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Is work stress literally making you sick?
The stress and strain of work really could be taking a physical toll on you, and you may be surprised to find exactly what it is about work that hurts in various parts of your body.
Researchers who examined more than 70 studies looking at the relationship between work and illness, found that long hours and a heavy workload were clearly correlated with illness, according to a post on PsyBlog.
They did find that the typical factors we associate with stress — such as long hours and a heavy workload — are correlated with illness and physical ailments such as headaches and stomach problems.
The researchers found that "organizational constraints" like not having the time or authority to reach the goals set for you are most strongly associated with physical symptoms, especially gastrointestinal problems and fatigue.
The researchers also saw strong correlations between role conflict — when your boss tells you to do one thing and another person gives you different instructions — and tummy troubles. Co-worker conflict was associated with having trouble sleeping.
Researchers are hesitant to say that work stress causes illness and physical ailments, since in most cases the studies look only at the correlation between stress and illness.
Related:
Yes, your commute is bad for you, too
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All I can say is "Duh" What's next? Drinking alcohol. can make you drunk?"
Those fat-cat employers got you just where they want you. They make you work 50-60 hour work weeks with the threat of replacing you with someone else. They also cut your benefits and pay you less. Welcome to Corporate America.
Vote with the neocons and get economically raped. That goes for rural America too.
i will like to be working hard and always be good
I have personally experienced this; stress at work = high blood pressure, depression and anxiety. Everyone needs "mental health" days away from work.
I agree with all who have personally experienced high stress and illness. It was so bad for me that I'm on social sec disability with a mental health issues. Shame on the companies who know what they are doing to their employees.
Worse country is Japan and they drop over dead from stress. Rent movie "Happy" the director of Liar Liar produced after an accident.
Try the stress of unemployment...
Yes, being unemployed is stressful. However, unemployed people, because of the additional available time and less available resources, begin to take serious measures in order to take better care of themselves - sleeping in adequate amounts, cooking for themselves instead of eating out, etc. Where those with a job are eating less healthy, get less sleep, and are on a corporate-designed path to be burnt up and die.
Do we? Actually we do less. Fewer Dr. visits. Cheaper food. Plenty of time for sleep, but the stress doesn't exactly make it good sleep.
I worked 12-16 hours a day, often for weeks on end, in a deadline-driven business. After 20 years of doing so, I had a heartattack at age 45 ... didn't have enough characters to finish the post above
I had my first one at the age of 32 working on a tight dead line! Stress is a killer no doubt!
Surprised you were able to do it for 20 years. I'm sure some multi-millionaire will enjoy flicking away the Social Security check you won't be alive to collect on lunch.
The longer I stay at my current job, the more I have found myself being sick. When the stress level was "up'd" after taking on a huge case and working 7 days per week to try to get a handle on it, I've found that my immune system has broken down. I easily get sore throats and have been fatigued for the past month. Now that my boss owes me four thousand dollars (and refuses to pay) for services rendered on said case, I have gotten stressed to the point that it is just not healthy for me mentally or physically.
I retired and I'm in a much healthier state since doing so. Work stress can be driven by work....corporate....GREED.
I was working so many crazy shifts I actually did not know what day it was many times. Does not matter now - the top performer, I was laid-off. That pesky age problem and diabetes. Funny how the youngsters had it made - regular hours mon-fri. Of course! Their managers were 20 somethings and they were all butt buddies.
Altho this is a 'duh' moment for many, I would not discard this piece of info so readily. The Tea Partiers that do not support businesses having to pay for part of their employees health care can use this info. But then, it is science, so.............
Yes, we must slow down. Here's a piece I wrote for Psychology Today with tips on how to do it:
As a graduate research assistant, and a single mom, the stress nearly killed me. I am having a nervous breakdown after the non-stop slogging at the lab and working with minimal wage in addition to being a full time mom. Not worth it.
You are going to see A LOT more Americans in their 30's and early 40's having had their FIRST Heart attack (that is, ONLY if they survive it). I know.
I'm 40 and i'm already getting heart palpatations at work. It's not fun when all the sudden, for no reason, your heart starts racing for a few seconds. Not a good feeling and your wondering if this is it. If this is the onset of a heart attack.
I hope you have good health insurance. Heart attacks are expensive, and without health insurance is a guaranteed bankruptcy unless you have 6-figures in the bank.
Not just work but remember that everytime your Blackberry etc. red light comes on it sends a stress response to the brain so stress has become full time fun. My health has improved significantly since I've learned to "let go" and put it down. Try it. It is not easy to re-train the brain.
sorry guys i love it, but i work for myself, its like all these fools are always trying to trick me over here in Taiwan, its like a game to me... i love it..and unlike you guys i can take 3 - 4 days off of the game when ever i want.
The truth finally has surfaced to reality, SAD but so true humans are now forced to work 12 hour shifts 6 am to 6pm and 6pm to 6am that alone is stress to no life or family time and its only being done to get reed of a shift for a bigger bonuses for management and above Congress has it made while we suffer and we put them in a comfy recliner and the walk away with a full pesion wonder why they work pass 67 while we dont think we make it pass 62
The researchers actually took this long to figure that out!!!!!!
I'm not a Bible thumper, and I don't believe in hell, but I do think the Bible contains considerable wisdom, one bit of which is that people need a day of rest every seven--undoubtedly a good idea where human labor is primarily physical, but quite possibly just as important in more sedentary occupations
You try working 6 to 7 work days a week for the entirety of a workers pregnancy, without hiring temporary workers, and see how much YOU enjoy it!
When under stress I overeat, get headaches, sleepless nights, mood swings, panic attacks, and my chest tightens.