Here's an easy question: Can stress kill you? Sure can. I can say that I've known a few people in my time who have died from stress related health conditions. The scary thing is, that once the body has been traumatized by stress, it becomes immediately vulnerable to any other potential situations that could induce a "panic" from within.
I've noticed that many ignore the signs and symptoms of stress as well. While many conditions hide themselves within the body and lie dormant so-to-speak, the body tends to alarm us with varied signals to indicate that it is in turmoil particularly when it is due to experiencing stressful situations. A few examples: loss of appetite, insomnia, recurring headaches, mild tingling in the limbs, stomach pains, indigestion, blurred vision, shortness of breath and chest pain to name a few.
So why would anyone wish to ignore these signs and keep on keeping on despite their indicators that should have the person wanting to change their situation? Why ignore stress? Well, one primary reason one ignores the signs of stress within the body is when they are going to a job from day to day. You see, the trap of working in jobs from day to day, with confined standards alone, can cause one's blood to subtly erupt. The mind and spirit was not meant to be confined in such a way. Yet when we couple this dynamic with a work environment that is less than desirable, the body is experiencing a slow death. Think I'm melodramatic? I sure hope not. Take heed to the signs of work-related stress.
*14 Causes of Work-Related Stress*
1. Poor working relationship with supervisor.
2. Lack of opportunity for advancement.
3. Poor work-life balance.
4. Performing a job that is not one's passion.
5. Unreasonable workload.
6. Lengthy commute to and from work.
7. Co-workers that you just don't like.
8. Low pay and lousy benefits package.
9. Mistrust and unfairness.
10. Job ambiguity and inconsistency.
11. Random interruptions.
12. No feedback from leadership whether good or bad.
13. Lack of appreciation.
14. Devalued.
So what can this all lead to in terms of illness? Well I mentioned a few above. Yet if you are already experiencing health issues such as diabetes, depression, asthma, heart disease, etc., death can be knocking at your door.
I recently went to a job interview for a pretty high-powered position, which could surely cause one to become stressed as it is in the field of behavioral health administration. I asked the interviewer, "So may I ask what happened to the last person in this position...why is there an opening for this position now...?"
The interviewer and her colleague gave a rapid glance at each other and she stated to me, "Well she was an absolutely excellent employee..........SHE DIED... DIED... DIED... FROM ASTHMA.......... ASThma...Asthma..asthma......."
Okay, well she just stated "died from asthma" once, yet deductive reasoning told me to run for the hills.
BOTTOM LINE: Be good to yourself. Take care of yourself. Don't ignore the signs of work-related stress, because at the end of the day, if you die at your desk, the organization you work for may simply kick your corpse over to the side and say, "Next Victim! I mean employee!...Hey Jim, will you discard this one on the floor please, he couldn't cut the mustard."
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