| Work stress 09:43 - Mar 9 with 2912 views | MrSwerve |
How do people deal with it? Has anyone taken time off for stress?
It's a bit of a taboo subject, much like mental health. Just thought it would be an interesting point of conversation. [Post edited 9 Mar 2020 10:14]
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| Work stress on 09:54 - Mar 9 with 1699 views | builthjack |
It's people taking the pi££ that spoil it for the genuine cases. |  |
| Swansea Indepenent Poster Of The Year 2021. Dr P / Mart66 / Roathie / Parlay / E20/ Duffle was 2nd, but he is deluded and thinks in his little twisted brain that he won. Poor sod. We let him win this year, as he has cried for a whole year. His 14 usernames, bless his cotton socks.
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| Work stress on 10:05 - Mar 9 with 1687 views | Cooperman |
In my younger days I used the after work beers as a way of stress relief but then I arrived at the conclusion of going into work on a Wednesday morning with a mild hangover was not going to end well in the long run. I certainly haven't found a solution to work related stress these days and this translates into erratic sleep patterns when times get tough. My best remedy is to keep a scribble pad at close hand and to document both problems and potential courses of action that can be followed in the next working day. This goes a long way to avoiding laying in bed thinking things over again and again. I have had a few cases of staff with work related stress over the years and their solutions have ranged from degrees of self management to formal counselling, all of which thankfully worked. It's very much a case of identifying what is right for the individual on a case by case basis. Everyone needs an outlet; finding the right one and a sustainable one is the difficult part. |  |
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| Work stress on 10:10 - Mar 9 with 1672 views | sainthelens |
Cash in a couple of pensions like me and take semi retirement. |  | | |
| Work stress on 10:33 - Mar 9 with 1633 views | KGriz16 |
I had stressers outside of my work environment that lead me to be incapable of performing in work to my full capacity, my line manager was very supportive and, more importantly, understanding. If you're struggling I recommend opening up and talking to colleagues. I went to see a GP, and was given 2 weeks leave. Really helped. However, I do have colleagues who find work incredibly stressful, it's just managing it at the time. I was offered counselling to help myself when work does get stressful for myself. Really helps. |  | | |
| Work stress on 11:32 - Mar 9 with 1581 views | Cooperman |
| Work stress on 10:33 - Mar 9 by KGriz16 |
I had stressers outside of my work environment that lead me to be incapable of performing in work to my full capacity, my line manager was very supportive and, more importantly, understanding. If you're struggling I recommend opening up and talking to colleagues. I went to see a GP, and was given 2 weeks leave. Really helped. However, I do have colleagues who find work incredibly stressful, it's just managing it at the time. I was offered counselling to help myself when work does get stressful for myself. Really helps. |
Good post. | |
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| Work stress on 12:43 - Mar 9 with 1515 views | AguycalledJack |
I deal with it in no particular order:
1. try and eat as healthy as possible. Time doesn't always allow for this.
2. get on a punch bag - try and make time for exercise
3. Vitamin D - the sunshine drug works for me (especially in winter when we don't get much sun).
4. If I have a decision to make, don't leave it hanging.
5. the note and pad idea stated above is excellent.
6. If possible, take time out to relax at least an hour before bed.
7. If necessary Sleep hypnosis, I use the sleep hypnosis on you tube.
8. Radox bath salts (the old fashioned type that come in a cardboard box: always a good nights sleep after using those in the bath).
