A Simple Technique to Understand and Reduce Workplace Induced Stress
We are subjected to a vast array of pressures in the workplace. Alongside these pressures are people and they contribute to making us angry, frustrated, sad, happy, fulfilled and hopeless. This is because of the relationships which we have with those other people and those relationships can be the root cause of workplace stress. So why does putting our negative feelings into words help us feel better? What is it that talking with a friend or writing in the journal seems to reduce the stress that has been created in the workplace?
A brain imaging study by psychologists reveals why verbalizing those negative feelings makes them less intense. At the same time the study provided the first evidence of why “mindfulness” seems to produce a variety of health benefits. (Mindfulness is the ability to live in the present moment without distraction.) The technique is to pay attention to the present, the emotions, thoughts and body sensations, such as breathing, without passing judgment. The idea is that you simply let go of your thoughts. This is ancient wisdom as practiced 2500 years ago by Buddhists. Now we know scientifically why being able to identify and label what we are feeling has a positive effect on our well-being. Putting our feelings into words helps us cope better with the negative effects of those emotions.
There is a region in the brain that is called the amygdala and it serves as an alarm to protect the body in times of danger. The scientists found that when they showed an angry face, it stimulated the amygdala. But when people were allowed to describe it as angry, there was a change in the brain response and a reduction in the activity of the amygdala. The study went on to show that the amygdala was less active when the person described the feeling that was produced by the picture or image.
As a result of this, the scientists are suggesting that when we start thinking about our emotions and describing them or giving them a label the stress level created by the overstimulation of the amygdala is reduced. So getting a person to talk or write about their emotions may have benefits beyond what we currently know.
It seems that the best way to reduce workplace stress is to first of all write down the emotions which you are experiencing at the time. This can be followed by a list of things that create those emotions. Then it is possible to reduce the number of things that create the negative emotions that are the triggers for workplace stress. Many people don’t realize why putting their feelings into words is helpful.
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