How To Prevent Work Stress From Harming Your Health
by thelifecoach
Filed under Stress Management
A research study, reported in the May 2006 issue of Psychosomatic Medicine, found that people who are unable to relax and recuperate during weekends off from work had an increased long-term risk of cardiac death than those who felt renewed after two days off. Are you able to relax on the weekends? Your health and happiness could depend upon it. However, with e-mail, cell phones and Blackberries, it is becoming more difficult to get away from work.
It is very important that you do not allow work problems, projects and phone calls to follow you home and erode your “down time.” As much as possible, you need to make your home a place for rest and relaxation. You need to avoid taking home a briefcase full of work. You also need to stop checking business e-mail during the weekends. According to a 2008 survey, half of the American workforce responds to their work e-mails during the weekend. Many of those surveyed reported that it adds stress and new demands to their lives.
In order to successfully manage your work stress, it is essential that you make time for rest and recreation. The Oxford English Dictionary defines recreation as the action of re-creating oneself by some pleasant pastime or amusement. Many studies have shown that engaging in recreational activities increases your life satisfaction and well-being. Relaxation is not just a luxury to be put off for “some day.” Rest and recreation are essential keys for a healthy and productive life
It is also important that you enjoy quality time with your family and friends. Take time to slow down and enjoy life. As Eddie Cantor observed, “It’s not only scenery you miss by going too fast—you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”
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