Tag: Eliminate Stress

When Work Makes You Sick: What Next?

The work you do is meant to enrich your life. It gives you a focus, and of course is the way you generate the income that you need to provide for your family. Work, on the whole, is something that can be a force for tremendous good in your life.

However, there is a potential downside; the threat of work-related illnesses. Below, you can explore some of the most common questions that relate to the idea of work causing harm to your health. If you suspect you — or someone you know — might have been affected, there’s also some valuable advice on next steps.

What Illnesses Are Caused By Working Environments?

  • Mental health conditions
  • Repetitive Strain Injury
  • Mesothelioma, due to asbestos exposure
  • Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

The above are the most common, but realistically, any work could have an impact on your health. If you suspect that work is involved in your misfortune, then you’ll need to look deeper into the matter. The four mentioned might be the most common, but they’re far from the only health issues a bad working environment can cause.

How Do I Know It’s Specifically Work That Caused My Problem?

Some conditions are easier to trace to work-related sources, as the conditions required for the illness are unlikely to exist outside of working environments. It’s easier to obtain Mesothelioma help or Noise-Induced Hearing Loss assistance than it is for RSI or mental health conditions. With Mesothelioma or hearing loss, the issues that cause these are very obviously related to employment; few people will have experienced asbestos or extensive volumes in their personal lives. The same cannot be said for RSI or mental health conditions.

So if you have worked with asbestos or around high volume without adequate ear protection, Occam’s Razor dictates that it will be your working environment that has caused the issue. For mental health problems or RSI, it’s worth thinking through your personal life and seeing if there are any obvious causes. That’s not to say work isn’t the cause of these issues, but just that the matter requires a little more inspection before you pursue the idea.

Do I Have To Tell My Employer?

Yes. It is only right to inform your employer if you suspect something you are doing at work is causing health issues.

Do I Have The Right To Time Off Work?

If you have been made unwell for any reason then you should have time off work if needed. However, few companies have a specific dispensation for extra sickness leave solely due to work-related illness. You will need to talk to your employer about this.

Can I Sue?

It’s impossible to answer this without being sure of your individual situation. The best thing to do is to speak to a lawyer and see if they believe you have a case.

In Conclusion

If you think your work is making you unwell, then don’t ignore the matter. Speak to your employer and a doctor to see what they say. There might be changes or assistance that can be put in place, or you might have a legal case to help pay associated health costs. Don’t just ignore the problem; work is meant to be a method to earn money, and you don’t have to just accept ill health as a part of that deal.

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Fast Ways To Eliminate Stress

Stress is something that we all go through at one time or another. It is that uncomfortable feeling of being under pressure and not knowing whether you will be able to come through and achieve what you want. Unfortunately, stress is an ever-present part of modern life, and this doesn’t look as if it’s going to change anytime soon. However, there are some things that we can do to manage our stress in the here and now. Read on to find out what they are.

Meditation

Meditation is a great way to manage stress. This is because it is all about focusing in the now. The point is to just experience what is happening right at the time without controlling it, something which can help alleviate stress. By just letting it be you give it the chance to work itself out, and pass, instead of clamping down on it and making it stay for longer.

Meditation can also help you slow down and listen to your own thoughts. This is useful as you can make calm decisions even if you are feeling stressed. Something that can help you get a positive outcome no matter what your internal state is.

Exercise

Exercise is also a good quick remedy for stress. When we are under pressure our bodies often coil and constrict as if they are ready to pounce into action. This is because stress stimulates the old fight, fight, or freeze response that comes from our lower brain.

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Exercise can help alleviate this, as it provides somewhere for all of that nervous energy to go. So next time you are feeling stressed take a walk, or head to the gym and work out some of the symptoms physically. You will be surprised by how good it can make you feel.

Water

Drinking lots of fluids can also help you beat stress. This is because your brain is 85% water, and if it’s not properly hydrated it’s not going to work right. Also when we are stressed the body releases a hormone called cortisol. By drinking lots of water, we can keep this diluted in our bodies; negating some of the effects.

But what sort of fluids should we drink? The answer is and always will be water. Why? Well, water is the most natural fluid. As well as the purest, especially if you use a system like this Everpure water filter to remove any contaminants from the stuff you get out of your taps.

It’s also easier on the body because you actually have to use more fluid to expel caffeinated drinks than you gain from drinking them. Something that often leads to dehydration.

Therapy

Lastly, if stress is a constant issue in your life, you may want to consider some counseling or therapy. This is because many people suffer from what are known as cognitive distortions, or a skewed way of looking at the world.

This can cause them to interpret situations as stressful when they are not. However, by learning to recognize these issues, you can have a more balanced reaction to them, decreasing your stress.