Columbus Fire and Rescue Magazine Volume 4 Numer 2 | Page 28

HOW TO BEAT OFFICE STRESS
Don't let work hassles keep you from being your mental and physical best

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We know too much stress
can cause major health
drama, including heart disease, depression, headaches,
overeating, and loss of sex
drive. Fun, huh? Even mild
stress makes it harder to get
in a good workout. To help
you balance today's treacherous times — in and out of
the workplace — we've
pulled together four easy
stress-management survival
tricks.
1.) TALK IT OUT
Fighting layoffs? A micromanaging supervisor? Just
have too much to do?
Feeling helpless can hit you,
no matter what type of job
you have or your rung on the
ladder. To combat the problem, always make an effort
to stay informed. Know as
much as you can about what
is going on above and below
you, and keep both sides
informed about you too. If
you don't know what's going
on in your boss's world, he
probably has no idea what's

really going on in yours,
either.
2.) TAKE A BREAK
Nonstop work marathons
actually hurt your productivity. Instead, take regularly

scheduled breaks during the
workday. Try a 10-minute
stretch every hour. And stop
eating lunch at your desk!
You need a break away from
your 8-by-8 world in order
to recharge.
3.) REMEMBER:
YOU'RE NOT PERFECT
Many of us brag about being
a perfectionist — as if it's a

28 l COLUMBUS FIRE and RESCUE MAGAZINE l

good thing. Setting yourself
up for such failure can send
stress rocketing. Accept that
you may not be able to do
everything perfectly — but
you can do everything correctly. Focus on doing that
instead of being perfect, and
everything else on your todo list should fall into place.
4.) CUT THE CORD
AFTER 5 P.M.
Too often we don't realize
that our personal life can
take a huge toll on our 9-to5 life. If our personal life —
social, physical, or emotional
— is suffering, it will invariably poison the workday,
since that's where most of
us spend the majority of our
time. Take care of your business at home and your stress
levels should plummet. If
they don't, the best stress
relief may be a new
job.
by Malcolm Munro
Courtesy
menshealth.com
(662) 32-5121