‘Worked to death’ ever heard about it? It is said that what you think and feel at work affects your heart health directly. Different jobs around the world have different environments. Some are very strict and steady about work and some are easy-going ones that let their employees work at their own pace. All these jobs have their own kids of stress. Some people take stress in a way that becomes harmful for them.
Whereas some people cope with stress in a much better way than others. Some individuals even thrive as the stress drives them to work harder and more encouraged than before. So the question is that is the job stress actually bad for your heart health? Here’s what we have found out.
When there are things that upset us at work and we keep that inside, it increases the risk of heart attacks. Try to find strategies to divert yourself from anger. If you are finding it difficult to tackle problems with your office people, your manager, your HR department or your colleagues, you can at least try to manage your anger with the following methods:
- Do The Opposite. Instead of cursing and swearing at the people and for the things happening around you, consider that there might be a reason behind what they are doing. try empathizing with them and understanding what might have gone wrong.
- Choose Smart Words. Start using nicer words. The steer coherent words like “never” or “always” are not preferred as they sound a little rude. Using these words to justify your anger won’t help because there’s no way to solve a problem like this.
- Get Real With Your Expectations. Don’t blame yourself for things that are out of your control and don’t blame your boss for things that are out of their control.
Table of Content
How Does Your Job Affect Your Heart?
Job stress can cause the heart arteries to narrow down and also the blood pressure to rise, which eventually results in blood platelets becoming stickier. All of these factors are directly linked to heart attacks.
Job stress has so much more than just heart health issues.
It results in:
- Poor sleep
- Lack of physical exercise
- Increased smoking habit due to stress
- Heavy alcohol intake
- Binge eating
- Weight gain
Stress is also caused by working at odd hours and shifts which can lead you towards:
- Sleep deprivation
- High blood pressure
- Increased cortisol
If you are having heart issues due to stress, you should immediately consult with cardiologist in your area.
What Can You Do To Reduce Job Stress?
Stress is no joke. There are countless studies that mention how stress can cause serious physical symptoms like headaches, upset stomach, high blood pressure, chest pains, and extreme trouble while sleeping. In such a fast-paced world, it is almost impossible to get command of the job stress you are experiencing. Managing job stress has become even more challenging lately.
However, here are some things that can be done to utilize job stress in a better way.
- Regular Exercise:
Try to take brief breaks whenever it is possible and move around as much as you can. There isn’t any hard activity required, you can only go out and walk around, which is definitely better than just sitting at the desk all day. You don’t always need a heavy workout sometimes light activities such as walking can also be the thing you want. - Relax:
Relaxing is the best thing you can do for your heart health. It is beneficial for your overall health and fitness. Think of picking up a new activity and try spending your time in it. - Establish Your Boundaries
In this fast digital world, feeling extreme pressure to be available 24 hours, has become very common. Considering that, it is very important that we draw some boundaries between personal life and work life. Make it a habit to not worry about any emails in the evening after work. Moreover, stop feeling bad for not answering the phone calls while you are having dinner. Although it depends on person to person how they prefer to balance their work and home life. Setting some clear boundaries between these realms can reduce the unwanted work-life stress that follows you all the time. - Add Greenery To Your Sight
Improve your air quality and improve your surroundings by adding indoor plants around you. Adding plants to your table and they will give you an instant soothing effect and make your space feel calmer. - Keep Your Water Bottle With You
Keeping yourself hydrated all through the day can help you keep your brain fresh and alert, which promotes ideal conditions for creative thinking and problem-solving. - Stay Close To Natural Light
Natural light is always refreshing and also, it gives us positive vibes. Natural sunlight in the workspace can immensely improve your mood as well as your productivity. - Have Something Fresh Scented Close To Yourself
Be it a candle or a diffuser having a fresh scent around you is always uplifting. Keep your environment smelling nice and notice how it brings a positive shift in your productivity, creativity and mood. 9
In many situations and cases, we can not help our work stress. But we can try to make it better by a few enjoyable activities planned for ourselves. It can be a significant improvement for our health. Try to quit smoking, quit aggressive behaviour and stop overthinking about work. Try eating a sensible diet and keep your activities healthy.
For any professional and medical help, call us at 03111222398 and talk to your favourite doctor through video consultation. Marham’s facebook group and forum are also always open to ask anything and a doctor will answer you themselves.
