Normally, stress can make us grab some ice cream or a bar of chocolate, not knowing that such foods can eventually lead to more stress. They only relieve the malady for the moment. Comfort food, after all, is to make us feel better and give us some sense of well-being.

Unfortunately, what have been known as comfort food are laden with unhealthy fats and sugars that give temporary brain chemical boost or psychological betterment but eventually make us ‘come crashing down again.’ So, nutritious food to relieve stress is the best way to go. This is the new comfort food.

Colorful fruits provide antioxidants such as vitamin C that slow down the aging process, as well as endow a person with energy boosters. Also, fruits can address your sweet cravings that commonly happen when you’re under stress.

Green vegetables ‘are natural sources of B-complex vitamins and folic acid, all of which work to influence mood. Greens like spinach are also rich in magnesium, a stress-fighting mineral that can relax the body and mind.’

Nuts are easy and accessible comfort foods. They are also rich in vitamins and minerals, all energy boosters and stress busters. ‘The magnesium in almonds can be especially calming.’ Nuts can also be filling, helping a person stave off hunger and, thus, regulate blood sugar.

Fish such as salmon and tuna are rich in omega-3 fatty acids that ‘help regulate stress hormones.’ ‘Tuna also contains natural B vitamins that combat stress.’

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Via Natural News

The cognitive restructuring technique of stress management establishes a concrete strategy that transforms unhappiness to a positive outlook. Cognitive restructuring is a useful tool for understanding and turning around negative thinking. It helps one scrutinize unhappy and negative thoughts, decide to challenge them, then rescript the negative thinking that lies behind them. In the process, it can help one approach situations in a positive frame of mind.

Negative moods are not only unpleasant but also detrimental to the potentially good quality of one’s performance, as well as undermine one’s working and social relationships with other people.

There is a basic premise in cognitive restructuring technique: that mood is a product of what one tells himself, based on his interpretations and reactions to his environment. Awareness is key. Cognitive restructuring helps in evaluating the rationality and validity of these interpretations and reactions. When one finds that these assumptions and interpretations are wrong, then the frame of thinking naturally changes, and a change in mood consequently follows.

There is a simple sequence that one can follow for cognitive restructuring: write down the ‘negative’ situation that brought about the negative thoughts and feelings, identify the moods felt during the situation, write down the automatic thoughts that were experienced when that certain mood was felt, identify the evidence that supports these thoughts, identify the evidence that does not support these thoughts, next identify the fair and balanced thoughts about the situation, and finally observe the new mood and think about what to do.

Often, stress and unhappiness are really nothing but a feeling of being overwhelmed by ‘negative’ mood. By merely investigating these things, one’s spirits are lifted, so to speak. Analyzing unhappiness already brings about some sense of empowerment over emotions.

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Via everyday HEALTH

Workplace stress can pose numerous problems to a business organization. The company’s performance is definitely put on the line when this malaise pervades the workplace. Stress at work may challenge the healthiness and performance of the business organization. When unhealthy organizations do not get the best performance from their workers, their competitiveness in the market is most affected, sometimes even upsetting their chances of survival.

The manager has tools at his disposal, though, if he is determined to cure this human resource malady. Good management and good work organization are the best forms of stress prevention. In other words, a bad manager produces a stressed worker.

If employees are already stressed, their managers should not turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the situation. Above all, they should know how to help by first being aware of its existence. It would be difficult for employers to alleviate a workers’ stress that comes from outside the workplace. However, he can very well protect workers from stress that arises through work.

Best practices in stress management almost always boils down to two core concepts: preventing stress from happening and preventing it from causing serious damage to workers’ and organizational health, when workplace stress already exists.

In many countries, there are already laws in place that oblige employers to take care of the health and safety of their workers. A good part of this occupational health and safety package is the management of stress-related hazards. Employers would do well to acquaint themselves with these pertinent pieces of legislation.

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Via human resources leader

The Programme of Occupational Health by the World Health Organization (WHO) published a series of occupational health documents entitled: Protecting Workers’ Health. These contain the implementation approaches of the Global Strategy on Occupational Health for All, a result of the Fourth Network Meeting of the WHO Collaborating Centres in Occupational Health. The WHO, along with the International Labor Organization (ILO), recognizes stress as a world-wide major challenge to workers’ health and the wellbeing of their organizations.

In many countries, legislation mandates employers to take care of the health and safety of their workers. This duty includes the management of stress-related hazards, work stress, and basic mental and physical health of employees. Employers are advised to familiarize themselves with the relevant law in their country.

Corporate stress management is a complex process that includes the prevention of stress at the workplace, and where employees are already experiencing stress, the prevention of further and more serious damage to workers’ health by stress. Corporate management has seen the debilitating effects of work stress to the general health of their organization, as well as to the company’s bottom line.

Poor worker performance, increased absenteeism, decreased commitment to work, and increased staff turn-over are just some of the concrete manifestations of the effect of stress at the workplace. These manifestations subtract from the company’s ability to be competitive. That is why many companies and corporations have joined the work stress relief bandwagon, seemingly spoiling their employees in the process.

And most importantly, the uptrend in the relief of work stress has spawned an entire global industry of health professionals, occupational therapists, fitness instructors, dieticians, and the like to service the needs of thousands of corporations across the globe.

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Via Clarity Seminars