9. Try and avoid caffeine. Again not always possible when busy.
They work for me anyway. |  | | |
| Work stress on 12:57 - Mar 9 with 1491 views | Highjack |
| Work stress on 10:33 - Mar 9 by KGriz16 |
I had stressers outside of my work environment that lead me to be incapable of performing in work to my full capacity, my line manager was very supportive and, more importantly, understanding. If you're struggling I recommend opening up and talking to colleagues. I went to see a GP, and was given 2 weeks leave. Really helped. However, I do have colleagues who find work incredibly stressful, it's just managing it at the time. I was offered counselling to help myself when work does get stressful for myself. Really helps. |
Unfortunately a large number of people aren’t fortunate enough to have understanding bosses. |  |
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| Work stress on 13:32 - Mar 9 with 1463 views | Professor |
I am a bit of a sponge and can absorb a fair degree. But at times I reach a saturation point and can't take any more. I can be my own worse enemy in not taking time off. The uncertainty in maintaining contracts for my post-docs is perhaps the worst part. I don't think many people are aware of how precarious employment is for scientists until they get tenure. A PhD is the gateway to short term contracts and little certainty. The increasing change is culture in academia (scarily becoming a NHS-like bullying one) does not help. About two years ago it got too much and I just booked a flight to see my mother in Tenerife. I am trying to do more short breaks with or without family. We are supposedly going to New York next month and France for a week in July. This helps. Email means no escape. | | | |
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| Work stress on 13:49 - Mar 9 with 1432 views | dickythorpe |
Remove yourself from environment that is doing your head in.
For me I go to Pembs/Gower, walk and take in all the views.
When I return to work I'm laughing inside at the trivial matters that get people snarling and throwing their hands up in the air.
I always look at planes and wonder where people are going, and whether they are escaping. [Post edited 9 Mar 2020 16:15]
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| Work stress on 14:01 - Mar 9 with 1417 views | LeonWasGod |
My coping mechanism seems to be beer, so thanks to the few threads who have reminded me this isn't for the best! |  | | |
| Work stress on 14:02 - Mar 9 with 1415 views | Cooperman |
| Work stress on 12:43 - Mar 9 by AguycalledJack |
I deal with it in no particular order:
1. try and eat as healthy as possible. Time doesn't always allow for this.
2. get on a punch bag - try and make time for exercise
3. Vitamin D - the sunshine drug works for me (especially in winter when we don't get much sun).
4. If I have a decision to make, don't leave it hanging.
5. the note and pad idea stated above is excellent.
6. If possible, take time out to relax at least an hour before bed.
7. If necessary Sleep hypnosis, I use the sleep hypnosis on you tube.
8. Radox bath salts (the old fashioned type that come in a cardboard box: always a good nights sleep after using those in the bath).
9. Try and avoid caffeine. Again not always possible when busy.
They work for me anyway. |
Can you tell me more about #7?
I’m not a great sleeper, far from it in fact. I regularly have instances where I’m still staring at the ceiling at 4am and for no apparent reason (it’s not caffeine as I don’t drink coffee past late afternoon). | |
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| Work stress on 14:05 - Mar 9 with 1410 views | Professor |
| Work stress on 13:49 - Mar 9 by dickythorpe |
Remove yourself from environment that is doing your head in.
For me I go to Pembs/Gower, walk and take in all the views.
When I return to work I'm laughing inside at the trivial matters that get people snarling and throwing their hands up in the air.
I always look at planes and wonder where people are going, and whether they are escaping. [Post edited 9 Mar 2020 16:15]
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Would be great if not 4 hours drive for me! Walking the dog on the Dee estuary is great in summer, bit a bit bleak in winter | | | |
| Work stress on 14:12 - Mar 9 with 1408 views | Cooperman |
| Work stress on 14:01 - Mar 9 by LeonWasGod |
My coping mechanism seems to be beer, so thanks to the few threads who have reminded me this isn't for the best! |
Quite a few years ago I was at the doctors for something or other and the conversation moved on to alcohol consumption. My words to him went something along the lines of the following:
On a typical week night I will get home from work and grab a beer. I’ll cook dinner and have a beer. Eat dinner with a beer. Put the kids to bed and then have a glass of wine or two (the kids were both great sleepers from a very early age). If there’s a dribble left in the bottle then I’ll finish it. To close things off I’ll then have a nightcap.
A quick totting up of the units revealed a startling number which then required a change of lifestyle and determination of another stress reliever. | |
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| Work stress on 14:17 - Mar 9 with 1400 views | LeonWasGod |
| Work stress on 14:12 - Mar 9 by Cooperman |
Quite a few years ago I was at the doctors for something or other and the conversation moved on to alcohol consumption. My words to him went something along the lines of the following:
On a typical week night I will get home from work and grab a beer. I’ll cook dinner and have a beer. Eat dinner with a beer. Put the kids to bed and then have a glass of wine or two (the kids were both great sleepers from a very early age). If there’s a dribble left in the bottle then I’ll finish it. To close things off I’ll then have a nightcap.
A quick totting up of the units revealed a startling number which then required a change of lifestyle and determination of another stress reliever. |
I'm pretty much there now. I'm a skinny sod, but have packed on about a stone and half in the last 9 months, mostly from the beer. Need to stop this nonsense and get back to running or out on the bike. As the evenings starts lengthening an the weather (hopefully) improves, that'll help. | | | |
| Work stress on 14:58 - Mar 9 with 1353 views | MrSwerve |
Thanks for the posts and suggestions guys. Have been struggling a bit as of late (I work in academia and the amount of 'non-academic' work that we have to now do in terms of student support, administration and monitoring of well-being is getting almost unworkable...often find myself working before and after normal working hours just to keep things running smoothly).
This tends to come and go in waves for me. My sleeping pattern over the last month or so has been pretty poor...as you've said Cooperman, I find myself regularly awake for a lot of the night pondering over all of the things that I need to do. It's not uncommon for me to get 3-4 hours of sleep at most.
Since about a year ago I took up running which I found helped massively. If you're shattered enough, you'll sleep! It does get tough though to fit exercise into a normal daily routine.
It does feel that in my particular case that workload isn't always fairly shared and that I'm left firefighting issues to keep things ticking along. We had some voluntary redundancies last year and a couple of us have had to pick up the brunt of the work (i.e. covering modules outside of our specialism, which requires a hell of a lot of 'homework' to do it properly). Doesn't help then when you have specialists in those subjects who seem to get away with murder.
I'm going off on a tangent slightly there into sector-specific stress...but it's always nice to vent! It's certainly something that I feel I need to take up with my boss, although he is the kind to shrug off this kind of thing with 'don't worry it'll get better' types of comments. I do feel sometimes that the only thing that'll change anything is to go to the doctors and get signed off, but I'm conscious that it'll leave other colleagues in an even worse position...and I'm too 'nice' to do that. I know that that isn't the way to look at it though. Probably part of my problem! | |
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| Work stress on 14:58 - Mar 9 with 1351 views | NotLoyal |
That particular piece of medical advice is pretty much staple. |  |
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| Work stress on 15:03 - Mar 9 with 1340 views | vetchonian |
I always found exercise the best destresser
though the 80s 90s and early 2000s played a lot of squash,trained and played golf ( wilst still consuming lots of alcohol!!) since around 2008 exercise tailed off alcphol consumptio around the same...symptoms of stress higher!!!!
And I still support the Swans!!!! | |
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| Work stress on 15:11 - Mar 9 with 1327 views | Vincent_Vega |
Try Crack?
In all seriousness running works for me. |  |
| Boycott Shampoo......Demand Real Poo!!! |
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| Work stress on 15:30 - Mar 9 with 1298 views | Cooperman |
| Work stress on 14:17 - Mar 9 by LeonWasGod |
I'm pretty much there now. I'm a skinny sod, but have packed on about a stone and half in the last 9 months, mostly from the beer. Need to stop this nonsense and get back to running or out on the bike. As the evenings starts lengthening an the weather (hopefully) improves, that'll help. |
It won’t help your cause if you’re anything like me and enjoy laying on the sofa with absolutely nothing to do apart from drink a cold beer. In line with the other thread this is probably my guilty pleasure. | |
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| Work stress on 15:35 - Mar 9 with 1293 views | Cooperman |
| Work stress on 14:58 - Mar 9 by MrSwerve |
Thanks for the posts and suggestions guys. Have been struggling a bit as of late (I work in academia and the amount of 'non-academic' work that we have to now do in terms of student support, administration and monitoring of well-being is getting almost unworkable...often find myself working before and after normal working hours just to keep things running smoothly).
This tends to come and go in waves for me. My sleeping pattern over the last month or so has been pretty poor...as you've said Cooperman, I find myself regularly awake for a lot of the night pondering over all of the things that I need to do. It's not uncommon for me to get 3-4 hours of sleep at most.
Since about a year ago I took up running which I found helped massively. If you're shattered enough, you'll sleep! It does get tough though to fit exercise into a normal daily routine.
It does feel that in my particular case that workload isn't always fairly shared and that I'm left firefighting issues to keep things ticking along. We had some voluntary redundancies last year and a couple of us have had to pick up the brunt of the work (i.e. covering modules outside of our specialism, which requires a hell of a lot of 'homework' to do it properly). Doesn't help then when you have specialists in those subjects who seem to get away with murder.
I'm going off on a tangent slightly there into sector-specific stress...but it's always nice to vent! It's certainly something that I feel I need to take up with my boss, although he is the kind to shrug off this kind of thing with 'don't worry it'll get better' types of comments. I do feel sometimes that the only thing that'll change anything is to go to the doctors and get signed off, but I'm conscious that it'll leave other colleagues in an even worse position...and I'm too 'nice' to do that. I know that that isn't the way to look at it though. Probably part of my problem! |
You should consider talking to your immediate colleagues about the workload sharing. If they share the same view then a collective opinion is a lot easier to share than just your lone thoughts. Take time out to document your views and present them to your superior as a unified ‘voice of employee’. You are doing no harm whatsoever by presenting risks, causes and potential solutions. If he / she is worthy of a supervisory role then they should pay attention. | |
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| Work stress on 15:45 - Mar 9 with 1268 views | NotLoyal |
| Work stress on 15:35 - Mar 9 by Cooperman |
You should consider talking to your immediate colleagues about the workload sharing. If they share the same view then a collective opinion is a lot easier to share than just your lone thoughts. Take time out to document your views and present them to your superior as a unified ‘voice of employee’. You are doing no harm whatsoever by presenting risks, causes and potential solutions. If he / she is worthy of a supervisory role then they should pay attention. |
On a serious note, documenting the issue, the impact on you in and out of work, symptoms etc may well assist you greatly if this goes south. Speak up. | |
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| Work stress on 15:50 - Mar 9 with 1261 views | Professor |
| Work stress on 14:58 - Mar 9 by MrSwerve |
Thanks for the posts and suggestions guys. Have been struggling a bit as of late (I work in academia and the amount of 'non-academic' work that we have to now do in terms of student support, administration and monitoring of well-being is getting almost unworkable...often find myself working before and after normal working hours just to keep things running smoothly).
This tends to come and go in waves for me. My sleeping pattern over the last month or so has been pretty poor...as you've said Cooperman, I find myself regularly awake for a lot of the night pondering over all of the things that I need to do. It's not uncommon for me to get 3-4 hours of sleep at most.
Since about a year ago I took up running which I found helped massively. If you're shattered enough, you'll sleep! It does get tough though to fit exercise into a normal daily routine.
It does feel that in my particular case that workload isn't always fairly shared and that I'm left firefighting issues to keep things ticking along. We had some voluntary redundancies last year and a couple of us have had to pick up the brunt of the work (i.e. covering modules outside of our specialism, which requires a hell of a lot of 'homework' to do it properly). Doesn't help then when you have specialists in those subjects who seem to get away with murder.
