The expert talked about ways to cope with stress at work

Work can cause chronic stress. Urgent matters, competition, expectations, congestion — all this imperceptibly and gradually affects the condition. On March 21, Alyona Savyuk, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, business coach, told Izvestia about the stages of stress and ways to cope with it.

The term "stress" was coined by Canadian scientist Hans Selye back in the early 20th century. He called it the ways to react to different types of events. He identified three stages of stress.

With anxiety, the pulse rate increases, the level of adrenaline is determined, and the brain is activated. If stress drags on, then a person gets used to living in it and finds ways to adapt. Then comes the stage of resistance. Next, at the stage of exhaustion, stress already becomes chronic and uncontrollable. Then health, motivation and efficiency begin to suffer greatly, she noted.

"The physical manifestations of stress include headaches, chronic fatigue, sleep problems and pressure spikes, and emotional ones include irritability and anxiety. Under stress, cognitive abilities decrease: difficulties with concentration, forgetfulness, and an "absent-minded mind" appear. In addition, a person begins to procrastinate more often," Savyuk said.

The expert also mentioned ways to cope with stress at work. So, switching attention helps. She suggested using the "tomato method," which involves alternating 25 minutes of work and five minutes of rest. Savyuk also recommended the "5-4-3-2-1" technique. At the moment when anxiety strikes, it is worth naming five things that you see in front of you; four sounds that you hear; three things that you feel (like your feet touching the floor, for example); two smells and one taste. In addition, the expert recommended performing breathing techniques at such moments.

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"Stress is often associated with the fact that we take on too much. Out of fear, we agree to everything, and then burn out. If the boss asks, specify: "What exactly should I focus on, and what should I postpone?" If a colleague is overloading, say, "I don't have the resources right now, but I can help later," she said.

Physical activity is another salvation, the specialist emphasized. According to her, even 5-10 minutes of exercise reduces the level of the stress hormone cortisol. Yoga, warm-up exercises, as well as modeling, drawing and anti-stress balls help to cope with this condition.

In her work, the specialist recommended enjoying the process instead of focusing on results, unloading yourself through communication and hobbies, and also choosing an activity that will inspire.

On March 13, Izvestia got acquainted with the results of the survey conducted by the Work service.<url>" about the most common reasons for dismissal from work. The most common of them was the unwillingness of the employer to raise wages. It is followed by a lack of career growth (38%) and professional burnout (37%). A significant proportion of respondents (32%) cited stress as the reason for their dismissal. The desire to work closer to home also became a significant factor for 24% of the respondents.