Like most things in life, stress can be good or very bad.

Good stress (eustress) motivates us, bad stress is debilitating. Mountains of research over the past few decades has clearly shown how damaging occupational stress is, radiating out to all areas of our lives. It’s vital to ensure that you have good coping strategies and the confidence to use them in the most productive way.

Being stressed at work can lead to all sorts of physical, and emotional difficulties like depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal disorders, and headaches, just to name a few. Stress can affect our work performance, damage our relationships with family, friends and colleagues and have severe consequences on our health. In fact, stress is associated with the six leading causes of death – heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide – with 75 – 90% of all doctor’s visits being for stress-related complaints! 

Working relationships based on trust and mutual respect, not only impact on your level of productivity and engagement on the job, they also contribute heavily to career success and overall personal well-being. Take the time to assess your relationships at work and determine areas for improvement. 

Seven Tips for Improving Workplace Relationships: