Archive for the ‘Stress and Your Health’ Category
Stress In The Workplace Affects You And Your Boss
Tuesday, July 10th, 2012At The Oxygen Plan, we have been working to communicate and educate employers about the adverse impact of stress on employee health as well as the associated costs to the employer. As examples, here are some our favorite and, by now, familiar yet always stunning statistics:
- Stress costs US employers $4 Billion per year, or 13% of GDP
- This translates to approximately $5000/employee/year (actual estimate is $4888)
- Stress is responsible for 70-95% of physician visits
- Stress is linked to the 6 leading causes of death
- Stress is a significant risk factor of a myriad of other health conditions and chronic diseases, all of which compound health care costs and erode employee engagement & profitability.
That’s why this morning, on the Today Show, we were glad to see a segment on stress, further emphasizing the importance of addressing stress in our lives:
- People in the US spend approximately $800 million per year on anti-anxiety medications
- In the US, 1 million employees miss work every day due to stress
- Stress can make your “real” or biological age as much as 32 years older than your chronological age, largely due to the stress hormone, cortisol
- Chronic stress causes brain cells to deteriorate and die, contributing problems with memory, attention and concentration.
Take a look at this clip from the Today Show
So, more bad news. But as we at The Oxygen Plan emphasize even more – also highlighted on the Today Show – the good news is that individuals can reverse and minimize these effects on health by understanding how stress impacts health, measuring that impact, then taking steps to better manage that stress. Employers can dramatically improve their bottom line by doing the same for their employees.
Sleeping isn’t just a nice thing to do, it is very essential to overall health and wellness.
According to a new study, 60% of American adults aren’t getting the required number of sleep hours for a healthy lifestyle.
At The Oxygen Plan, we call sleep a Green Action(TM) – because it is a positive healthy lifestyle choice.
Challenge yourself to get more sleep every night for a week and see how you feel.
Your ‘Toxic Friends’ Are Actually Toxic
Friday, March 2nd, 2012At The Oxygen Plan, we measure stress across home, work and social dimensions with our Stress Test™. And according to our basic, underlying principles, scores in the red suggest there are toxic people, places and/or things in our lives. Turns out, that may well be true for certain “friends” we have in our lives…
6 Weird Signs You’re Way Too Stressed Out
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012Is stress causing your hair to fall out? Take a few moments to check in with your body to make sure you’re not sacrificing your health and mental well-being. Physical symptoms of stress, such as dry heaving, can manifest themselves in weird ways when the affairs of life get too overwhelming. And sometimes, you may not even realize that stress is the cause…
Research has long since established that stress can be toxic to our health, but a recent study sheds some new light on just how damaging stress really is:
People from many countries admitted in this latest study conducted by The Workforce Institute, the number one reason they call in sick when they aren’t, is stress. Workers said they’re be less likely to take mental health days if they had more paid time off, were able to work flexible hours, or could choose compressed work weeks. And some employees who appeared to be playing hooky said they used their sick time to take care of sick children or run personal errands that a minimal amount of paid leave didn’t allow for.
Do you call in stressed? What impact does it have on your business? Employees are feeling more and more stressed, what can you do to help your employees? Read about The Oxygen plan for your business.
Helping Kids Deal With Back-To-School Stress
Wednesday, August 31st, 2011As adults we deal with stress on a daily basis, so often, that for some of us it’s just a part of life. But are our children dealing with stress also?
Testing in schools is starting at a very young age and with that comes test stress. You can help your child deal with high levels of cortisol which signify stress by working together to prepare for tests to ensure they are ready and knowledgeable. Studying in a technology free environment is the most beneficial way to sustain information and equip them to be well prepared.
Techniques to help your child with test stress include having them write down the negative thoughts they have about the test and then keep them in their pocket so they have already exhausted them and are not focusing on the negative during the test taking process. Another useful technique is to share your experiences with your child about a time where you thought you wouldn’t do well at something but then you did, so they can relate to what may at first seem like a negative experience can also be a positive one!
Communication with your child is key especially when it comes to their education. Now, your whole family can Live in the Green®.
5 Ways to Get More Nature into Your Life
Wednesday, July 20th, 2011Looking for ways to reduce stress but still enjoy the wonderful summer weather?
This article discusses the benefits of the outdoors for you, your family, and gives great ideas on how to spend more time outdoors and less time stressed. Be Well Be Green® and stress free in the sun!
Lower Employee Stress, Raise Performance
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011Studies show that workplace stress has increased over the past several years and that productivity can drop if employers don’t address the problem.
More than three-quarters of Americans are stressing out about something related to their jobs, according to the 2011 Work Stress Survey by Harris Interactive and Everest College. The survey found that out of nearly 1,000 adults found that 77% are stressed by at least one thing at work. The top stressors: low pay, commuting, unreasonable workload, fear of being laid off. Next in line: annoying co-workers, the boss, poor work/life balance and lack of opportunity for advancement.
For advice on how to deal with these issues in your company read on for tips on keeping your employees in the Green™ at work.
NIOSH Advises Employers to Teach Employees to Handle Stress
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health advises employers to help their employees handle stress. NIOSH defines job stress “as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources, or needs of the worker.”
The agency recommends that employers find ways to relieve employee stress because too much stress can result in job-related injuries. Read more below as NIOSH defines what work stress includes, causes, and prevention factors. Help your employees live in the Green™ and manage their stress by using The Oxygen Plan for your business.
Find more information under the ‘Employers’ tab on the main page.
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