Occupational Health

On average we spend 1/3 of our lives at work, it follows then that if we have positive experiences at work it will go a long way to ensuring our overall physical and mental wellbeing.  We at Sureteam have put together a few pointers that may help you go some way to making your workday as pleasant as possible.  We know that all of this is not possible in all workplaces but we know that just a few changes can make the world of difference.

Stress can be defined as a state of mental strain resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.  Almost all people encounter stress through a variety of means – family conflict, work deadlines, exams and lots of other circumstances. The body is designed to respond to short bursts of stress but when it is prolonged or repetitive, it can start to cause health problems.

In 2015/16, stress accounted for 37% of all work related ill health and 45% of all working days lost due as shown by HSE. Simply defined, stress is the bodies’ way of responding to any kind of demand which switches us into ‘fight or flight’ mode. This state releases chemicals into your blood stream that causes the physical symptoms of stress. It is often confused as a feeling rather than a physical problem which is why such symptoms are regularly missed or, physical steps aren’t taken to reduce the risk.

The infographic below demonstrates how stress can affect your body.