Many people will state that the number one source of stress in their lives is their job. There are varying degrees of job related stress but the majority will say they experience high levels of stress several times a week and one in four people have high levels of stress every day.

What you may not be aware of is that this type if stress can severely impact your health which ultimately can affect your life. Your body deals with stress in many ways and some can cause serious health problems.

Chronic or long term stress causes almost 80 percent of all illnesses. Weakened immune systems create havoc on our bodies and allow all types of diseases to take hold.

Your Health

There are many symptoms that can cause related health issues but these are the most common we hear about.

• Coronary heart disease

• Ulcers

• Hypertension

• Insomnia

• Depression

• Migraines

• Increases in Colds and Flu

There are millions of dollars spent on stress related diseases and even more lost on salary and wages for those unable to work due to stress.

Job stress is at an all time high with smart phones and laptops keeping employees logged into work all hours day and night. Gone are the 40 hour work weeks and the expectations of working more hours to reap raises and bonuses are often unattainable. Even vacation time has become more of a luxury instead of a necessity.

Watch For The Signs

There are several key warning signs that may tell you that your stress levels are at dangerous levels.

• Frequent headaches

• Back and Neck pain

• Insomnia

• Teeth grinding

• Over or under eating

• Anxiety

If left unchecked, these issues can develop into serious medical problems over time.

Take the Steps

By identifying the major factors causing your stress, you can make changes to help get your stress levels back into balance. Look at your work environment and see if any changes can be made. If there are interpersonal issues, perhaps mediation can be arranged.

Examine your responsibilities, are you taking on too much? If your job cannot make any changes, perhaps a new job is the answer.

Taking care of the issues that you can will make a difference in taking back control. Change your home and sleep routines to put your health a top priority and schedule vacation and recreation time as the necessary requirements that they are.

All jobs are stressful in some capacity and it is in our best interest to learn how to see the signs before the negative effects impact our health. We are worth it.