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How to beat stress at work before it damages your health

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Worklife: Why is work making us sick?

   Worklife, stress image

   Stress in the workplace can affect our health.
   (Getty Image: Mark Airs)

   Listen to the podcast: This episode of RN's WorkLife series explores
   the relationship between work, stress and our health.

   For others, the idea of work fills us with a sense of dread.
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   like a nightmare.

What are the signs of a stressful work life?

   There are many triggers for stress in the workplace and occupational
   physician Professor Niki Ellis included the following on her list:
     * Excessive job demands: Having a workload that's unreasonable. So
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       as a whole," Professor Ellis said.
     * Job insecurity: Working in an organisation or small business where
       job cuts are on the cards is known to be incredibly stressful, and
       we are living with more organisational change than we have had to
       in the past.
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       co-workers and even clients can also make your work life pretty
       awful. "If there is conflict between their role and the role of
       other people, that can be very stressful," Professor Ellis said.
     * Bullying or discrimination: These are toxic for our health and for
       productivity. And sadly, people often respond by leaving their job
       rather than lodging a complaint.

Whose responsibility is workplace stress?

   While your employer can certainly help when it comes to defining your
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   mental health problems."

Stress fitness

Building your stress fitness

   An office worker looking stressed on the phone.

   There are ways you can improve your ability to cope with stress.
   (iStock photo: Creatisa)

   'Stress fitness' is your resistance to the toxic pressures and demands
   life can throw at you - and there's lots you can do to improve yours.

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   increase the risk of your workers and colleagues being injured."

Coping with stress

Coping with stress

     * Stay connected with family and friends out of work hours
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       counterproductive thoughts and challenge them with positive or more
       realistic ones
     * Researching and employing stress-relief strategies

   Mr Jones said when — within reason — people chose to take themselves
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Topics

     * Stress
     * Health
     * Work