Tag Archives: stress management

Dog days at work may help reduce stress

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Many Americans find comfort in coming home from a long day of work and greeting their dog. The unconditional love of a pet can be a legitimate source of stress relief for professionals.

In some offices throughout the U.S., managers are allowing canines to roam company property to provide a much-needed distraction in an otherwise tension-filled work environment. According to the Baltimore Sun, bringing your pet to work is a growing trend in the U.S.

Companies such as Amazon and Google welcome dogs in the office, the news provider reports. Replacements Ltd., the nation's largest vendor of china and crystal, also allows workers to bring their pets to work.

A survey by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA) revealed that one in five companies allows pets. Approximately 3 percent of dog owners surveyed said they have brought their dogs to work on up to a couple of dozen occasions.

"From an employer standpoint in this era of benefit-cutting, this is something employees value, but costs us nothing to provide," Jennifer Fearing, the director of the Humane Society's California operations, told the media outlet.

Roughly 70 million Americans believe having pets in the workplace helps reduce stress levels, according to the APPMA survey. 

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Getting ahead at work might mean flattering your boss

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Workers who wish to spur personal change in their careers may want to consider buttering up their bosses.

A new study in the Journal of Management Studies reveals that ingratiation, which is the process of gaining acceptance through flattery, has several benefits. Although some people condemn "sucking up" in the workplace, the report indicates that it not only can help your career but also your overall well-being, according to U.S. News and World Report.

The findings are based on a survey of 215 Chinese employees. Researchers found that ingratiation reduced psychological distress and workplace ostracism. Past studies have shown that employees who are bullied or neglected by co-workers and their bosses are more likely to experience tension at work.

According to a 2008 Forbes article, warming up to your boss should be an overt process. Workers who are over-the-top about their compliments are likely to be avoided by some managers as well as resented by their colleagues.

Faith Ralston, an organizational leadership coach, told the media outlet that there is an art to ingratiation. He recommends employees must figure out their boss' style and adapt to it before the flattery begins.

"I call this self-survival," Ralston told the news provider. "It's not fun to play the game, but if you do it to succeed then you're not just doing it to make the boss feel good." 

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Sustained efforts vital in quota-driven environment

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In today's society, many companies are focused on hitting monthly numbers, which makes it vital that employees diligently fulfill their duties throughout the month.

With monthly deadlines it can be tempting for employees to take it easy in the beginning of the month and then make up for it at the end of the period, this poses a number of serious risks.

First, there is no guarantee that additional work won't be added to someone, making their end-of-month workload impossible to handle. In addition, cramming all that work into a short period of time is bound to lead to sloppy mistakes that would likely have been avoided if one had been working consistently throughout the month.

However, the primary reason employees should avoid such behavior is because it is unprofessional and reflects poorly on them. Not only is hard work its own reward, but when one is employed by a company, he or she is committing to giving it their best effort all the time.

While it may not be easy in the short-term to give one's best effort every day, it will certainly help with stress management when the calendar gets ready to flip. 

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School increases degree offerings to help students with personal growth

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High school students who are preparing for college this fall may be working on their stress management as they wait for acceptance letters to come in. For those who are constantly in fear of rejection, Dahn Yoga breathing exercises can help people calm their nerves.

Those who have already received their acceptance letters may be noticing that schools are choosing to increase their degree offerings in an effort to meet the needs of a larger student base.

Marshall University has been working to increase the variety of majors it offers in an effort to generate student interest. According to the Parthenon, the college's student newspaper, the university is currently underway with its first year of the sports journalism major.

"There is a lot of interest in sports in the Tri-State area and really the entire state of West Virginia," Bruno Morris, a print journalism professor, told the publication. "Every young person likes sports, especially young men who tune into ‘SportsCenter.' It was a major that was overdue."

Additionally, the Associated Press reports that this coming fall, the school will launch a bachelor's degree of science in public health. This will be the first of its kind to be offered in the state.

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