
Apparently, this is how you should avoid workplace stress
‘Ah, 4.30pm, time for my daily afternoon cry in the toilets’
Did you know that the average person spends 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime?
I didn’t know that. Take a moment out from what you’re doing right now, put down your tea, relax in your swivel chair, survey your desk. You will spend 90,000 hours of your lifetime in this spot, or in one similar to it. You can probably see your entire miserable life stretching out in front of you, measured out in coffee spoons, the only respite being the biscuits someone brings in on a Wednesday afternoon to cheer up the office. You’ll be here until you are married with kids or withered and alone. Eventually, you will become the kind of person who cares about your colleagues stealing your milk and brings your lunch in tupperware. Are you stressed out?
Luckily, someone has produced an infographic that outlines how to avoid a sense of impending doom and panic for as long as possible!
The WARNING SIGNS!
Disengagement
Look how disengaged the workplace stress cartoon is. His MacBook is on the floor and he doesn’t even care. There is coffee everywhere. He hasn’t even emptied his bin. He’s got an ashtray, he’s so disengaged he’s ignoring the July 2007 law which made it illegal to smoke in all enclosed workplaces. “When you start to disengage with your work or personal problems by ignoring or avoiding them, burnout warning bells should start ringing”, it advises.
Helplessness
If he turned the chart upside down, it would be really positive, but he can’t see this, presumably because of work-related stress and burnout.
Blunted emotions
By the time you’ve stapled your hand to the desk without noticing the pain, it’s probably time to take a holiday, isn’t it?
What you should do about it!
Actively address your problems