If you’re struggling and feeling overwhelmed with pressures at work, you’re not alone.

In 2019/20 it was reported that 828,000 workers in the UK had work-related stress, depression or anxiety. A staggering 17.9 million workdays were lost because of it (HSE, Nov 2020).

So, what can be done about it? Well, popular psychology and science shows that self-care is important to beating stress. A balanced diet, physical exercise, fresh air, getting enough sleep, talking therapy, journaling and writing gratitude’s are all things you can do to help look after yourself.

Finding ways to relax your body and mind is important too. Activities like yoga, meditation and mindfulness can all help you unwind. Complementary health therapies such as reflexology, reiki and massage can benefit you too.

But before we think about what you can do to help manage your work-related stress, let’s have a look at some of the common causes.

The causes of work-related stress are wide ranging and complicated. There’s no one-size-fits all. People will experience stress differently depending on the cause, their personal circumstances and lifestyle.

Research suggests that there are some common causes though. In May 2019 ACAS commissioned a YouGov Poll, which found that the top three causes of stress and anxiety at work are:

1. Workload (60%)
2. The way people are managed (42%)
3. Balancing home and work life (35%)

Do these sound familiar to you? They do to me. In previous jobs I found managing my workload particularly tricky and I felt like I wasn’t performing at my best. This left me feeling miserable, isolated and worried about the long-term effects of my stress.

So, what are some of the common impacts on work-related stress?

Work-related stress is one of the biggest occupational health problems in the UK right now. The number of sick days related to stress is high and this will have a negative impact on productivity and the economy.

The impact of work-related stress on individuals can have a negative effect on physical and mental wellbeing. According to BUPA (2020), symptoms of work-related stress can include:

• Feeling like you can’t cope
• Being overwhelmed
• Finding it hard to concentrate
• Difficulty making decisions
• Forgetting things
• Procrastinating
• Lack of motivation
• Lack of confidence
• Feeling depressed and/or anxious
• Feeling angry or irritable
• Having mood swings
• Feeling tired and lacking in energy
• Having trouble sleeping
• Aches and pains
• Headaches
• Nausea or being sick
• Eating or drinking more or less than normal

Do you experience any of these symptoms? If so, let’s take a look at what you can to do beat your stress.

First of all, it’s important to get the right help if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms listed above so you can tackle the cause. Consider talking to a friend, family member, your manager, or it may be necessary to speak to your GP or healthcare professional.

Reflexology is a complementary health therapy that can help you feel calm and deeply relaxed. It aims to support your body’s own healing processes to improve your wellbeing.

It’s based on the theory that different points on your feet, lower legs and hands link on an energetic level with organs, nerves and glands in your body. Reflexologists stimulate these points by applying comfortable pressure using their thumbs and fingers (known as finger/thumb walking).

I’m constantly amazed by the good reflexology can do for my client’s general health and wellbeing. They always seem to leave smiling and with a sense of calm, relaxation and positivity.

Most of all, I’ve noticed that reflexology seems to inspire my clients to take better care of themselves and their lifestyle. My hunch is that this is because reflexology helps them to feel more in-tune with their mind and body. In turn, this helps them to notice what their wellbeing needs are.

• Increased relaxation
• Release of tension
• Improved sleep
• Improved mood
• Increased wellbeing

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Reflexology might just help your symptoms of work-related stress by improving your mood and helping you relax.

• More motivated and productive employees
• More relaxed employees
• Employees who are sleeping better
• Better overall employee wellbeing
• Less sick days

There’s also a lot of research coming out now about ‘positive psychology.’ In his book, ‘The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles that Fuel Success and Performance at Work’ (2010), Shawn Achor talks about ‘positive psychology’ at work.

Achor’s key message is that “happiness and optimism actually fuel performance and achievement [in the workplace],” rather than the other way round (which is a common belief and misunderstanding).

So, investing in employee health, wellbeing and happiness can have a positive impact for the employer and the employee.

The short answer is ‘no.’ Reflexology alone isn’t going to make your stress go away and it’s important to treat the cause of your work-related stress.

Then why am I writing about it?

I believe that it doesn’t matter whether you choose reflexology or any other health or wellbeing activity as a way to relax and unwind. I just happen to be advocating for reflexology because I’m a reflexologist and I feel passionate about its health and wellbeing benefits!

My point is, if you can find something that feels right and helps you feel happier, even for a short while (whether it’s exercise, reading, reflexology or otherwise), it can give you headspace – time to think away from the trigger of your stress.

Finding something you enjoy doing can help you gain perspective and consider your options with a clearer mind. Having reflexology, for example, can help give your mind and body what it needs to de-stress for the short term. Then, you can begin to work out a longer-term solution to overcome your work-related stress.

Remember though, if you’re experiencing symptoms of stress, anxiety or depression then it’s important to get the right help for you. Consider talking to a friend, family member, colleague or it may be necessary to speak to your GP or healthcare professional.

Work-related stress is one of the biggest occupational health problems in the UK right now.

In 2019/20 it was reported that 828,000 workers in the UK were experiencing work-related stress, depression or anxiety. A staggering 17.9 million workdays were lost because of it. (HSE, Nov 2020).

According to research commissioned by ACAS, the top three causes of stress and anxiety at work are:

1. Workload (60%)
2. The way people are managed (42%)
3. Balancing home and work life (35%).

The impact of work-related stress has an effect on people’s physical and mental wellbeing, including:

• Feeling overwhelmed
• Lack of motivation and productivity
• Trouble concentrating
• Aches, pains and tension.

Overcoming work-related stress is a complex problem. It’s likely that people will need support from a variety of people and/or services.

Reflexology can support people to manage stress by helping to bring about a state of relaxation and reduced tension. A treatment can help give the mind and body what it needs to destress for the short term, so clients can have some headspace to work out a longer-term solution to feel happier.

To find out more about how Happy Place Reflexology can help you and your colleagues at work, please get in touch with Alexandra.

ACAS Working for Everyone, (May 2019), Stress and anxiety at work: personal or cultural?

Achor, S., (2010), The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles that Fuel Success and Performance at Work, Virgin Books, UK.

BUPA, (2020), Work-related stress.

Health and Safety Executive, (Nov 2020), Work-related stress, anxiety or depression statistics in Great Britain.

Atkins, R. C., and Harris, P., (2008), Using Reflexology to Manage Stress in the Workplace.