How do we manage stress at work to maintain our mental and physical health in the long term? Everyone is affected by stress in their daily lives, some more than others. Moreover, each individual reacts differently to stress, while a given situation may not cause stress for one person, it is clearly a stressor for another. Here are 5 ways to deal with stress at work that can be effective tools for managing stressful situations in life!
Effects of workplace stress
The effects of long-term stress at work affect health, so it’s important to recognise the symptoms of workplace stress and manage them effectively!
The WHO (World Health Organisation) has identified workplace stress as one of the most serious health problems of the 21st century, affecting billions of people worldwide.
Stress can be divided into positive stress and negative stress.
- Positive stress is when your body is temporarily under stress (e.g. in a competitive or defensive situation), you get an adrenaline rush, you perform above average, and then everything returns to baseline.
- Negative stress, on the other hand, is a persistent stressful situation in life, whether it is caused by personal problems, relationship problems, financial problems or stress at work. In contrast to good stress, the body does not return to normal, the body and nervous system are under almost constant stress, and the tension is increasing.
Stress at work can also be caused by the nature of the work or the conditions of the workplace. Everyone has different stress factors that make everyday life difficult. Some people find their work too monotonous, others too hectic, unable to cope with the volume of tasks. There are many factors that can contribute to stress at work.
Symptoms of stress at work can include lack of motivation, frequent nervousness, intense emotional outbursts, mood swings, and physical symptoms such as headaches, sleep disturbances, high blood pressure, chest tightness, weakened immune system, and constant illness.
The effects of stress at work are always present at a physiological level, but are less noticeable at the beginning. Our palms sweat, our muscles tense, our breathing quick, our pulse racing, but these are involuntary reactions of our body to stress.
Our nervous systems are constantly under stress from work, and this affects our overall quality of life.
Biofeedback in stress management
Many people resort to various herbal remedies, herbal teas and, in more serious cases, medicines to deal with stress. This is an attempt to combat stress at work and the sleep disturbances that go with it, although there is a more natural method, namely biofeedback therapy.
Innovative medical biofeedback devices, working on the basis of biological feedback, are able to activate the human body’s self-healing mechanisms and support the body in consciously managing stress. But what is biofeedback?
Biofeedback therapy devices (e.g. QUEX S, QUEX ED) use sensors placed on the patient’s body to display the body’s state and reactions to stress on a computer screen. Because we are constantly receiving visible ‘feedback’ on how the body is working, we can also see how it changes when we consciously change our reactions, for example by breathing more evenly or by adopting a correct posture. The biofeedback devices measure physiological signals related to stress, such as heart rate, muscle activity, breathing, sweating, temperature, and use special software to teach the patient conscious relaxation.
They also use audio-video materials, auditory, visual, vibration stimuli in the therapy, all aimed at teaching us how to deal with stressful life situations using only our own mind, without drugs, without side effects!
5 ways to manage stress at work
Biofeedback is used worldwide in stress management. The therapy is recommended for anyone, regardless of age or gender, and there are no contraindications. There are no side effects and no drugs to take to be successful.
Thanks to biofeedback, we can use the mind to correct mistakes in the body and use the mind to restore imbalances.
The QUEX S, QUEX ED biofeedback devices are an excellent way to treat stress. They can help you manage stress at work in a number of ways.
- ECG: electrocardiography is one of the biofeedback methods to reduce the effects of stress. It can influence heart rate, reduce the effects of stress on the autonomic nervous system and the heart.
- Using EEG sensors: biofeedback devices also use EEG sensors to treat stress. This helps to create harmony between the brain hemispheres and lobes. People tend to use the left hemisphere even though the right hemisphere is more creative and allows abstract thinking. This imbalance impairs adaptability, which can lead to increased stress.
- Spinal therapy: helps reduce the negative effects of stress on muscles, for example by relieving painful muscle knots.
- SENSO programme: an effective biofeedback technique that runs as a stand-alone application on modern biofeedback devices. It helps relax facial muscles, using guided meditation. It helps the body to regenerate and relax.
- Any other relaxation technique the individual prefers can be used. Whether physical exercises, yoga, meditation, breathing techniques.
A balanced life and the preservation of long-term physical and mental health can only be achieved through proper stress management. Biofeedback therapy can also be used to help in such cases and to learn how to operate the body more consciously. This can be useful not only for stress but also for any other ailment, and can provide a solution to many health problems.