to these staggering figures, stress
takes its toll through the added costs of quality
control, legal challenges, lost opportunities,
poor performance, bad attitudes, and training.We cannot do much about the skyrocketing costs of
medical care and prescription drugs, but we can
take immediate action to control the top ten
causes of stress as identified by The Global
Business and Economic Roundtable on Addiction and
Mental Health.The countdown is:10. "Workload" ? Employees report that they are
often stressed when they have too little or too
much to do. Managers need to divide
responsibilities and help employees prioritize
work that must be done. Make sure you understand
the impact before shifting responsibilities. Take
into account the cost of stress before you
increase anyone's workload or hire more people.9. "Random interruptions" - Telephones, pagers,
walk-in visits, and spontaneous demands from
supervisors all contribute to increased stress.
Time management, delegation of responsibilities,
and clarification of expectations can reduce these
stressors. 8. "Pervasive uncertainty" ? Stress
levels increase rapidly when people are confronted
by new requirements and procedures. Keeping
people informed controls stress and increases
productivity. Put details in a memo so they can
review the facts following your explanations.7. "Mistrust and unfairness" - These situations
keep everyone on edge, create bad attitudes, and
lower productivity. It is important to keep an
open line of communication to avoid
misunderstanding and know what people are thinking
about your decisions. Managers must consistently
build trust and give equal treatment - just do the
right thing.6. "Unclear policies and no sense of direction" -
Lack of focus causes uncertainty and undermines
confidence in management. You need more than a
well-written policy manual. Enforcement of
policies and clear communications are essential.To make sure everyone gets the message, you can
repeat your explanation in a variety of ways ?
repetition and feedback are important. Reinforce
policies through memos, articles, bulletin board
postings, personal meetings, and small group
discussions.5. "Career and job ambiguity" - If people are
uncertain about their jobs and careers, there is a
feeling of helplessness and of being out of
control. In addition to the trusted job
descriptions and annual personnel reviews, people
need to understand a broad range of issues that
affect the company.News of mergers, consolidations, plant closings,
and restructuring contribute to a feeling of
helplessness. Management must keep people informed
about situations that will affect their jobs, or
the rumor mill will add to an already stressful
situation.4. "No feedback - good or bad" ? People want to
know whether they are meeting expectations.
Consistent, written and verbal, personalized
feedback is required. Some people need more
attention than others, but everyone's performance
is enhanced if leaders frequently affirm
individual efforts.3. "No appreciation" - Failure to show
appreciation generates stress that endangers
productivity throughout the company. There are
many ways to demonstrate appreciation, but the
most effective is a sincere comment about how much
the person means to you and the company.2. "Lack of communications" - Poor communication
leads to decreased performance and increased
stress. Management memos and announcements work
well for distributing information, but two-way
conversation improves communication and solicits
ideas and suggestions while reducing stress and
complaints.1. "Lack of control" ? Workplace stress is at its
greatest when employees have no say regarding
things that affect them. You can decrease
sensitivity to all the other stressors and give a
sense of being in control by involving employees
in operating and administrative decisions and
acting on their input. Frontline employees know
what they are talking about. Listening to what
they have to say reduces stress and increases
productivity.Effective managers understand that stress control
is a leadership responsibility and give it just as
much attention as any other management function.