I'm going off on a tangent slightly there into sector-specific stress...but it's always nice to vent! It's certainly something that I feel I need to take up with my boss, although he is the kind to shrug off this kind of thing with 'don't worry it'll get better' types of comments. I do feel sometimes that the only thing that'll change anything is to go to the doctors and get signed off, but I'm conscious that it'll leave other colleagues in an even worse position...and I'm too 'nice' to do that. I know that that isn't the way to look at it though. Probably part of my problem! |
You have my sympathies. I am far enough up the ladder to lose some of the rubbish, but none of us in academia are immune. There is a form for everything which slows us up, increases bureaucracy and frustration. Online forms are the worst. I have to fill in a form which allows me to fill out a bigger form, which in itself contains lots of smaller forms. All for a 1 in 5 chance of getting research funding. The teaching side is incredible. I have more paperwork for an undergraduate project than is really needed for a PhD, but all this monitoring is so important.
As for fair workload. Not seen that ever in academia. I must admit I have a plan to do nothing once I get to 57 so I can get voluntary redundancy and retire at around 61. | | | |
| Work stress on 15:51 - Mar 9 with 1260 views | ItchySphincter |
| Work stress on 12:43 - Mar 9 by AguycalledJack |
I deal with it in no particular order:
1. try and eat as healthy as possible. Time doesn't always allow for this.
2. get on a punch bag - try and make time for exercise
3. Vitamin D - the sunshine drug works for me (especially in winter when we don't get much sun).
4. If I have a decision to make, don't leave it hanging.
5. the note and pad idea stated above is excellent.
6. If possible, take time out to relax at least an hour before bed.
7. If necessary Sleep hypnosis, I use the sleep hypnosis on you tube.
8. Radox bath salts (the old fashioned type that come in a cardboard box: always a good nights sleep after using those in the bath).
9. Try and avoid caffeine. Again not always possible when busy.
They work for me anyway. |
Similar, work stress is a very real and very individual phenomena. Some tw@ts just don't care but unfortunately if you are one of those people that does, and goes about your work diligently , you will inevitably suffer it. |  |
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| Work stress on 16:03 - Mar 9 with 1241 views | monmouth |
| Work stress on 13:32 - Mar 9 by Professor |
I am a bit of a sponge and can absorb a fair degree. But at times I reach a saturation point and can't take any more. I can be my own worse enemy in not taking time off. The uncertainty in maintaining contracts for my post-docs is perhaps the worst part. I don't think many people are aware of how precarious employment is for scientists until they get tenure. A PhD is the gateway to short term contracts and little certainty. The increasing change is culture in academia (scarily becoming a NHS-like bullying one) does not help. About two years ago it got too much and I just booked a flight to see my mother in Tenerife. I am trying to do more short breaks with or without family. We are supposedly going to New York next month and France for a week in July. This helps. Email means no escape. |
Mmm I see it as analogous to the NHS too. Luckily for me it's not a career, more a hobby, so I don't get at all stressed (except by sometimes how shit some 'students' can be), as anytime I want to stop...or they no longer want me...I can pack it in. It's a nice bit of supplementary pension though and it's too easy to get used to that and want to retain it, but that's when the power would shift, so I'm not giving anyone any power over me and I just say no to appraisals and crappy meetings as a condition of me continuing. One day someone will just tell me to sling my hook, and I'll probably end up grateful. For a career person in HE though, I have observed it is getting to be increasingly toxic, but still has enviable flexibility.
That said, on the wider general point regarding people being stressed, I have had extraordinarily stressful jobs in the past, and lost perspective now and again and functioned poorly sometimes. I guess all I can say is that one day you will look back and realise it wasn't really that important, so it would be nice to be able to apply that sense at the time (I couldn't). Doing mundane jobs that I knew I could handle around the house (like painting) or jogging while listening to audio books really helped me stay calm at least when I was out of the hurricane. In retrospect I had serious imposter syndrome (I can see now I was in no way an imposter). The brain is a f*cker, don't always believe it. Find someone you trust to talk to. I'd be shocked if it wasn't the majority now with today's pressures for consumption. [Post edited 9 Mar 2020 16:11]
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