Stress Busting At Work
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Everyone experiences some degree of stress at work, and a degree of positive pressure can help improve performance and productivity. But in a recent report, (1) the leading mental health charity, Mind, warned that excessive levels or prolonged periods of work stress can have adverse effects resulting in both physical and mental illness.
The report lists a number of disturbing facts about stress in the workplace:
The report identified a number of factors that can increase stress at work, including:
At the end of 2004, the HSE launched a new guide for managers, aimed at preventing stress in the workplace.(4) The guide identified 12 management standards, providing a step-by-step approach to tackling the different causes of stress in the workplace, together with advice on identifying those at risk from stress and on how to prevent problems occurring.
The Mind report supports these standards, recommending that all organisations should have a stress prevention policy that lays down the way the organisation deals with stress issues.
The reports’ key recommendations to reduce/prevent stress at work include the following:
For those who have been made ill through stress at work, the report recommends that:
The HSE report states that employers now have a duty in law to ensure that their employees do not suffer from stress-related illness. Employers who do not take work-related stress seriously may therefore leave themselves open to compensation claims from employees who have suffered ill health from work-related stress.
Aromatherapy and stress - a natural approach
Although there are many ways of relieving stress outside the office, only a few techniques are suitable for use in the workplace to combat stress at work.
For example, relaxation techniques, such as exercise and mediation, are often impractical during day-to-day working life. One method that can be used in a work environment is aromatherapy (the therapeutic use of essential oils extracted from plants). Many essential oils are recognised for their stress-relieving effects, and can help aid concentration and focus, and improve productivity and mood. Aromatherapy is today widely practised in the home, but it can also be used in the office, where it can be used to combat stress at its source.
There are a number of easily obtainable essential oils that can be used to reduce the symptoms of stress especially work related stress. A few such oils useful in coping with stress are listed here, together with its main stress-relieving properties and benefits.
Lavender
Lavender is a very versatile oil and has been used for healing purposes since ancient times. Extracted from the flowering tops of the plant, this usually colourless/pale yellow oil with a sweet floral aroma is particularly useful in stressful situations as it has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety, depression and fatigue. It also aids clarity, balance, relaxation and rejuvenation.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a colourless to pale yellow oil extracted from the flowering tops of the herb. A refreshing aroma with woody undertones, it aids energy, creativity, clarity and concentration. It is useful in cases of strain, overwork, fatigue, sluggishness and lethargy.
Orange
Orange essential oil, like grapefruit essential oil, is extracted from the peel of the fruit. Pale yellow in colour, the oil has a sweet and refreshing aroma, and provides mental stimulation, helping to fight apathy, anxiety and burn-out.
You spend a lot of time in your place of work - by taking steps to reduce any work related stress you may encounter, and making your workplace as pleasant as possible, you can increase your own well-being and productivity.
References
1. Stress and Mental Health in the Workplace. http://www.mind.org.uk
2. The Scale of Occupational Stress: The Bristol Stress and Health at Work Study. HSE Contract Research Report 265, HSE Books (2000).
3. Health and Safety Executive (2004). Health and Safety Statistics Highlights 2003/04. Available at www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/overpic.htm
4. Tackling Work-Related Stress: A Managers’ Guide To Improving And Maintaining Employee Health And Well-Being http://www.hse.gov.uk/stress/information.htm
Dr Gillian Hale writes about using aromatherapy in the workplace to relieve stress at work. For more information regarding stress at work, stress busting with essential oils visit: http://www.aromatherapy-stress-relief.com/
Gillian Hale is also the co-founder of aromatherapy-stress-relief.com a home based UK business providing hand made Aromatherapy Stress Relief Gifts.
copyright 2006 Gillian Hale (CUS Busting Ltd)
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