4 Stress-Busting Tips for the Philadelphia Business Community

Whatever you call it, there is no shortage of Stress, Tension or pressures in today’s fast-paced, technologically advanced workplace.

Philadelphia Businesses are no exception. Statistics don’t lie:

• Stress-related disorders are the main reason for disability claims among workers (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health).

• Job stress and the problems related to it is estimated to cost American companies $200 billion plus annually, as a result of absenteeism, turnover, accidents, etc.

• The World Health Organization calls job stress a “worldwide epidemic.”

Jefferson Hospital Mindfulness Institute, located in Center City Philly, has helped hundreds of Philadelphia residents manage stress better and to relieve many health issues caused by stress.

Stress obviously impacts every one of us in powerful ways. But what can we do about it?  It won’t go away in this modern work world and economic times.  Interestingly, eliminating all the stressors isn’t the main solution.  We actually do need a certain degree of stress in life to get us into action, challenge our limiting ideas of what we are capable of, and assist our ambitions to grow and perform in new and better ways in our lives. The trick is learning how to manage the stress instead of being overwhelmed by it.

When you read some of the patient testimonies who have utilized the programs and Jefferson Hospital Mindfulness Institute (JHMI) you see people from all walks of life, and all ages.  For some, like a Philadelphia business man named Erik, the program helped him eliminate physical pains, others, like Christine, just learned how to manage stress more effectively so that the negative stressors stopped taking such a toll on her.

If you own, run or work for a business in the Philadelphia-New York-New Jersey area, as with any metropolitan region in the U.S., there are some common stressors like heavy traffic, weather problems interfering with employee attendance, deliveries, shipments, business travel to and from airports, or cancelled flights and the like.

In addition, each person has unique challenges and situations in their job and life, and the secret in managing stress is how you react to those challenges and situations.  In other words, it’s in your control to a great degree, how much stress affects you.

While everyone has a very full plate, in particular secretaries and administrative assistants have to juggle multiple tasks, and it can often feel as though there are way too many.  We’ve helped many a secretary responsible for schedules, travel, flight arrangements and multiple administrative tasks for several executives simultaneously.  Experts tell us that women often have difficulty asking for help from others and feel they have to do it all themselves.  To some extent that is the demand of the job, but there are ways to make things easier.  Make a list of people, services and resources that will make you more efficient and make your job easier.  Just knowing who to call is a big stress reducer in and of itself!

“An Introduction to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction,” at JHMI is based on the original program from the University of Massachusetts program created by Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli.

Those who go through the program learn how to lower stress, increase your feelings of well-being and several ways to practice meditation so that day-to-day stress has far less impact.  Patients gain more control over feelings of stress and how it can affect health, productivity and happiness in business, communication, relationships and life in general.

Here are some stress management tips we’ve found from a variety of experts:

Breathing

No we’re not kidding.  When stress hits many people actually either hold their breath and/or don’t take deep breaths at all.  Experts recommend taking frequent brief breaks throughout the day and taking three or more deep breaths in a row to get oxygen flowing and to slow your pace back down.

Stop Reacting to the Unknown

Sometimes people have trouble identifying exactly which stress is affecting them most.  It all jumbles together and can get to a point of overwhelm.  Pinpointing the one or two major stressors is important.  Learning precisely what has the greatest impact gives you power to then do something about it – to plan a strategy.

Walking

With exercise comes endorphins (your own body’s “happy pill”).  Studies have shown fifteen minutes of brisk walking can reduce an entire day’s stress!  If walking is a challenge for you physically, what other exercise can you do routinely?  The results will be a big payoff in many ways.  You’ll just feel better while managing stress.

As it has Been Said, “The In-Box of Life is Never Empty”

If you’re a perfectionist who can’t leave your desk until it’s “all done,” you’ll never be done!  Work-aholism is prevalent in Philadelphia business men and women.  In keeping pace with such a busy metropolitan area, you could wear yourself out.  The world of business is competitive and you need to keep your edge, but not at the expense of your health or your business performance.  Filtering out what is most important, learning to delegate and assessing your “to do” list each day and each week is one way to keep things under control.

Whatever Philadelphia business you work for, reducing your stress will make you far more effective on the job, but most importantly, you’ll just plain feel better!  Taking the time to do these five simple steps can make all the difference.

We’re here to make your life easier.  For Philadelphia business travel to and from all major airports and points of attraction in Philadelphia, New York City and New Jersey, call us 24/7