Your emotional well-being is just as important as your physical health. According to a 2013 Work Stress Study conducted by Harris Interactive, 80 percent of U.S. workers report feeling stress on the job, making job stress one of the leading types of stress in the United States. As Americans tend to spend most of their day at work, it is important to address stress in the workplace. This can improve quality of life and prevent serious health conditions that can arise from prolonged stress.
While the body’s natural stress response is effective for short-term stress, the body cannot handle the response in the long term. Prolonged stress has been shown to increase risk of several chronic diseases, including depression, cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, obesity, and diabetes. Since chronic diseases can take a long time to develop, it is not always clear that stress is a contributing factor. Unhealthy coping mechanisms like smoking, drinking, poor diet, or limited physical activity also increase risk of chronic health conditions.
These unhealthy coping mechanisms can be damaging to your health and relationships. Managing stress in a healthy way is important for mental and physical well-being. Techniques to improve emotional wellness, like mindfulness, can be used to decrease stress, depression, and anxiety.
Mindfulness is the practice of judgment-free reflection, being in the moment, and being aware of your surroundings, thoughts, and physical sensations. Practicing mindfulness slows down the heart rate, relaxes muscles, conserves energy, and reduces the damaging effects of long-term stress on the body. These techniques help identify sources of stress and strain in the body—while still or in movement—and can reduce mental exhaustion, increase job satisfaction, and encourage healthier eating habits. Mindfulness can also help improve interpersonal relationships by increasing relaxation and compassion towards oneself and others. While mindfulness may not target the source of stress directly, it manages the feeling of stress in a way that is beneficial for the body and helps refocus the mind to better deal with the stressor.
The Mount Sinai Selikoff Centers for Occupational Health are dedicated to providing cutting-edge clinical services with a focus on prevention to keep workers healthy. To learn about mindfulness programs, call us at 888-702-0630.