If the mere thought of another busy day at the office zaps your
energy then all you need is a dog, a nap and phone switched to
silent.
Studies from around the world have yielded a set of six tips for
lowering stress at work, with advice ranging from grabbing 40 winks
at your desk to taking your pet to work.
The first tip highlighted by New Scientist magazine is
that workers should be sociable - but not too sociable.
British research has shown that sociability is good for the
health, with a study of thousands of civil servants revealing that
moral support from colleagues, encouragement from supervisors and
clear direction from bosses kept stress levels down.
Male civil servants who lacked support in the workplace were 31
percent more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression, and
women 43 percent.
However, too much socializing could lead to work piling up.
Research from the University of California shows that a quarter
of the working day is lost to interruptions, with emails, phone
calls and text messages leading to use taking our eye off the task
in hand every three minutes.
Half of all interruptions are self-generated and a quarter of
tasks are put off to the next working day - sending stress levels
soaring.
The second tip is to ensure your surroundings are as pleasant as
possible.
Simply being able to see your colleagues makes the working day
much more manageable, with the height of partitions dividing up
open plan office space affecting stress levels.
Surprisingly, the higher the partition is, the more people
complain about noise from their neighbors.
Research from the University of Montreal shows that the optimum
partition height is 4ft 3ins (1.3m) - high enough to provide
privacy but low enough to ensure staff do not feel isolated.
Outlining its Six Steps for a Stress-Free Career, New Scientist
magazine says: "The angst begins before you even get to work. You
can picture your workspace: narrow, cluttered and far too close to
a loud-mouthed colleague.
"Then there's the overactive air con - your uncomfortable chair
is right in its line of fire - and that's not to mention the lack
of natural light and privacy.
"Although it is oh-so-clear what your employer needs from you,
few bosses have considered what kind of place you need from
them.
"Work related stress may be a hot topic these days, but little
attention is paid to the importance of the physical working
environment."
Tip number three for a stress-free working life is to trample on
less ambitious colleagues, with studies showing that those who
remain at the bottom of the career ladder are most likely to die
young.
The fourth piece of advice for workers is to learn to switch
off.
Mobile phones, Blackberries and other omnipresent pieces of
electronic equipment should be switched off after hours to allow
burnt-out brain cells to recharge.
Playing with a cat or dog can also aid relaxation and if workers
can persuade their boss to let them into the office then the day
will fly by.
Those who are banned from taking their pet in might find it
easier to snatch 40 winks at the desk - a pastime that can ease
stress and boost productivity.
(China Daily February 12, 2007)