Stress in the workplace - more common that you think

​Is stress affecting you and the people you work with? You are not alone. The World Health Organization called job stress a World Wide Epidemic. 
Stress in the work place is one of the most common areas of stress in our lives. Even if we love our jobs, stress is an inevitable part of day-to-day performance and impacts both employers and employees alike. Everyone is susceptible because stress is an individual’s perception of the load they carry, no matter your role in your workplace. Stress is good like that, in that it doesn’t discriminate.

And the stress isn’t just physiological, it is physical as well. Hours spent in front of a computer screen starts playing havoc with your posture. Muscles starts to fatigue and causing pain, which is the nervous system reacting to the way you sit. Trigger points (taught band of muscle that can refer pain to various parts of the body) starts to form, headaches become more frequent and intense and pain starts to spread to different areas of the body. Let's face it, pain is exhausting and spreads into all areas of your life. Just because you leave work doesn't mean you leave the pain behind.

In New Zealand, OSH (Occupational Health and Safety) defines workplace stress as: The result of the interaction between a person and their work environment. According to research, one-third of workers report high levels of stress, and one quarter regards their job as the number one factor of stress in their lives.
Finances is a constant worry, office politics is another as is the actual workload along with constant deadlines.  According to a survey by Bill Wilkerson (CEO of the Global Business and Economics Roundtable on Addiction and Mental Health) the Number One stressor in the workplace is: Lack of Control – having no control over the participation or the outcome of the work.

Stress in the workplace is costly too. High staff turnovers, more sick days, less productivity and lowered staff moral are all costly contributing factors for a company. For the staff there are medical bills, prescriptions, sick days used up and struggling to cope in general life, etc.

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Prevention is better than a cure 

​Since stress in the workplace is not a new syndrome or a fad that has just popped up out of the blue, there are plenty of solutions and great information around Not all solutions will suit one person or one company, of course, but awareness is often the key to forming a solution.

This is where the workplace massage comes in. A lot of people will not take the time to go for regular massages. Cost is an issue, as is the understanding of the benefits. Massage is seen as a treat, not a necessity. However, you do not need a full 1-hour table massage to get the benefits of stress-release. A 15-min chair massage conducted by a trained massage therapist can have the same calming effects on the nervous system but without the sleepiness and tiredness that can follow a a full hour massage. 

A 'Touch Research Institute' study that connected massage to sleep also found that a 15-minute chair massage boosted alertness; while tests also show that brain-wave activity stimulated by massage is linked to improved attention, which leads to increased productivity.
By having as little as a 15-minute massage on a regular basis, the benefits of good health will therefor be promoted and maintained.

We work on the muscles that are most affected from a desk-bound posture, muscles that easily get tired, fatigued, achy and sore from sitting in the same position. 
This means that in just 15 minutes you receive health benefits without getting too relaxed, or having too much time away from your desk. 

Some quick points regarding the benefits of a Bodywork chair massage session:

• Convenience - we bring massage to you

• Ergonomic chairs - relaxed posture in massage chair

• No mess - no oil or sticky clothes

• 15 min massages - optimizing your time 
• Qualified therapists - quality massage
• Health benefits - increased productivity

So if stress is an issue at your workplace or looks as if it could become one, give us a call today and we might be able to help with at least one aspect of it!

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