Stressed at work and trouble sleeping? It's more serious than you think

April 28, 2019

Science Daily/European Society of Cardiology

Work stress and impaired sleep are linked to a threefold higher risk of cardiovascular death in employees with hypertension. That's the finding of research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Study author Professor Karl-Heinz Ladwig, of the German Research Centre for Environmental Health and the Medical Faculty, Technical University of Munich, said: "Sleep should be a time for recreation, unwinding, and restoring energy levels. If you have stress at work, sleep helps you recover. Unfortunately poor sleep and job stress often go hand in hand, and when combined with hypertension the effect is even more toxic."

One-third of the working population has hypertension (high blood pressure). Previous research has shown that psychosocial factors have a stronger detrimental effect on individuals with pre-existing cardiovascular risks than on healthy people. This was the first study to examine the combined effects of work stress and impaired sleep on death from cardiovascular disease in hypertensive workers.

The study included 1,959 hypertensive workers aged 25-65, without cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Compared to those with no work stress and good sleep, people with both risk factors had a three times greater likelihood of death from cardiovascular disease. People with work stress alone had a 1.6-fold higher risk while those with only poor sleep had a 1.8-times higher risk.

During an average follow-up of nearly 18 years, the absolute risk of cardiovascular death in hypertensive staff increased in a stepwise fashion with each additional condition. Employees with both work stress and impaired sleep had an absolute risk of 7.13 per 1,000 person-years compared to 3.05 per 1,000-person years in those with no stress and healthy sleep. Absolute risks for only work stress or only poor sleep were 4.99 and 5.95 per 1,000 person-years, respectively.

In the study, work stress was defined as jobs with high demand and low control -- for example when an employer wants results but denies authority to make decisions. "If you have high demands but also high control, in other words you can make decisions, this may even be positive for health," said Professor Ladwig. "But being entrapped in a pressured situation that you have no power to change is harmful."

Impaired sleep was defined as difficulties falling asleep and/or maintaining sleep. "Maintaining sleep is the most common problem in people with stressful jobs," said Professor Ladwig. "They wake up at 4 o'clock in the morning to go to the toilet and come back to bed ruminating about how to deal with work issues."

"These are insidious problems," noted Professor Ladwig. "The risk is not having one tough day and no sleep. It is suffering from a stressful job and poor sleep over many years, which fade energy resources and may lead to an early grave."

The findings are a red flag for doctors to ask patients with high blood pressure about sleep and job strain, said Professor Ladwig. "Each condition is a risk factor on its own and there is cross-talk among them, meaning each one increases risk of the other. Physical activity, eating healthily and relaxation strategies are important, as well as blood pressure lowering medication if appropriate."

Employers should provide stress management and sleep treatment in the workplace, he added, especially for staff with chronic conditions like hypertension.

Components of group stress management sessions:

·      Start with 5 to 10 minutes of relaxation.

·      Education about healthy lifestyle.

·      Help with smoking cessation, physical exercise, weight loss.

·      Techniques to cope with stress and anxiety at home and work.

·      How to monitor progress with stress management.

·      Improving social relationships and social support.

Sleep treatment can include:

·      Stimulus control therapy: training to associate the bed/bedroom with sleep and set a consistent sleep-wake schedule.

·      Relaxation training: progressive muscle relaxation, and reducing intrusive thoughts at bedtime that interfere with sleep.

·      Sleep restriction therapy: curtailing the period in bed to the time spent asleep, thereby inducing mild sleep deprivation, then lengthening sleep time.

·      Paradoxical intention therapy: remaining passively awake and avoiding any effort (i.e. intention) to fall asleep, thereby eliminating anxiety.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/04/190428143520.htm

6 Ways to Prevent Burnout in your Career

Guest Contributor: Paige A. Mitchell 

Everyone enjoys the weekend and time off from work. But what happens when the stress of going to work and overwhelming feelings of dread related to your job overtake your life? How do you know if you are headed to career burnout or simply experiencing a stressful time? Loss of sleep, having a negative and critical attitudeat work, missing a lot of work, having low interest in your work, feeling empty and feeling that your work doesn’t matteror has meaning – these are all symptoms of burnout. 

