Careers: Is Your Job Killing You?

Careers: Is Your Job Killing You?
Robin Broadnax, Corporate Trainer and Career Coach

Over the past few years with corporate scandals and downsizing, more now than ever corporate workplace stress is at an all time high. Even once "stable" positions in government are being cut. What does this mean for the average American worker? MORE Stress! We have all heard it, do more with less. A great phrase but when does doing more with less become counterproductive?

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, workers are now more stressed on the job than ever. In their report on workplace stress it was mentioned that 75% of workers believe employees have more on the job stress than a generation ago. It is also estimated that health costs for workers that are stressed are about 50% higher than those for whom stress is less of an issue.

All these statistics are nice, but what is the cost of stress for you individually. Many of us have heard that stress is bad for us, but most don't really understand that staying stressed over an extended period of time will make us sick, lessen our quality of life and potentially kill us.

Here are 5 Steps to help you reduce workplace stress:

1. Learn to manage workplace conflict with coworkers - As a career coach, many of the people I have worked with have come to me with issues like not getting a promotion or a salary increase as their main problem. When the surface is scratched, there is almost always a relationship issue with a boss or coworker underneath it all. The anger over not being promoted, etc is usually just a symptom of feeling unappreciated and used.

2. Learn to say no! - Many people believe the old adage that if you work hard and spend long hours in the office, you will get promoted and have a secure job. That was then and this is now. Promotion many times is a highly political thing. Many times when layoffs occur, the person who is not quite as popular as others may be the one cut, even though they may working overtime.

3. Take vacations and lunches - This is one thing that seems counter intuitive, but it is the one thing that we have the most control over and can give us the most stress relief day to day. There is also some research out there that says that it helps you get more done.

4. Don't measure your self worth by the approval you get from work - Unfortunately many of us measure our self worth by promotions, bonuses and titles. They are great while you are getting them, but if you are not then it can be really tough on our self-esteem. Recognize that just because you don't have the big corner office it doesn't mean that you won't. Take that as feedback not failure. Maybe you are in the wrong job, company, or your time just hasn't come yet.

5. Always keep your resume up and your eyes open - Back in the day people expected to be in their jobs until retirement. To believe that today would be career suicide. No one is exempt when the pink slips get passed out these days. If you keep your resume up and your networks active, it will be easier for you to bounce back once the shock of job loss has passed. In today's job market we must always be prepared.

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Robin Broadnax is the owner of Spirit of Excellence Consulting Services and presently works as a Corporate Coach and Trainer in the financial services industry.