Are you experiencing heart palpitations? Perpetual headaches? Maybe it’s a loss of appetite, or even a low libido? You could be suffering from the stress and anxiety that may arise with the fast-paced corporate lives so many of us lead today. These can be further compounded when we have to return home to the full responsibilities of being a parent. Unless you are able to identify the key causes of your particular anxieties, you will be unable to take the necessary steps to alleviate them.
Port Elizabeth-based psychologist, Martinus Claasen, has found that there can be a number of reasons for stress in the work place. Many of us are guilty of poor time-management. Instead of simply doing the work that is required, we spend our time brooding over deadlines, feeling increasingly overwhelmed by what we have to do. For this, he suggests breaking the day up into small manageable tasks. This way, the work pile no longer seems insurmountable.
Another key problem he considers is that of severe debt that many have accumulated, debt that adds to the pressure already felt in the work place, a pressure to climb the corporate ladder with the promise of a better financial position. However, often the kind of debt that we accrue is not out of necessity, instead we feel compelled to, “keep up with the Joneses”.
Claasen maintains, though, that finding a constructive way to decompress after hours is the easiest solution available to most. Here he suggests exercise as one of the best activities. The endorphins released are known to help alleviate stress. Ultimately, he says, the most important thing is to take an hour, or even half an hour, for yourself. Listen to some relaxing music, read a magazine, run yourself a warm bath. Leave the worries you have had all day behind you in these moments. Tomorrow is a new day. It can wait for the time being.
Date Published: 11 June 2015
