Why it Matters
Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and demands. For many people, stress is so commonplace that it has become a way of life. But when one is constantly running in emergency mode, as is often the case for a family caregiver, the mind and body pay the price.
Long-term exposure to stress can lead to serious health problems, as chronic stress disrupts nearly every system in the body. It can:
- Raise blood pressure
- Suppress the immune system
- Increase the risk of heart attack and stroke
- Speed up the aging process
- And long term, stress can even rewire the brain, leaving employees more vulnerable to anxiety and depression
The result of long-term exposure to stress for a company’s employees will be more absences and increased healthcare benefit utilization.
Recognizing the Signs of Stress
When under pressure, behavior can present as:
- Talking too fast or too loud
- Yawning
- Fiddling and twitching, nail biting, grinding teeth, drumming fingers, pacing, etc.
- Bad moods: irritability, being critical, overly sensitive replies, anger and irrationality when responding to problems and people
- Being unreasonably negative
- Making less realistic judgments
- Inability to concentrate
- Difficulty making decisions
- Being more forgetful
- Making more mistakes
- Being more accident prone
- Disorganization, confusion and worry
- Changing work habits
- Increased absenteeism
- Neglect of personal appearance and personal hygiene
Comments