HealthyLife Articles

Tag: coping

Coping With Life’S Challenges

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

Stress happens to everyone at some point. We all face problems and situations that can be stressful. This can be losing a job, an unexpected move, losing a loved one, or problems at work. Even happy events such as a marriage, new baby, or new job can cause stress and anxiety.

Too much stress can hurt your health. The American Psychological Association says chronic stress can lead to heart disease, depression, headaches, weight gain, and other health problems.

But no one can avoid stress completely. The best strategy is to learn ways you can cope with the challenges of life and lower your stress levels through healthy thoughts and habits. The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these tips:

* Figure out what you can and can’t control. If you have no control over something (like the weather or someone else’s behavior), try not to worry about it.

* Tackle small, doable problems if the big ones can’t be done right now.

* See change as an important lesson and a challenge that will help you learn and grow.

* If you have conflicts with others, try to address them calmly. Resolving differences can relieve stress, anxiety and anger.

* When you’re feeling stressed, talk with someone you trust.

* Be realistic with your schedule. Say “no” to things you can’t do.

* Get regular exercise. It can lower stress levels and help you sleep better.

* Choose healthy foods to nourish your body and help you feel your best.

* Take part in an activity you enjoy that can take your mind off stressful things. Sports, music, classes, or just a regular walk around the neighborhood can help you clear your mind.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Difficult People In The Workplace

WORK LIFE

A manager rushes into his employee’s office at 4:30 p.m., drops a pile of papers on her desk, and barks, “I need these read, edited, and finalized by 8:30 a.m.”

A woman calls in sick. She is shivering, coughing, and has a fever. Her supervisor screams, “I don’t care what illness you have. If you’re not in the office today, I’ll take it as your resignation!”

These are real examples of workplace bullying that cause stress, depression, and anxiety. The National Mental Health Association estimates that each year more than one billion sick days can be due to mental health disorders caused by work stress. That’s $193 billion a year in lost earnings.

Psychology Professor Katerina Bezrukova studies the psychological effect of workplace injustices and intergroup relations at Santa Clara University.

She says there are 4 kinds of co-workers and supervisors to look out for:

1.Narcissistic.These types have fragile self-esteem. They may become outraged when someone challenges them. Bezrukova says avoid criticizing them. Document your own work, too, so you have a record of everything you do.

2.Aggressive.To them, everyone is a predator or prey. That’s why they like to intimidate others and even bully them. They also tend to act frantic when a project comes in or a deadline is fast approaching. Bezrukova advises victims to stay out of the way. If they can, show them how management-by-hysteria can be inefficient.

3.Rigid.These types won’t try anything new. They manage with viewpoint of “It’s my way or the highway.” This stems from fears of being pushed around. Bezrukova says let them feel like they are a part of the decision.

4.Impaired.These people have ADD, anxiety, depression, burnout, or substance abuse issues. They need professional help. Employee Assistance Programs or other kinds of intervention are best.

“People, who suffer from a workplace injustice of some sort, develop anger, frustration, anxiety, insomnia, headaches. These relationships, coupled with the connection between long-term, chronic psychological distress and increased risk of physical health problems such as cardiovascular disease, make this a crucial dollars and cents issue for business,” says Bezrukova.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Go On An Email Diet

SUCCESS OVER STRESS

Each day, 55 billion emails are written. How many of those do you receive? Email can be extremely useful for work and socializing but managing the never-ending electronic stream can cause anxiety and even legal problems and financial risk. “It has taken over our professional lives in many ways,” said Marty Siegel, associate dean of the Indiana University School of Informatics and author of The E-Mail Diet Book. “That’s really the danger, that we’re spending so much time just reacting to the next email message rather than focusing on what’s most important to do to move our work goals forward.”

Siegel offers these tips to help you shed unwanted emails and take control of your emailing habits:

* Don’t respond to everything right away. Allocate certain times during the day to look at email and stick with the plan. “Some people think it’s only polite to respond to email immediately, or they need to instantly respond to appear on top of things,” Siegel said. “This is where the addiction begins.”

* Use spam filters. Spam filters come with most email programs and services. If used, they can help prevent unwanted emails and potentially dangerous phishing attempts from clogging inboxes and claiming our attention.

* Have at least two email accounts. He recommends having one email account for work and another for personal use. This will help reduce spam on the work account if this account is never disclosed during online shopping or in other instances when email addresses are requested.

* Read it or move it. “There’s something incredibly powerful about getting down to the point where you have no messages in your inbox,” Siegel said. He suggests creating an “unread messages” folder in your email program. Move most of your email into it. Then, go through the remaining emails in the inbox and respond or delete them.

* No “thanks.” Don’t send needless email responses. Like just saying “thanks” for an email. It just adds to other people’s email problems.

* Never send email when angry. “That’s the worst thing you can do,” Siegel said. Email sent in anger can be misread, sound sarcastic or rude and might be intentionally mean. This can create bigger problems by providing something in writing that can be recorded and end up in court. If you have to respond, suggest a live meeting so nothing is in writing, or send yourself a draft of the email first and then read it 24 hours later. “Often when you look at these, you think, ‘This is so silly,’ and you delete it,” Siegel said.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026