Medical research is clear: the number one cause of all illness is mental stress.
Up to 80% of all of our anxiety is resulting from the fact that most of us haven’t had enough training on how to effectively respond to adversity. Whether our challenges come from our family or our work lives, everyone needs to know how to relax themselves quickly, no matter what’s going on in the environment. (Obviously the exception to this is if the stressful situation is causing you, or someone else, physical harm or serious emotional abuse).
It’s no secret that the workplace can be a source of stress. There are tons of research studies
that prove how much employee productivity goes down, or how absenteeism soars when workers cannot adapt to the demands of the workplace conditions.
Wherever two or more people come together at work there will always be challenges on how to discover, develop and master the ways that they can happily share their talents in order to best serve their company with care and cooperation.
On top of that, anxiety increases at work because of the pressure to complete assignments on time, to be expected to do more work than you possibly can, not having enough clear direction or assistance, not working in healthy conditions or having to deal with angry customers.
Ultimately the best way to take care of your mental health at work is to have simple stress reduction methods that you can use right in your chair at your desk. Within 10 - 15 seconds you can successfully convert your stressful brain chemistry (excessive adrenaline, cortisol & norepinephrine) into healthful brain chemistry (endorphins, serotonin & dopamine).
When you’re confident that you can literally relax yourself anywhere and anytime, you’ll be able to stay mentally and physically focused so that you can maintain your usual high quality of work. Equally important, you’ll be able to enjoy more emotional well-being and a deeper peace of mind.
Does This Sound Too Good to Be True?
Over the past 10 years, I’ve been teaching a California Board Certified Continuing Education course for healthcare practitioners called, “Adjusting the Mind Seminar”. The 12-hour course shows health professionals how to use simple stress reduction techniques both for themselves and for their patients.
I’ve had hundreds of doctors tell me that the relaxation techniques they’ve passed along to their patients has been most practical in helping them calm themselves down at home and at work.
Using the latest research in the scientific fields of epigenetics (how your thoughts affect your health), and neuroplasticity (how to train your brain to respond to stress with clear, positive beliefs and creative, productive behaviors), you can dramatically help transform your negative, depressing thoughts into greater tranquility and happiness.
All it takes to become skillful at controlling your stress is consistent practice for just a few minutes a day. Within a few months you’ll have trained your brain to remain relaxed under most difficult conditions.
The main benefit of controlling your stress at work is that you’ll develop the virtue of Acceptance.
When people in the workplace can better accept each other’s weaknesses, faults and lack of skills, everyone will have more patience with each other. This allows everyone to feel safe while not being a perfect co-worker. This dramatically increases mutual respect and trust, which, in turn, drives up productivity.
The Key: Stress Management that Work for You
People respond to stress management methods differently. Also, many people are afraid that their minds are so busy that they won’t be able to learn how to relax. A technique that helps one co-worker chillout, may cause another co-worker to get even more anxious.
Thankfully there’s a wide variety of ways to relax that are best suited to your interests and abilities.
This is a list of scientifically proven solutions:
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reductio
Controlled Breathing
Meditation
Guided Imagery
Self-Inquiry
Autogenic Training
Progressive Relaxation
Anger Management
Gratitude Affirmation
Time Management
For more details about each method, feel free to click onto this page at my website to get a feel for which techniques could work for you.
Quick Note: I started studying mindfulness-based stress reduction with a Buddhist lama
when I was teenager in the 60’s. I needed all of the help I could get because anxiety and depression were a genetic problem in my family. There have been two suicides in my family due to depression. I became determined to overcome this problem without medication. By practicing consistently briefly every day (I don’t have time to practice for more than a minute at a time), I’ve been able to manage the stress of being a parent, owning a recording studio, leading a non-profit organization and running a busy doctor’s office.
If I can do it, you can do it as well.
Don’t Wait
It’s dangerous for your physical health and mental well-being to be denying or delaying your need to get care for your stress. Your family and your co-workers will be happy that you’re taking the right steps to take better care of yourself. It’s never too late to start moving your life in the right direction.
Dr. Schillinger is a chiropractor, musician, writer, non-profit founder, life coach, and public speaker. A specialist in providing stress management since 1985, he’s been helping his patients improve their physical health, mental stress and emotional well-being. He has published countless articles and blogs, and has delivered over 1000 presentations in fields ranging from stress management, nutrition and yoga, to personal growth, family unity and organizational teamwork.