Top 5 Triggers for stress in the workplace

While a small amount of stress can help to motivate us and keep us focused, too much is never a good thing and can lead to serious problems with anxiety and depression.We’ve identified our top 5 triggers for stress in the workplace.1. Not enough breaks Working through lunch every day might impress the boss, but sooner or later it’s going to take its toll. And it’s not just holidays and lunch-breaks that we’re talking about, either – even short screen breaks are essential for re-charging your batteries and giving you a much-needed chance to rest and recuperate.2. Working when you’re ill Presenteeism is a huge problem in today’s high-pressure working environments. It’s not just about people coming in sick and under-performing – unwell employees tend to create more unwell employees as viruses and bacteria spread, and coming back to work before you’re ready can delay the recuperation process too.3. Difficult people Dealing with difficult colleagues and customers is a major cause of stress at work and one of the last unmeasured costs to organisations in terms of absence, poor performance and high staff turnover.4. Lack of control Not being able to determine our own workload, a lack of consultation and dealing with shifting demands and deadlines can leave us feeling powerless and under-valued, leading to high stress levels and anxiety.5. Poor environment The actual place where we work is extremely important for our wellbeing – so if we’re subjected to constant noise or movement of people around us, bad lighting, not enough space or a poorly configured workstation, it’s going to impact on our performance.Being able to identify and eliminate triggers for stress is a key starting point for building a mentally healthy workplace where everyone can give their best.Find out what you can do to support your employees’ wellbeing with mental health training from Skill Boosters. http://bit.ly/Skill_Boosters_MHtraining

90:10 The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do For Your Stress

Check out our new website http://www.reframehealthlab.com/ Follow Dr. Mike for new videos! http://twitter.com/docmikeevansDocMikeEvans follows up his viral health video “23 and 1/2 Hours” with this informative and practical video on managing stress. Dr. Mike Evans is founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael’s Hospital. http://www.facebook.com/docmikeevansWritten and narrated by Dr. Mike Evans Executive Producer, Dr. Mike Evans Illustrations by Liisa Sorsa Produced, directed, and photographed by Nick De Pencier Editor, David Schmidt Story/Graphic Facilitator, Disa Kauk Whiteboard construction by James Vanderkleyn Production assistant, Jesse Parnell ©2011 Michael Evans and Mercury Films Inc.