Two important definitionsof burnout are:  

●     "A state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by long term involvement in emotionally demanding situations." – Ayala Pines and Elliot Aronson. 

●     "A state of fatigue or frustration brought about by devotion to a cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward." – Herbert J. Freudenberger. 

 It’s important to note, there’s a difference between burnout and traditional stress or work exhaustion. While exhaustion can be overcome with rest, a core part of burnout is a deep sense of disillusionment, and it is not experienced by people who can take a more cynical view of their work. What steps can you take to help prevent burnoutin your job and ultimately your career? 

1.  Make time for self-care, both body and mind 

We all know the importance of eating right and exercising. But when in a constant stressful situation, such as a career headed towards burnout, it’s vital to make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Physical symptoms can occur from stress, such as aches and pains, feeling tired, lack of focus, and difficulty sleeping. 

 A great practice for managing stress is yoga and mindfulness meditation. It is also helpful to learn positive thinking techniques. If you are able to be positive, you can change your perception of challenging situations and manage your emotions.    

2.  Perform a job analysis 

Often when we are tired and stressed out, we feel like we will never catch up. There is always something to be done—another email to send out or another phone call to make. Feeling like this can often lead to burnout. 

 Try performing a job analysis to see what is actually expected of you and what isn’t. This will help to clear the clutter that may be fogging your judgement, yet aren’t even part of your job. After your job analysis, if you feel your boss is overloading you, schedule a meeting to discuss your work load and see if there is anyone you can delegate tasks to.  

3.  Take control of your day 

Take breaks throughout your day – sitting for long periods of time is bad for you, affecting your physical and mental health. Turn off after hours. Set the expectation with your boss that you are not available 24/7, set guidelines and limitations for emergency situations, and then unplug and disconnect from your work. You will be a better employee because of it. If you feel you are micromanaged talk to your boss about taking more control of your tasks and projects so that you can set the expectations better. 

 Learn prioritization techniques so that you can manage your time effectively and use To-Do lists to avoid feeling overwhelmed and out of control.  Be sure to set these habits into motion in your home life as well. Take control of your tasks at home and be sure to not let home repairssit on the side shelf.  

4.  Exercise 

Start small but start moving your body. Exercise can help alleviate stress and will also increase your energy and productivity.  Exercise can help take your mind off work and traditionally leads to a better night of sleep.    

5.  Communicate 

Schedule some time to have regular check-ins with your boss to discuss your concerns about your job. Come up with solutions to present before talking with your boss, just complaining about your situation will frustrate you both. Discuss what is causing your stress but leave the emotion at the door by sticking with the facts and pinpointing specific examples. Is it the schedule, the workload expectations? Have a plan to communicate and discuss what you need to help prevent burnout.  

6.  Evaluate your options and come up with a plan 

Take time to evaluate your current job and if it is the right fit for you. Are you just in a stressful time or have you outgrown your role? Is there a better option out there that better fits your talents and interest? Before making a move discuss your specific concerns with your supervisor. There may be ways you can change expectations or reach a compromise. If not, come up with a plan to move on from your career and focus on options that may be a better fit for you. 

Job Stress in Teachers Linked to Student Achievement

May 25, 2011

Science Daily/University of Houston

After 17 years of researching traumatic stress with war-afflicted populations (veterans and civilians) and job stress in the medical profession, Teresa McIntyre, a research professor in the department of psychology and the Texas Institute for Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics (TIMES), at the University of Houston (UH), decided to study another high risk occupation, middle school teachers in seventh and eighth grade.

"Middle school is probably the most difficult level to teach because student-teacher interactions are more difficult during this time, and this kind of difficulty in teacher-student interactions is a major source of stress for teachers at this level," McIntyre said.

"For students it's a time of adolescence and many changes developmentally, and that is going to affect the dynamics of learning, as well as the social relationships and climate in the classroom. It's going to affect the teachers as well. Our premise is that if the teacher is stressed, their behavior will be different with students, and they will perform differently with students."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110525181422.htm