For those who want to explore stress control
further, a free 3-session e-course is available by
email request at stresscontrol@sendfree.comGrasping the concepts and reducing stress one step
at a time can have an amazing impact on your
bottom line --and on the lives of those who do the
heavy work.Dale Collie - professional speaker, former
US Army Ranger, CEO, and a Fast Company top
50 innovative leader. Author of "Winning
Under Fire." (McGraw-Hill) collie@couragebuilders.com
Health and Medical Advice on the Internet: Use it Wisely to Overcome Illness and Find More Happiness
Health and Medical Advice on the Internet: Use it Wisely to Overcome Illness and Find More Happiness
I've got a bit of a problem with depression and anxiety. I've been tackling these problems for several years without the use of modern medicine. Tai Chi, meditation, martial arts (exercise), and positive interaction with other people seem to keep a lid on my illnesses most of the time. I don't like the idea of medication's side effects, and I don't believe the answers in life are often found in the easy path (E.G. taking a pill), but rather on the hard path of effort and determination. This is not to say that I don't feel medicine is not effective, not at all, I just feel all the options should be looked at before making big decisions to do with one's health.Health of body and mind has always been one of the most important issues in life for us humans. Seeing a doctor is usually the best option when one comes down with an illness or ailment, but people have always tried alternative routes to recovery: E. G. the 'home doctor' books of old. Maybe you don't like sitting in a room waiting with a bunch of other sick people-you might catch something there! You could be housebound, or maybe you feel like hearing several opinions as you've found past experiences with some doctors have been tainted by poor judgments. Well, the Internet is here with a multitude of options to help you get better.Medical advice and data abounds on this household tool in the form of self-help sites, searchable medical encyclopedias, support groups, live chats with doctors, and you can even have professional consultations on-line (for a fee). My advice is to just be wary of the type of language that the site is expressing. Many sites will have extensive lists telling you of all the symptoms in the Universe: everybody on Earth could be construed as being ill in some way! This can cause people with a propensity for hypochondria to start diagnosing themselves with all sorts of diseases. In my case, reading about all the symptoms of depression actually made me feel more depressed as it made me focus on my weaknesses (without too many optimistic perspectives or treatments expressed on some sites).Look for sites that look at things in a positive light. Maybe search out some alternative therapies as well so you can get all the possible different approaches that can be taken to tackle your illness. Some websites can be very helpful with interactive features like 'Ask the doctor", on-line questionnaires, and question and answer archives that give you an idea of what others have asked and the solutions they were presented with. There is heaps of information on both prescription and over-the counter medicines so you can make your choices in an informed manner. You can often find information specific to groups, like children, the elderly, men and women.Just remember your body is your temple and you must be wary of many variables not often foretold in literature. Beware of medicines from other countries as they may be different or have different names. Keep in mind only you know your personal history, all people are different, and always get several opinions. Watch out for sites with grandiose claims as miracles come from higher powers and not from companies who might just want to get rich quick!I do acknowledge the fitness and diet sites as being very useful as well. You can devise your own fitness plan derived from lifestyle information, and forums and newsgroups give you many opinions on which road to take. You can have your diet analyzed by on-line trainers, some of which send free newsletters and even send you emails of encouragement to help you towards your goal.So, there's a whole new world of on-line health advice and information for humanity to access right from home. Get all your options and remember your attitude is often the first real step to overcoming physical, mental, and spiritual adversity!About The AuthorJesse S. Somer - M6.Net - http://www.m6.netJesse S. Somer is a simple human hoping to show others like him about the positive vibe the Internet is creating in people all over the world.priyankaa@m6.net
Using Diet, Counseling, and Attend to Overcome ADHD
Using Diet, Counseling, and Attend to Overcome ADHD
When it comes to the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or with problems of Attention, Impulse Control, Over-Activity, or Learning Problems in "the real world," there are a number of approaches to treatment that may work well.
The information in this series has either been gleaned from research on Attention Deficit Disorder - which I'll refer to as ADD or ADD, or it is from my own experience in a clinical setting. Hello, I'm Dr. Doug Cowan. I spent the fifteen years in a private practice as a Marriage, Family, and Child Therapist, and as a Clinical researcher, devoted to the treatment of children, teenagers, and adults with attention disorders. During that time it was my privilege to meet and work with over a thousand individuals, and their families, who were impacted by this disorder.
Then in the year 2001, I closed my clinical practice to focus more of my attention on the ADHD Information Library's family of web sites. Our six web sites, which include NewIdeas.net,